Actor Sidhanshu to chair Child Jury at Giffoni International Film Festival

Thiruvananthapuram: In a remarkable achievement, 14-year-old Sidhanshu Sanjeev Sivan from Kerala has been chosen to chair the children's jury at the 55th edition of the Giffoni International Film Festival in Italy, one of the world’s most prestigious festivals dedicated to children’s cinema. The festival is scheduled to take place from July 18 to 28.

A Class XI student at Loyola School in Thiruvananthapuram, Sidhanshu hails from the renowned Sivans family, widely regarded as the first family of Malayalam cinema. His father, filmmaker Sanjeev Sivan, and mother, director Deepti Pillay Sivan, are both celebrated figures in the Malayalam film industry. His grandfather, the late Sivan, was a National Award-winning filmmaker and photographer, while his uncle Santosh Sivan is one of India’s most acclaimed cinematographers, also honoured with multiple National Awards. Another uncle, the late Sangeeth Sivan—who passed away in May 2024—was a well-known director remembered for the Malayalam classic 'Yoddha' starring Mohanlal.

Sidhanshu will lead a jury comprising children from various countries, with each international jury section featuring around 600 young participants. His father, Sanjeev Sivan, confirmed the news, expressing pride in his son's achievement.

Sidhanshu made his acting debut in 'Ozhuki Ozhuki Ozhuki', a film directed by his father. He recently played a dual role in 'Achappa’s Album' (Grampa’s Album), a time-travel children’s film directed by his mother and produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The film had a special market screening at the European Film Market (EFM) during the Berlinale 2025. Blending fantasy and emotion, the coming-of-age story has been praised globally for its imaginative exploration of intergenerational relationships.

The young actor will next appear in the upcoming children’s mystery film 'Detective Ujjwakan', directed by Sophie Paul.

With IANS inputs