Sanju Surendran, an Indian film maker is a graduate of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. At the Institute he picked his lessons from the legendary film maker Mani Kaul. Sanju has done a brief stint as a teacher of Film Direction and Screenwriting at the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam , Kerala. His documentary on Kutiyattam, Kapila won the National award for the best documentary. Sanju’s first feature film, Aedan- Garden of Desire won Rajathachakoram award for the best debut director and the FIPRESCI award for the best Malayalam film.

Recognitions

· Kandal Pokkudan (2003) – Selected for Vikalp 2004 Mumbai, Vatavaran 2003 New Delhi, Signs 2005 Trivandrum and Mediterranean Environmental Award Turkey

· Expressway [2004] Selected at the Vatavaran Film Festival, New Delhi

· Scribbles on the city [2005] Selected at the SOMS International Film Festival, Cochin , Signs 2006 Trivandrum

· Theeram [2007] Official Selection Jordan International Short Film Festival, Jordan Official Selection 52nd Corona Cork Film Festival, Cork Ireland

Official Selection 7th Karachi International Film Festival,Pakisthan Official Selection 12th International Film Festival of Kerala, India

· Kapila [2015]

62nd National Award for the Best Documentary [Arts and Culture] Special Mention at Visions du Reel, Nyon , Switzerland Special Mention at International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala IDSFFK 2015. Best Documentary Film at SIGNS 2015 [John Abraham National Award] Focus at FID Marseilles, France

· Aedan – the Garden of Desire [2018]

Rajathachakoram award for the best debut director at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala, India FIPRESCI award for the best Malayalam film at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala, India. Four Kerala State Film Awards , including Best Adapted Screenplay and 2nd Best Film Ottawa Indian FIlm Festival, Ottawa, Canada

Education

Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. 2003-2007

International Workshops

A ten day workshop on ‘Poetic Cinema’ at Shanghai Film Art Academy and Lecture at Shanghai Theatre Academy is association with A long week of Short Films , Shanghai. 2016

Experience

Assistant Professor of Film Direction and Screenwriting at the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam , Kerala. 2014 -2016 Faculty (Film ,TV & Digital Video Production) at Xavier Institute of Communications , St.Xavier’s College , Mumbai . 2020 – 2021