Indian director Jatla Siddartha’s In the Belly of a Tiger has claimed the Feature Fiction Award at the Adelaide Film Festival, taking home the $10,000 prize sponsored by the Nunn Dimos Foundation.
Jatla Siddartha’s moving film, which offers a searing allegorical critique of capitalism, was unanimously selected by the AFF Competition Jury.
Director Jatla Siddartha and producer Esther Li were present in Adelaide to receive the award. Expressing his gratitude, Siddartha said,
“Winning the hearts of audience and jury at the Adelaide film festival only gives me more determination and courage to make more such films. Couldn’t have asked for more. Thankyou for being so kind.”
Set in rural India, the 91-minute arthouse feature tells the story of an elderly farmer, Bhagole, and his family as they return to their village after an unsuccessful stint in the city. There, they encounter a community ravaged by exploitative employers and haunted by a man-eating tiger—both protected by the government. With desperation mounting, Bhagole makes the ultimate sacrifice to secure his family’s future.
Despite its sobering themes, In the Belly of a Tiger is peppered with moments of beauty and hope. Director Jatla Siddartha masterfully weaves mythological elements with a deeply human narrative, while his striking cinematography immerses viewers in the village’s struggle and resilience.
Siddartha, born to a director father and actress mother, grew up immersed in filmmaking. A cinematography graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he also studied cinematography at the Asian Film Academy through a cultural exchange programme at the Busan Film Festival.
His debut short film, The Artist, premiered at Busan in 2012. Siddartha’s first feature, Love and Shukla (2017), premiered at Busan and later screened at over 35 international festivals, earning accolades like the NETPAC and Signis awards.
Siddartha’s second feature, In the Belly of a Tiger, supported by the Busan Script Development Fund and NFDC Film Lab, participated in the LIM | Less is More programme in 2019, further cementing his place in India’s arthouse film scene.
The AFF jury, led by Stephen A. Russell, praised the film, saying:
“This film deftly wove a very human story about family and the tenacity of workers in the face of great adversity with a mesmerising mythological framework that nevertheless sings of the human spirit. It transported us to a world both recognisable and incredible.”
The festival also gave a special mention to cinematographer Tyson Perkins for his work on Samuel Van Grinsven’s Went Up the Hill.
With In the Belly of a Tiger, India’s burgeoning arthouse movement continues to make a global impact, combining artistic storytelling with urgent social commentary.
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