MIFF to be Organized Every Year news
The Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), which brings together documentary, short films and animation films from all over the world, would now be an annual event instead of biennial as was the case till now. This was announced by Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni at the inaugural function of MIFF 2010.
Ms Soni also announced that the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune would be upgraded to a global film school. Emphasizing the increasing demand for animation work all over the world, she also said that the government is planning to establish a National Centre for Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects (VFX). Lamenting the fact that the educative short films made by the Films Division were not being screened by cinema, Ms Soni said that the Information and Broadcasting ministry had decided to waive the 1% royalty fee being charged by the Films Division.
She assured the film industry that the Museum of Moving Images being set up in the Films Division’s premises would have the best international technology. She also announced that India would be celebrating 100 years of cinema in the country in 2013, by which time all the major projects would be completed. She also appealed to the film fraternity to make films on great changes taking place in the hinterland of the country through government schemes under Bharat Nirman.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest and renowned filmmaker Yash Chopra said the history of post-independent India would be incomplete without Film Division’s documentary films. He also asked that the Films Division should organize its collection of films into various categories and make it available to the people in digital format and also through the web platform. Shri Chopra also highlighted the need to scale up and upgrade the festival so as to involve documentary filmmakers from all over the world.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan assured that the filmmakers from all over the world were welcome and that Mumbai belonged to everybody. Without naming anyone, Shri Chavan assured the film fraternity that there would be no second censoring.
The seven day MIFF 2010 has received 864 entries from nearly 37 countries including India. A total of 64 films have been chosen in the Competition section and 43 in the Non-Competition section. The total award money too has been increased to 23 lakhs across all categories. This year, the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award of Rs. 5 lakh with a golden conch will be awarded to pioneering M. V. Krishnaswamy.
