Category: Movie Channels

Zee Classic launches ‘The Golden Years 1950 -1975’ on Mumbai locals

MUMBAI: Adhering to its core proposition of ‘Woh Zamaana Kare Deewana’, Zee Classic now aims to entertain music lovers with a new show – The Golden Years 1950 – 1975 by initiating the Zee Classic Radio Train in Mumbai. The new show, a musical journey with Javed Akhtar, is a celebration of 25 years of timeless music. The Golden Years 1950 -1975 is produced by EVPL, presented by Dettol, co-powered by State Bank of India and Good Knight Fast Card.

Local trains in Mumbai are exclusively branded as Zee Classic Radio trains. These trains are playing classic melodies along with the untold stories narrated by the veteran lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar through their in-built sound system. This pioneering activity will not only entertain lakhs of daily commuters of local trains, but also offer them a respite from the humdrum of a busy city life says Zee Classic.

Zee Classic has also made other innovative partnerships across media platforms to make the show accessible to more and more people. The channel has partnered with the retro radio station – 92.7 BIG FM for special segments which is airing songs from yesteryears aided by untold stories and trivia about the music. A robust digital campaign encompassing platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Miss Malini, amongst others is also active in full swing.

Commenting on the 360 degree marketing promotion, Zee Hindi Movie Cluster business head Ruchir Tiwari said, “The channel has always gone beyond the usual with innovative shows and content. For the latest offering, ‘The Golden Years 1950 – 1975, A musical journey with Javed Akhtar’ we will entertain and engage audience through various platforms i.e. radio, television and experiential marketing. These routes will enable us to reach out to various touch points and take the audience on a soulful journey. ”

March 16, 2016
Zee Classic launches ‘The Golden Years 1950 -1975’ on Mumbai locals

MUMBAI: Adhering to its core proposition of ‘Woh Zamaana Kare Deewana’, Zee Classic now aims to entertain music lovers with a new show – The Golden Years 1950 – 1975 by initiating the Zee Classic Radio Train in Mumbai. The new show, a musical journey with Javed Akhtar, is a celebration of 25 years of timeless music. The Golden Years 1950 -1975 is produced by EVPL, presented by Dettol, co-powered by State Bank of India and Good Knight Fast Card.

Local trains in Mumbai are exclusively branded as Zee Classic Radio trains. These trains are playing classic melodies along with the untold stories narrated by the veteran lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar through their in-built sound system. This pioneering activity will not only entertain lakhs of daily commuters of local trains, but also offer them a respite from the humdrum of a busy city life says Zee Classic.

Zee Classic has also made other innovative partnerships across media platforms to make the show accessible to more and more people. The channel has partnered with the retro radio station – 92.7 BIG FM for special segments which is airing songs from yesteryears aided by untold stories and trivia about the music. A robust digital campaign encompassing platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Miss Malini, amongst others is also active in full swing.

Commenting on the 360 degree marketing promotion, Zee Hindi Movie Cluster business head Ruchir Tiwari said, “The channel has always gone beyond the usual with innovative shows and content. For the latest offering, ‘The Golden Years 1950 – 1975, A musical journey with Javed Akhtar’ we will entertain and engage audience through various platforms i.e. radio, television and experiential marketing. These routes will enable us to reach out to various touch points and take the audience on a soulful journey. ”

March 16, 2016
Bharat’ Manoj Kumar to receive 47th Dadasaheb Phalke Award

New Delhi: Veteran film actor and director Manoj Kumar, often referred to as ‘Bharat’ Kumar for essaying patriotic roles in film after film, is to be conferred the nation’s highest honour award in cimema, the Dadasaheb Phalke award, for the year 2015. The award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

The Dadasaheb Phalke award consists of a Swarn Kamal (golden lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl. The Award is given on the basis of recommendations of a committee of eminent personalities set up by the government for this purpose. This year, a five member jury comprising of singing queens Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, film script writer Salim Khan, and singers Nitin Mukesh and Anup Jalota unanimously recommended Kumar for the prestigious 47th award. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley spoke with Manoj Kumar today and congratulated him on being conferred the Award.

Remembered for his films Hariyali Aur Raasta, Woh Kaun Thi, Himalaya Ki God Mein, Do Badan, Upkaar, Patthar Ke Sanam, Neel Kamal, Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Gumrah andKranti among others, the 78-year old is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes.

Kumar (born Harikrishna Giri Goswami on 24 July 1937) in Abbottabad, then part of pre-Independent India, moved to Delhi when he was ten. After graduating from Hindu College in Delhi, he decided to enter the film industry. He debuted in the film Fashion in 1957 and got his first leading role in Kaanch Ki Gudia in 1960.

