‘Skin of Youth’ wins top honor at IFFI 2025 as Marathi film ‘Gondhal’ leads major Indian wins

Highlights

• Vietnamese film Skin of Youth earns the Golden Peacock for Best Feature Film.
  
• Santosh Davakahar wins Best Director for the Marathi thriller Gondhal.
  
• Acting honors go to Ubeimar Rios and Jara Sofija Ostan.
  
• Safe House receives the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal.
  
• Bandish Bandits 2 wins Best Web Series (OTT).
  

‘Skin of Youth’ takes Best Feature Film

The 56th International Film Festival of India concludes with Skin of Youth, directed by Vietnam’s Ash Mayfair, winning the Golden Peacock for Best Feature Film in the international competition. The film follows the turbulent romance between San, a transgender sex worker seeking gender-affirming surgery, and Nam, an underground cage fighter supporting his young son.

Major honors for Indian filmmakers

Indian director Santosh Davakahar wins Best Director for the Marathi thriller Gondhal. Karan Singh Tyagi receives the Best Debut Director award for Kesari 2, which screens in the Indian Feature Film section.

Acting awards recognize global talent

The Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male) goes to Ubeimar Rios for his role in the Colombian drama A Poet, directed by Simon Mesa Soto. Jara Sofija Ostan wins Best Actor (Female) for the Slovenian film Little Trouble Girls. Each of the acting awards includes a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.

‘Safe House’ awarded for its message of peace

The Norwegian film Safe House, directed by Eirik Svensson, receives the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal for promoting peace, non-violence and intercultural dialogue. Set inside a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Bangui during the 2013 Central African Republic civil war, the film presents a tense, real-time account of aid workers facing moral and humanitarian dilemmas. Manouj Kadaamh accepts the honor on behalf of the director.

Best Web Series award for Bandish Bandits 2

Bandish Bandits 2, directed by Anand Tiwari and created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Tiwari, wins Best Web Series (OTT). The jury selects the series for making arts and music accessible to a broad audience. The creators receive the award from Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs.

Full list of IFFI 2025 winners

• Best Film: Skin of Youth
  
  
• Best Director: Santosh Davakahar for Gondhal
  
  
• Best Actor (Male): Ubeimar Rios (A Poet)
  
• Best Actor (Female): Jara Sofija Ostan (Little Trouble Girls)
  
• Best Web Series (OTT): Bandish Bandits 2
  
  
• Special Jury Award: Akinola Davies Jr. (My Father’s Shadow)
  
• ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal: Safe House
  
  

Festival concludes with special tribute

IFFI wraps nine days of screenings, conversations and premieres at the closing ceremony held at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. The event also honors superstar Rajinikanth for completing 50 years in Indian cinema.