PANAJI: Goan actor Prashanti Talpankar has bagged the Best Actor (International) award at the 14th International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) held in Toronto, North America. She was honoured for her moving performance in the 30-minute Konkani short film ‘Ancessao’, directed by Manguirish Bandodkar.
‘Ancessao’ was the only Goan and Konkani film officially selected for IFFSA Toronto 2025, the largest South Asian film festival in North America. It was screened on October 14 at Cineplex Cinemas Courtney Park, Mississauga, drawing appreciation for its intimate storytelling and authentic Goan setting.
The film delves into the inner world of an elderly Goan woman living alone in her village home. Isolated and longing for connection, she turns to gossip as a way to fill the void in her life, finding both amusement and moments of guilt in meddling with others’ affairs.
Written in 2022, filmed across Chandor, Curtorim, and Cuncolim in South Goa during 2024, and completed in 2025, ‘Ancessao’ captures both the beauty and solitude of Goa’s villages through a deeply human story anchored by Talpankar’s standout performance.