In the 1960s his successful films included a number of romantic films and social films. Kumar’s image as the patriotic hero started with the 1965 film Shaheed based on the life of Bhagat Singh. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the popular slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan. The result was Kumar’s magnum opus and his directorial debut, Upkaar. In the mid-1970s Kumar starred in three hit films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), which was a social commentary featuring an all-star cast including Zeenat Aman, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan; Dus Numbri with Hema Malini who was also his co-star in Kranti which also featured the thespian Dilip Kumar.

Manoj Kumar also has 7 Filmfare Awards in his name for his extraordinary film direction and story writing.

His film Upkaar is also remembered for the very popular song Mere Desh Ki Dharti written by Gulshan Bawra and composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. Another song rendered by Manna Dey, Kasme Waade Pyaar Wafaa Sab screened on Pran was was also a big hit .

March 5, 2016
Bharat’ Manoj Kumar to receive 47th Dadasaheb Phalke Award

New Delhi: Veteran film actor and director Manoj Kumar, often referred to as ‘Bharat’ Kumar for essaying patriotic roles in film after film, is to be conferred the nation’s highest honour award in cimema, the Dadasaheb Phalke award, for the year 2015. The award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

The Dadasaheb Phalke award consists of a Swarn Kamal (golden lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl. The Award is given on the basis of recommendations of a committee of eminent personalities set up by the government for this purpose. This year, a five member jury comprising of singing queens Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, film script writer Salim Khan, and singers Nitin Mukesh and Anup Jalota unanimously recommended Kumar for the prestigious 47th award. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley spoke with Manoj Kumar today and congratulated him on being conferred the Award.

Remembered for his films Hariyali Aur Raasta, Woh Kaun Thi, Himalaya Ki God Mein, Do Badan, Upkaar, Patthar Ke Sanam, Neel Kamal, Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Gumrah andKranti among others, the 78-year old is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes.

Kumar (born Harikrishna Giri Goswami on 24 July 1937) in Abbottabad, then part of pre-Independent India, moved to Delhi when he was ten. After graduating from Hindu College in Delhi, he decided to enter the film industry. He debuted in the film Fashion in 1957 and got his first leading role in Kaanch Ki Gudia in 1960.

In the 1960s his successful films included a number of romantic films and social films. Kumar’s image as the patriotic hero started with the 1965 film Shaheed based on the life of Bhagat Singh. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the popular slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan. The result was Kumar’s magnum opus and his directorial debut, Upkaar. In the mid-1970s Kumar starred in three hit films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), which was a social commentary featuring an all-star cast including Zeenat Aman, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan; Dus Numbri with Hema Malini who was also his co-star in Kranti which also featured the thespian Dilip Kumar.

Manoj Kumar also has 7 Filmfare Awards in his name for his extraordinary film direction and story writing.

His film Upkaar is also remembered for the very popular song Mere Desh Ki Dharti written by Gulshan Bawra and composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. Another song rendered by Manna Dey, Kasme Waade Pyaar Wafaa Sab screened on Pran was was also a big hit .

March 5, 2016
Viacom18 to launch Hindi movie channel with big ticket movies

MUMBAI: Expanding its current portfolio of channels, Viacom18 is now poised to launch a Hindi movie channel called Rishtey Cineplex.

The latest entrant in the Hindi movies channels’ genre will face stuff competition from established players like Sony Max, Zee Cinema, Star Gold, Movies OK and &Pictures.

However, Rishtey Cineplex – the first Hindi movie channel from the house of Viacom18 – has armed itself with big ticket movies like the recently released Bajirao Mastani, Airlift and Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 as well as the yet to release Force2, Kapoor and Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil amongst others.

The channel’s launch further paves the way for new film acquisitions to offer quality film-based entertainment and big television premieres to viewers.

Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “With the launch of Rishtey Cineplex, we are entering the large Hindi movie genre thereby filing a pivotal whitespace and offering a holistic Hindi entertainment ecosystem from our stable. At Viacom18 we are committed to continuously strengthening our portfolio across genres, languages and age groups. Rishtey Cineplex is a key milestone in that journey.”

“The movie channel will bolster the networks reach across India and help us dial-up our engagement levels with our viewers. Rishtey Cineplex will also enable us to offer 360-degree value to our advertisers creating more opportunities for on-air promotions enabling optimisation of ad inventory across the network,” he added.

