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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}
{{Short description|Indian filmmaker (born 1986)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kartiki Gonsalves
| image = Kartiki Gonsalves Portrait.jpg
| caption = Gonsalves in 2022
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|11|2}}
| birth_place = [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| alma_mater = [[Dr G R Damodaran College of Science]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Director|producer|photographer}}
| organization = International League of Conservation Photographers (Associate Fellow)
| notable_works = ''[[The Elephant Whisperers]]'' (2022, director)
| parents = {{ubl|[[Timothy A. Gonsalves]]|Priscilla Tapley Gonsalves}}
| website = {{url|kartikigonsalves.com}}
}}
'''Kartiki Gonsalves''' (born 2 November 1986) is an Indian director and producer. In 2023, she won the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film|Best Documentary Short Subject]] at the [[95th Academy Awards]] for ''[[The Elephant Whisperers]]''. She is also one of the first women chosen as a Sony Alpha Artisan of Imagery in India and also associated with brands like [[Peak Design]], Swarovski Optik Nature Explorer 2021.

== Early life and education ==
Kartiki is the younger daughter of [[Timothy A. Gonsalves]] and Priscilla Tapley Gonsalves, who is from [[Binghamton, New York]]. She has one older sister, Danica Gonsalves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Priscilla and Timothy Gonsalves |url=http://www.ptag.in/ |access-date=22 November 2022}}</ref>
She grew up in [[Ooty]], within the [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve|Nilgiri Biosphere reserve]] in the [[Nilgiris district]] of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=":0">Kamala Thiagarajan (5 March 2023) [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/03/05/1160659634/the-elephant-whisperers-an-oscar-nominated-love-story-about-people-and-pachyderm '''The Elephant Whisperers' — An Oscar-nominated love story about people and pachyderms,''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310041649/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/03/05/1160659634/the-elephant-whisperers-an-oscar-nominated-love-story-about-people-and-pachyderm |date=2023-03-10 }} [[NPR]]</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Saibal |date=23 February 2023 |title=How Kartiki Gonsalves Made Oscar-Nominated Documentary The Elephant Whisperers: "Fell In Love With Raghu" |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/how-kartiki-gonsalves-made-oscar-nominated-documentary-the-elephant-whisperers-fell-in-love-with-raju-3806518 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302054411/https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/how-kartiki-gonsalves-made-oscar-nominated-documentary-the-elephant-whisperers-fell-in-love-with-raju-3806518 |archive-date=2023-03-02 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

She studied at the [[Dr G R Damodaran College of Science]] in [[Coimbatore]] and graduated in 2007, before continuing her studies, focusing on photography<ref name=":0" /> at Light & Life Academy, Ooty.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kartiki Gonsalves|url=https://indiachristians.in/kartiki-gonsalves |access-date=2025-08-13}}</ref>

== Career ==
[[File:Raghu_Juvenile_Camp_Elephant_Bathing_Theppakadu_Mudumalai_Mar21_A7C_00611.jpg|thumb|Raghu at [[Theppakadu#Elephant Camp|Theppakadu Elephant Camp]]]]
Gonsalves is a documentary filmmaker and photographer<ref name=":2" /> and has worked as a camera operator for [[Animal Planet]] and the [[Discovery Channel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bharat |first=Divya |date=2023-03-02 |title=Most of my life has been spent in Ooty and jungles: Kartiki Gonsalves if it took 15 to 20 years to make The Elephant Whispers |url=https://divya-bharat.com/most-of-my-life-has-been-spent-in-ooty-and-jungles-kartiki-gonsalves-if-it-took-15-to-20-years-to-make-the-elephant-whispers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310043137/https://divya-bharat.com/most-of-my-life-has-been-spent-in-ooty-and-jungles-kartiki-gonsalves-if-it-took-15-to-20-years-to-make-the-elephant-whispers/ |archive-date=2023-03-10 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=Divya Bharat |language=en-US}}</ref> She is the director, co-executive producer and cinematographer of the documentary film ''The Elephant Whisperers''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Libby |date=2023-02-27 |title=Oscar-Nominated Doc Shorts Directors Tell Big Stories (Video) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nominated-directors-documentary-shorts-interview/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=[[The Wrap]] |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301120434/https://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nominated-directors-documentary-shorts-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref> produced by Sikhya Entertainment and acquired and distributed by [[Netflix]].<ref>Katie Reul, ''Documenting Change''. [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]], ''[s. l.]'', v. 359, n. 5, p. 23, 2023. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=161981277&site=eds-live&scope=site . Acesso em: 10 Mar. 2023.</ref> The 39.5-minute<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2023-03-08 |title=Watch {{!}} Director Kartiki Gonsalves on the making of Oscar-nominated 'The Elephant Whisperers' |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/videos/watch-oscars-2023-director-kartiki-gonsalves-on-the-making-of-the-elephant-whisperers/article66595141.ece |url-status=live |access-date=2023-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309112526/https://www.thehindu.com/videos/watch-oscars-2023-director-kartiki-gonsalves-on-the-making-of-the-elephant-whisperers/article66595141.ece |archive-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> documentary was produced at the Mudumalai tiger reserve which is part of the Nilgiri biosphere reserve in Tamil Nadu, 30-minutes from where Gonsalves grew up.<ref name=":1" />

