International award-winning Telugu documentary “Oscar Challagariga’ directed by Chilkuri Sushil  Rao  selected for Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival-2024 streaming online 

Award winning documentary “Oscar Challagariga” produced and directed by documentary filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao from Hyderabad is now streaming online for the public as part of the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival-2024  organised by Lift-Off Global Network, Pinewood Studios, England. 

The Telugu documentary was officially selected in the New Voice Shorts category. The streaming which began on February 12, 2024 will end on March 11, 2024. As many as 128 films from across the world have been selected in the category and are being streamed on Vimeo.

During an online video interaction with filmmakers from different parts of the globe competing in various sections of the film festival on Feb 21, Chilkuri Sushil Rao explained to the Focus Group the significance of the subject of the documentary. The discussion was hosted by Ben Pohlman, co-director and Co-founder of Lift-Off Global Network. 

The participants included Chilkuri Sushil Rao (Oscar Challgariga), Maddie Hatt (Room for One), Fabia (1111 km - Sweet to Salty), Zhouanqi Liu (Love will tear us apart), Man Chun Lee (36649), Lennox Liehmann (Love Bugs), Bill Webb (Sunlight), Mesut and Burak (The Territory), Irina Vodar (Anything you lose) and Olga Mazurkiewicz (Buffalo: City of Refuge). 

“New Voices Shorts is a remarkable anthology that showcases visionary filmmakers blazing their trail in the industry,” the film festival organisers said.

He said it was the first time in the 95-year-old history of the Oscars that a completely Indian production had won an Oscar award. The Academy for Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the awards given away on March 10, 2023 awarded the Best Original Song for lyricist Kanukuntla Subhash Chandrabose and music director M M Keervani for the song “Naatu Naatu” from the Telugu film “RRR” directed by S S Rajamouli.

The documentary captured the festive atmosphere in Challagariga village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district of Telangana, India when Chandrabose was accorded a grand reception at his village on winning the Oscar. 

As part of the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival, there are other categories including Features, Local Filmmaker Shorts  and Judges Select Shorts, 

On March 2, 2024, officially selected filmmakers have been invited to participate in the Berlin Lift-Off Networking Speed Date session to be held at the Neukolln, Berlin, Germany. 

As part of the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival, there are other categories including Features, Local Filmmaker Shorts  and Judges Select Shorts, 

On March 2, 2024, officially selected filmmakers have been invited to participate in the Berlin Lift-Off Networking Speed Date session to be held at the Neukolln, Berlin, Germany. 

Chilkuri Sushil Rao’s award winning documentary “Oscar Challagariga” selected for Berlin Lift Off Film Festival and Belgrade International Film Festival 

The international award-winning documentary “Oscar Challagariga” produced and directed by Chilkuri Sushil Rao has been selected for Berlin Lift Off Film Festival and the Belgrade International Film Festival (BIFF).

While the Belgrade International Film Festival will take place on April 10, 2024, the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival will begin on February 12, 2024.

The documentary “Oscar Challagariga” has won awards in the film festival circuit across the world. It won honours at the Cannes World Film Festival, the 12th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of Andhra Pradesh.

“The honour is really for the people of the village of Challagariga who celebrated the Oscar win of lyricist Subhash Chandrabose with great fervour and enthusiasm,” documentary film-maker Chikuri Sushil Rao said.

Lyricist Kanukuntla Subhash Chandrabose won the Oscar award for the Best Original Song, along with music director M M Keervani at the Oscar Awards presented in Los Angeles in March 2023. The award was for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the film ‘RRR’ directed by S S Rajamouli. This was the first time in the 95-year history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that a completely Indian production won an award.

When Subash Chandrabose went to his village Challagari in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in Telangana, the entire village celebrated the Oscar by taking Subhash Chandrabose in a procession. They felicitated him at a specially organised event. The documentary showcases this celebration.

The 56-year-old Chilkuri Sushil Rao has won both national and international awards for some more documentaries that he has made.

An alumnus of the Department of Communication and Journalism, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Chilkuri Sushil Rao has educated himself in filmmaking through courses offered by the Film and Television Institute of India, IIT Madras, Central University of Kerala, and Indian Documentary Film Producers Association.