Malayalam cinema

Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute. Rajiv Anchal's Guru (1997), Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) and Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikkattu (2019) were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards. Other films which achieved global acclaim include Chemmeen (1965), which received a Certificate of Merit at the Chicago International Film Festival, and a gold medal at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Cinematography. Swaham (1994) won the Bronze Rosa Camuna at the Bergamo Film Meeting in Italy. The first 3D film produced in India, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), was made in Malayalam. The first CinemaScope film produced in Malayalam was Thacholi Ambu (1978). The first Malayalam feature film was Vigathakumaran, a silent film directed and produced by J. C. Daniel. Production started in 1928, and it was released at the Capitol Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 October 1930. The first talkie in Malayalam was Balan (1938) directed by S. Nottani. During the 1920s, the Malayalam film industry was based in Thiruvananthapuram, although the film industry started to develop and flourish only by the late 1940s. Later the industry shifted to Chennai (formerly Madras), which then was the capital of the South Indian film industry. By the late 1980s, the Malayalam film industry returned and established itself in Kerala with the majority of locations, studios, production and post-production facilities being located in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. Several media sources describe Kochi as the hub of the film industry. As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 12 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director at the National Film Awards, India.