MUMBAI: Documentary films play a vital role in truly showcasing human emotions, said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan at the inauguration ceremony of the 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
Murugan, who declared the gala open on Saturday night, said the ministry is focused on transforming the country into "a content hub of the world".
"Our ministry is also giving a platform under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, giving facility to the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) to offer a single-window system, where in film producers can get various department and state approval from a single platform, so that film producers can get easy access and permissions to shoot in India," he added.
Mumbai International Film Festival Off to a Glittering Start
— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 16, 2024
A Centre for Excellence in AVGC sector soon in Mumbai : Union Minister of State, @MIB_India, Dr. L.Murugan (@Murugan_MoS)
Documentary films play a vital role in showcasing unique abilities, emotions and human… pic.twitter.com/hdVAmi1Qjl
MIFF was launched in 1990 is being organised biennially by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and executed by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the festival celebrates documentaries, short fiction and animation films.
At the opening ceremony, renowned wildlife filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu was named the recipient of the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in the memory of the legendary filmmaker.
Nallamuthu, best known for his tiger-centric documentaries including Tiger Dynasty, Tiger Queen, and The World's Most Famous Tiger, received a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a trophy and a citation.
An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the filmmaker gained prominence with his work on "Living on the Edge", India's longest-running award-winning environment series. His expertise extends to his tenure with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a high-speed cameraman.
Nallamuthu expressed gratitude to the government and the jury for the honour. "It has been a long journey. I dedicate the award to my parents and family who supported me," he said.
Film personalities like Aanand L Rai, Madhur Bhandarkar, Divya Dutta, Randeep Hooda, Abhishek Banerjee, Sonali Kulkarni, Sharad Kelkar, Taha Shah Badussha, Rahul Rawail, Vineet Singh, Avinash Tiwary, and Adil Hussain also attended the MIFF opening ceremony.
Watch the Cannes La Cinef winner 'Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know' at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival
— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 16, 2024
Venue: NMIC Auditorium - I
Director: Chidananda Naik
Register at https://t.co/bzTFA0pv2n#MIFF #MIFF24 #MIFF2024 pic.twitter.com/6ydUbdfHTY
FTII student Chidananda S Naik's short film Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know, which won the first prize in the La Cinef section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month, was also screened at the event.
The ceremony featured a cultural performance by a group of dancers from Sri Lanka, which was followed by a captivating presentation by a Mumbai-based dance crew Krazzy Kings showcasing the history of Indian animation through popular characters like Chhota Bheem and Honey Bunny.
MIFF, a seven-day long festival, will be held at the Films Division-National Film Development Corporation complex in Mumbai, with parallel events in Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and New Delhi.
A total of 314 films will be screened during this edition of MIFF from 59 countries across 61 languages. It includes eight world premieres, five international premieres, 18 Asia premieres and 21 India premieres.
There will be masterclasses and panel discussions with filmmakers such as Santosh Sivan, Audrius Stonys, Ketan Mehta, Richie Mehta, T S Nagabharana, and Georges Schwizgebel.
from Hindi https://ift.tt/4FyDw9z
via IFTTT