On 13 March 2023, the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=13 March 2023 |title=India wins its first Oscar of 2023 as Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga's 'The Elephant Whisperer' bags an award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/india-wins-its-first-oscar-of-2023-as-kartiki-gonsalves-and-guneet-mongas-the-elephant-whisperer-bags-an-award-for-best-documentary-short-film-at-the-95th-academy-awards/articleshow/98592620.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-03-13 |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=2023-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313043805/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/india-wins-its-first-oscar-of-2023-as-kartiki-gonsalves-and-guneet-mongas-the-elephant-whisperer-bags-an-award-for-best-documentary-short-film-at-the-95th-academy-awards/articleshow/98592620.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> It was the first Indian film to win the award.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2023-03-13 |title=The Elephant Whisperers scripts history with 1st Oscar for an Indian production, Guneet Monga says 'two women did it' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/the-elephant-whisperers-wins-first-ever-oscar-for-an-indian-production-guneet-monga-says-two-women-did-it-101678675029437.html |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Kartiki Priscilla Gonsalves Oscar Dolby LA Mar23 IMG 8335.jpg|thumb|Kartiki and Priscilla Gonsalves at the 95th Academy Awards]]

Kartiki Gonsalves is a [[Sony]] Artisan of Imagery India since 2020, specialising in nature and social documentaries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Kartiki Gonsalves |url=https://alphacommunity.in/member/alpha-27776/ |access-date=22 November 2022 |website=Sony Alpha Community}}</ref> She gives workshops on nature and wildlife photography<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Nair |first1=Gayatri |last2=Gonsalves |first2=Kartiki |date=9 April 2022 |title=Up Your Photography Game with iPhone 13 |url=https://www.aptronixindia.com/events/event/workshop-up-your-photography-game-with-iphone-13/ |access-date=22 November 2022 |website=Aptronix}}</ref> and has conducted tours of [[Bangalore]] and [[Mysore]] cities.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Balram |first=Smita |date=11 April 2018 |title=Meet the wildlife photographer from Bengaluru who doubles as city tour guide |work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/meet-the-wildlife-photographer-from-bengaluru-who-doubles-as-city-tour-guide/articleshow/63708227.cms |access-date=22 November 2022}}</ref>

Gonsalves is an International League of Conservation Photographers Associate Fellow.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Meet the new Associate Fellows of iLCP |url=http://conservationphotographers.org/u/ilcp/post/ilcp-june-28 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=International League of Conservation Photographers |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310041424/http://conservationphotographers.org/u/ilcp/post/ilcp-june-28 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards ==

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders unsortable"
! scope="col" |Award
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Nominated work
! scope="col" |Category
! scope="col" |Result
! scope="col" |{{Refh}}

|-
! scope="row" |[[DOC NYC]]
| 2022
|''[[The Elephant Whisperers]]''
|Shorts: Change Makers
| Shortlisted
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shortlist Shorts: Change Makers |url=https://www.docnyc.net/film/shortlist-shorts-change-makers/ |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2023 |website=[[Doc NYC]] |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118171846/https://www.docnyc.net/film/shortlist-shorts-change-makers/ }}</ref>

|-
! scope="row" |[[95th Academy Awards]]
| 2023
|''[[The Elephant Whisperers]]''
|[[Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film|Best Documentary Short Subject]]
| style="text-align:center;" {{won}}
|<ref name=":3" />

|-
! scope="row" |[[Grierson Awards]]
| 2023
|''[[The Elephant Whisperers]]''
|Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
| Shortlisted
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Awards: The 2023 Grierson Awards Shortlist is revealed |url=https://griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/past-awards/2023#shortlist |access-date=21 July 2023 }}</ref>

|}
On 28 June 2023 [[Charles III|King Charles III]] and [[Queen Camilla]] presented Kartiki with the [[Elephant Family]] award called the Tara Award, to recognise her contributions to protecting Asian wildlife.<ref name=“NDTV2023”>{{cite web |title=Elephant Whisperers’ Director Kartiki Gonsalves Gets Prestigious Tara Award |publisher=NDTV |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/elephant-whisperers-director-kartiki-gonsalves-gets-prestigious-tara-award-from-king-charles-and-queen-camilla-4168826 |access-date=2025-08-13 |date=2023-07-01 }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Conservation in India]]
* [[Tamil Nadu Forest Department]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.instagram.com/kartikigonsalves/?hl=en Kartiki Gonsalves] - [[Instagram]]
* [https://sonyalphaphotographers.libsyn.com/natural-history-and-social-documentary-photographer-and-filmmaker-and-sony-artisan-kartiki-gonsalves-sony-alpha-photographers-podcast Sony Alpha Photographers Interview], 28 July 2022.
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartiki-selena-gonsalves-789b4232/ Kartiki Gonsalves - LinkedIn]
* [https://www.facebook.com/kartiki.gonsalves.5 Kartiki Gonsalves: Facebook]
{{Portal bar|Biography|India|Environment|Film}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Kartiki}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1986 births]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:Indian documentary film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Mumbai]]
[[Category:People from Ooty]]
[[Category:Indian conservationists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Film directors from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:People from Nilgiris district]]
[[Category:Indian Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Indian Wikimedians]]

Kartiki Gonsalves - Revision history

Scopex at 07:35, 4 December 2025