Hyderabad Filmmaker’s Documentary ‘Hero of the Sea’ Wins Big at Indian World Film Festival

A remarkable achievement was celebrated in Hyderabad as filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao's documentary, ‘Hero of the Sea,’ emerged victorious at the 8th Indian World Film Festival-2024. This heartfelt documentary, crafted by Rao, garnered an 'honourable jury mention' at the prestigious event.

‘Hero of the Sea’ delves into the courageous endeavours of the Indian Navy in combating piracy threats targeting ships. The documentary vividly portrays the resilience of five Indian individuals who faced captivity at the hands of pirates in Nigeria back in 2019. Their unwavering determination and survival instincts during the harrowing 70-day ordeal form the central narrative of the film.

The Indian World Film Festival received an overwhelming response with over 200 entries, curated by the Noida-based Mumbai Box Office. Among these, 83 outstanding entries were officially selected, and the winners were chosen across various categories by an esteemed international jury panel.

The awards ceremony, graced by luminaries like D C Singh, chief advisor, and Rambhul Singh, film director and founder of Mini Box Office, was a momentous occasion. Sushil Rao's contributions to the cinematic world were duly recognised, as he received accolades not only for ‘Hero of the Sea’ but also for his previous works.

Adding to his list of achievements, Rao was honoured with an award garnered at the 12th Mumbai International Film Festival for his documentary ‘Oscar Challagariga,’ which received a Special Festival Mention. Additionally, he received a 'Certificate of Excellence' for his short documentary entry, ‘Human Feelings in Robot Wars,’ selected in the 11th Noida International Film Festival-24 held earlier in the year.