Date set for Mumbai International Film Festival
Documentary, short and animation films sourced from India and abroad will be screened at the festival
Mumbai: Acclaimed documentary, short and animation films sourced from India and abroad will be screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2012, to be held from February 3-9 at the National Centre for Performing Arts.
Chosen among a record 791 entries from all over the world are 224 films, among which 106 are from India and from the rest of 37 countries three are from the UAE, two from Afghanistan, one from Egypt, 34 from Hong Kong and others from African countries, Australia, UK, Canada, Europe, Russia and USA. "With strictness in quality control, there are plenty of good films to watch," said Bankim, Director General, Films Division, and Festival Director, at a press conference today.
"What is interesting and unusual is that 32 films came for selection from North-East India. This shows that the efforts by the Indian government to encourage the arts has yielded results."
Though not to be mistaken with the other international film festival for commercial films, MIFF has decided to give a boost for the documentary market and is therefore introducing a special marketing section this year. It has also increased the prize money which is now Rs 6.35 million, with the best documentary, fiction and animation film and the Dr V Shantaram Lifetime Achievment Award receiving a prize of Rs 500,000 each.
To recognize the best works of Indian documentary film makers, MIFF has revived a separate Indian Competition Section. "There was a demand for this step from our film-makers who said they had to compete with international films which have big budgets. It is true, since I have seen some of our film-makers working on a shoe-string budget," said Bankim. Last year, the Indian and international competition was merged.
Whilst the festival will encourage young film-makers with a Best Student Film Award, there will be participants from all the established films schools in India, said Bankim. Films on Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray will be screened to commemorate their 150th year and centenary respectively.