Colors & Rishtey CEO Raj Nayak said, “We have scripted a great success story for brand Colors with it being extended into regional languages and English entertainment. Each of these channels has helped us cater to an intrinsic viewer demand. We are now all set to give impetus to brand Rishtey with the launch of our exclusive Hindi movies channel Rishtey Cineplex that will help us fortify our Hindi entertainment portfolio. With the best in films and entertainment lined up, we are confident that we will be able to strengthen audience affinity with Rishtey Cineplex.”

Rishtey Cineplex marks the extension of Viacom18’s portfolio, which has under its umbrella Hindi general entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD and Rishtey, a bouquet of regional entertainment channels – Colors Marathi, Colors Gujarati, Colors Bangla, Colors Kannada, and Colors Oriya and an English entertainment channel – Colors Infinity.

February 24, 2016
Viacom18 to launch Hindi movie channel with big ticket movies

MUMBAI: Expanding its current portfolio of channels, Viacom18 is now poised to launch a Hindi movie channel called Rishtey Cineplex.

The latest entrant in the Hindi movies channels’ genre will face stuff competition from established players like Sony Max, Zee Cinema, Star Gold, Movies OK and &Pictures.

However, Rishtey Cineplex – the first Hindi movie channel from the house of Viacom18 – has armed itself with big ticket movies like the recently released Bajirao Mastani, Airlift and Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 as well as the yet to release Force2, Kapoor and Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil amongst others.

The channel’s launch further paves the way for new film acquisitions to offer quality film-based entertainment and big television premieres to viewers.

Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “With the launch of Rishtey Cineplex, we are entering the large Hindi movie genre thereby filing a pivotal whitespace and offering a holistic Hindi entertainment ecosystem from our stable. At Viacom18 we are committed to continuously strengthening our portfolio across genres, languages and age groups. Rishtey Cineplex is a key milestone in that journey.”

“The movie channel will bolster the networks reach across India and help us dial-up our engagement levels with our viewers. Rishtey Cineplex will also enable us to offer 360-degree value to our advertisers creating more opportunities for on-air promotions enabling optimisation of ad inventory across the network,” he added.

Colors & Rishtey CEO Raj Nayak said, “We have scripted a great success story for brand Colors with it being extended into regional languages and English entertainment. Each of these channels has helped us cater to an intrinsic viewer demand. We are now all set to give impetus to brand Rishtey with the launch of our exclusive Hindi movies channel Rishtey Cineplex that will help us fortify our Hindi entertainment portfolio. With the best in films and entertainment lined up, we are confident that we will be able to strengthen audience affinity with Rishtey Cineplex.”

Rishtey Cineplex marks the extension of Viacom18’s portfolio, which has under its umbrella Hindi general entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD and Rishtey, a bouquet of regional entertainment channels – Colors Marathi, Colors Gujarati, Colors Bangla, Colors Kannada, and Colors Oriya and an English entertainment channel – Colors Infinity.

February 24, 2016
Zee Classic lines up Bimal Roy Film Festival in February

MUMBAI: Zee Classic is gearing up to present an ode to the pioneer of Indian cinema – Bimal Roy by celebrating noteworthy work from the golden era.

Commemorating Roy’s 50th death anniversary, Zee Classic will celebrate the life and work of the legendary filmmaker with the Bimal Roy Film Festival, which will be presented by Boman Irani.

Irani will present some of extraordinary and undiscovered facts and trivia about the filmmaker whose films, even after five decades, are still innovative and relevant today. In a five-part weekly series, the channel will showcase Roy’s awe-inspiring films every Saturday at 8 pm starting with Do Bigha Zamin on 6 February followed by Devdas on 13 February, Madhumati on 20 February, Sujata on 27 February andBandini on 5 March.

The channel has roped in State Bank of India as the co-powered by sponsor for the festival.

Satyajit Ray referred to Roy as the ‘Pioneer of Indian Cinema.’ He was known to be everyone’s first choice as a director and he received a lot of international accolades. Roy began his career as a cinematographer under director, P.C. Barua. His first project as a cameraman was Devdas, based on the novel of Sarat Chandra. He turned director with a Bengali film, Udayer Pathe. After shifting his base to Mumbai, he made few films but the world took notice of this gentle legend with the classic film, Do Bigha Zamin.

One of his popular films that represented India in 1960 Cannes Film Festival was Sujata. It is based on a Bengali short story written by Subodh Ghosh and dealt with the subject of untouchability starring Nutan. The actress repeated her outstanding performance in Roy’s melodious Bandini, an intense romantic drama that shed light on mental and physical rehabilitation of a female murderer. To top it all, his Madhumati was the first Indian film to be launched abroad and its opening shot was taken in front of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Theatre in Czechoslovakia.

