Christo Tomy is an Indian filmmaker known for his impactful work in both

short films A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

and

feature films A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film ( motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...

. He is a two-time

National Film Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

winning director. In 2016, he won the Swarna Kamal for Best Director (non-feature film) for his short film ''Kamuki'' (Sweetheart). He also won the National Award for Debut Director in the non-feature category for his short film ''Kanyaka'' (Virgin).

Early life and education

Christo Tomy is an alumnus of

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) is a film and television institute located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Named after renowned Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, the institute provides higher and professional education and tech ...

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

and Sainik School Kazhakootam,

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Career and achievements

National Film Awards

Christo Tomy gained national recognition with his short films, which have won him two National Film Awards. In 2016, he won the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) for Best Director for his short film ''Kamuki'' (Sweetheart). His debut short film ''Kanyaka'' (Virgin) earned him the National Award for Best Debut Director in the non-feature category, receiving the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus). ''Kanyaka'' was also screened at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

Jury member

In recognition of his expertise and contributions to

Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...

, he served as a member of the jury for the non-feature films at the

65th National Film Awards The 65th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2017 in Cinema of India, Indian cinema. The awards were announced on 13 Apr ...

Notable works

Short films and documentaries

Christo Tomy's first notable short film was ''Kanyaka'' (2013), which earned him a National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director. He directed ''Odvojen'' in 2014. His next short film, ''Kamuki'' (2015), was showcased at various international film festivals and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Direction. His work is known for its depth, creativity, and emotional resonance.

''Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case''

In 2023, Christo Tomy directed the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

documentary '' Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case''. This documentary, based on the Koodathayi cyanide killings, achieved significant acclaim. The show reached the Global Top #2 position and remained in the Global Top Ten for three consecutive weeks. It amassed over 10 million views worldwide within three weeks of its release and featured in the Top Ten lists of more than 30 countries.

''Ullozhukku''

Christo Tomy's first feature film ''

Ullozhukku ''Ullozhukku'' () is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Christo Tomy. The film stars Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu, with Arjun Radhakrishnan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Prashanth Murali, and Jaya Kurup appearing in ...

'' (Undercurrent) was released in 2024 to positive reviews. Produced by

Ronnie Screwvala Rohinton Soli Screwvala (born 8 September 1956), known professionally as Ronnie Screwvala, is an Indian entrepreneur, investor and film producer. He has been named on Esquire's List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century in 2008 ...

, Honey Trehan, and

Abhishek Chaubey Abhishek Chaubey is an Indian director, screenwriter and film producer known for his works in Hindi cinema. Early life Abhishek Chaubey was born in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh to Anand Mohan Chaubey and Sheela Chaubey. He spent his early childhood ...

, the film stars

Parvathy Thiruvothu Parvathy Thiruvothu Kottuvatta (born 7 April 1988), known mononymously as Parvathy, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films. She is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, two Kerala S ...

Urvashi Urvashi (, ) is the most prominent apsara mentioned in the Hindu scriptures like the ''Vedas'', the epics ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata'', as well as the ''Puranas''. She is regarded as the most beautiful of all the apsaras, and an expert danc ...

, and

Arjun Radhakrishnan Arjun Radhakrishnan is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam and Hindi films. He played the role of APJ Abdul Kalam in the SonyLIV web series '' Rocket Boys'' (2022) and has since acted in films such as '' Jhund'' (2022), '' Dear Friend'' (2022), ...

. ''Ullozhukku'' has been part of several prestigious programs, including the Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency, the NFDC Co-Production Market - Film Bazaar, and the NFDC Screenwriters Lab. The project won the Cinestaan India's Storytellers Script Contest, India's largest feature film script contest, judged by eminent filmmakers

Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...

Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...

, Anjum Rajabali, and Juhi Chaturvedi.

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries and short films

Musical videos

Awards and accolades

Notes

References

External links

*
''Kanyaka'' (Virgin)

''Kamuki'' (Sweetheart)

''Odvojen'' (Apart)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomy, Christo Malayalam film directors Film directors from Kochi Malayalam screenwriters 1987 births Living people