The Lithuanian feature film “Toxic”, a coming-of-age story of friendship between two girls, has bagged the prestigious Golden Peacock Award for the Best Feature Film at 55th International Film Festival of India in Goa.

The debut feature film by Lithuanian director and screenwriter Saulė Bliuvaitė, also won the Best Actor (Female) Award, a Silver Peacock, jointly for Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė.

Bliuvaitė received the Golden Peacock trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs four million shared with the film’s producer Giedre Burokaite at the IFFI closing ceremony in Goa on Thursday.

“Toxic” emerged as the best film “for exploring adolescence and the harsh realities of growing up in an economically deprived society, with so much sensitivity and empathy and at the same time creating a coming-of-age narrative against a backdrop of the physical and social landscape," the Jury cited.

The film tells the story of 13-year-old Marija who faces trouble fitting into the industrial town where she lives with her grandmother.

For their extraordinary performances in the same film, Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė were commended by the Jury which said the two actors “pushed themselves to their physical and emotional limits in creating the unforgettable characters of Marija and Kristina.”

Romanian director Bogdan Muresanu was honoured with the Best Director award for his film “The New Year that Never Came” in the international competition category. The award carries a Silver Peacock trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh.

Clément Favreau took home the Best Actor (Male) award, a Silver Peacock, for his nuanced and captivating portrayal in the French film “Holy Cow” whose director Louise Courvoisier received the Special Jury Award for her debut film. The Jury praised the film for its universal theme, focusing on the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

American Director Sarah Friedland was awarded the Best Debut Feature Film award for her work “Familiar Touch.” Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s “Crossing” won the prestigious ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the Festival.