Speaking about presenting the film festival on Zee Classic, Irani says, “I am honoured to be presenting the Bimal Roy Film Festival on Zee Classic. Bimal Da was an institution in himself. Decades have passed and there is still a lot more to learn from his school of filmmaking. Through this festival, we are aiming not only to appreciate but relive his passion, his outlook towards society and its reform which are still relevant today.”

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd business head – Hindi movie channels Ruchir Tiwari added, “We pride in showcasing the best of the golden era to our audiences with our positioning being ‘Woh Zamaana Kare Deewana’! And, any mention of the golden era is incomplete without its plinth, i.e., Bimal Roy. We wanted to commemorate the work of this legend and it all fell in place when Boman Irani agreed to be a part of this series. He is the perfect presenter for this series as he not only believes in the ideology of Zee Classic but is also a huge admirer of Bimal Roy’s work. It will be interesting to see how his passion for the filmmaker translates on-screen with anecdotes and unheard facts.”

January 30, 2016
Zee Classic lines up Bimal Roy Film Festival in February

MUMBAI: Zee Classic is gearing up to present an ode to the pioneer of Indian cinema – Bimal Roy by celebrating noteworthy work from the golden era.

Commemorating Roy’s 50th death anniversary, Zee Classic will celebrate the life and work of the legendary filmmaker with the Bimal Roy Film Festival, which will be presented by Boman Irani.

Irani will present some of extraordinary and undiscovered facts and trivia about the filmmaker whose films, even after five decades, are still innovative and relevant today. In a five-part weekly series, the channel will showcase Roy’s awe-inspiring films every Saturday at 8 pm starting with Do Bigha Zamin on 6 February followed by Devdas on 13 February, Madhumati on 20 February, Sujata on 27 February andBandini on 5 March.

The channel has roped in State Bank of India as the co-powered by sponsor for the festival.

Satyajit Ray referred to Roy as the ‘Pioneer of Indian Cinema.’ He was known to be everyone’s first choice as a director and he received a lot of international accolades. Roy began his career as a cinematographer under director, P.C. Barua. His first project as a cameraman was Devdas, based on the novel of Sarat Chandra. He turned director with a Bengali film, Udayer Pathe. After shifting his base to Mumbai, he made few films but the world took notice of this gentle legend with the classic film, Do Bigha Zamin.

One of his popular films that represented India in 1960 Cannes Film Festival was Sujata. It is based on a Bengali short story written by Subodh Ghosh and dealt with the subject of untouchability starring Nutan. The actress repeated her outstanding performance in Roy’s melodious Bandini, an intense romantic drama that shed light on mental and physical rehabilitation of a female murderer. To top it all, his Madhumati was the first Indian film to be launched abroad and its opening shot was taken in front of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Theatre in Czechoslovakia.

Speaking about presenting the film festival on Zee Classic, Irani says, “I am honoured to be presenting the Bimal Roy Film Festival on Zee Classic. Bimal Da was an institution in himself. Decades have passed and there is still a lot more to learn from his school of filmmaking. Through this festival, we are aiming not only to appreciate but relive his passion, his outlook towards society and its reform which are still relevant today.”

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd business head – Hindi movie channels Ruchir Tiwari added, “We pride in showcasing the best of the golden era to our audiences with our positioning being ‘Woh Zamaana Kare Deewana’! And, any mention of the golden era is incomplete without its plinth, i.e., Bimal Roy. We wanted to commemorate the work of this legend and it all fell in place when Boman Irani agreed to be a part of this series. He is the perfect presenter for this series as he not only believes in the ideology of Zee Classic but is also a huge admirer of Bimal Roy’s work. It will be interesting to see how his passion for the filmmaker translates on-screen with anecdotes and unheard facts.”

January 30, 2016
MIFF 2016 to showcase 385 documentaries & short films

NEW DELHI: A total of 385 documentaries, short and animation films will be screened during the 14th edition of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films commencing on 28 January.

The biennial event, organised by the Films Division of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and supported by the Maharashtra Government, will conclude with the awards ceremony on 3 February.

MIFF will feature 30 films in the International Competition, including 12 from India, and 27 films in National Competition vying for the Golden Conch Award.

The screenings will be held at the Films Division theatres, Russian Culture Centre and Sophia College theatres at Pedder Road, Mumbai. Screenings will also be held at the Mumbai University auditorium Kalina, Mumbai and Doordashan Kendra (Worli).

Addressing the curtain-raiser press conference in Mumbai, Festival director Mukesh Sharma said, ‘MIFF is the oldest and the largest festival of non-feature films in South Asia as it started in 1990.”

He added, “MIFF brings together a talent pool of documentary film makers from the across the world with their works featuring in international, national, animation and new media competition sections. We received a record number of 831 entries from 25 countries.”

The inauguration of the Festival from Mumbai will be covered live by DD Bharati from 4.30 pm

Additionally, Sharma also informed that for the first time, MIFF had roped in a brand ambassador in Jackie Shroff. “He who regards documentaries as catalysts for social change and is planning to make short films to spread awareness about dreaded diseases and on social issues,” Sharma added.

Highlighting the importance of documentaries that deal with real life challenges, veteran filmmaker Mike Pandey stressed the need for a dedicated documentary channel in the country.

Sharma said in order to increase the outreach of documentary films, the Films Division has signed an agreement with Prasar Bharati, under which Films Division’s documentaries will be shown on the DD Bharati channel.

The inauguration and closing functions will be held at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai at 5 pm on 28 January and 3 February respectively. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be chief guest for the opening ceremony and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore will preside.

Maharashtra Culture Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde, filmmaker Shyam Benegal, I&B Secretary Sunil Arora, Films Division DG Mukesh Sharma, and Shroff will be present.

“Apart from International and National competition, the screening of films in MIFF Prism, Indian Premieres, Jury retrospectives, Animation and award winning films from different countries, Children’s documentary films, North East package, FD and PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) films, homages etc, will make it a wholesome viewing experience for the delegates of MIFF 2016,”Sharma said.

The festival will also present special packages from leading international documentary film festivals like Berlin, Dresden, DokLeipzig  from Germany and Leiria from Portugal.

Some of the best documentaries of 2015, among them Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi’sAmong the Believers –  about the roots of religious extremism in Pakistan and Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence – a Danish documentary about Indonesian killings of 1965-66 and Rinku Kalsy’s For the Love of a Man – a documentary about the cult of adulation for Rajanikant in South India are among the top draws.

The International Jury for the Festival comprises documentary makers Don Askarian from Germany, Jesper Andersen from Denmark, Mathiue Roy of Canada, Siddharth Kak and Gitanjali Rao.

Pandey, who is president of the Indian Documentary Films Association, Uma DaCunha, Biju Dhanapalan, Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) and Jane Yu (Taiwan) are the members of the National Jury.

The festival will also have Master classes by Jury and eminent filmmakers, Camera and Digital workshops, Producers’ Forum, Panel discussions, Seminar and Open Forum by IDPA, under the MIFF Hub.

Cash prizes worth Rs 60 lakh will be distributed for the winners in various categories along with Golden Conch Awards.

In addition the festival will honour a veteran personality from the Indian documentary fraternity with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award that carries a cash component of Rs 5 lakh, trophy and a citation.

Buoyed by the warm reception to the MIFF Zone, screening of films in National competition will be held simultaneously in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Lucknow, Nagpur and Thrissur. MIFF Zone is aimed at taking select competition films to film lovers who are unable to travel to Mumbai for the MIFF.

January 26, 2016
MIFF 2016 to showcase 385 documentaries & short films

NEW DELHI: A total of 385 documentaries, short and animation films will be screened during the 14th edition of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films commencing on 28 January.

The biennial event, organised by the Films Division of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and supported by the Maharashtra Government, will conclude with the awards ceremony on 3 February.

MIFF will feature 30 films in the International Competition, including 12 from India, and 27 films in National Competition vying for the Golden Conch Award.

The screenings will be held at the Films Division theatres, Russian Culture Centre and Sophia College theatres at Pedder Road, Mumbai. Screenings will also be held at the Mumbai University auditorium Kalina, Mumbai and Doordashan Kendra (Worli).

Addressing the curtain-raiser press conference in Mumbai, Festival director Mukesh Sharma said, ‘MIFF is the oldest and the largest festival of non-feature films in South Asia as it started in 1990.”

He added, “MIFF brings together a talent pool of documentary film makers from the across the world with their works featuring in international, national, animation and new media competition sections. We received a record number of 831 entries from 25 countries.”

The inauguration of the Festival from Mumbai will be covered live by DD Bharati from 4.30 pm

Additionally, Sharma also informed that for the first time, MIFF had roped in a brand ambassador in Jackie Shroff. “He who regards documentaries as catalysts for social change and is planning to make short films to spread awareness about dreaded diseases and on social issues,” Sharma added.

Highlighting the importance of documentaries that deal with real life challenges, veteran filmmaker Mike Pandey stressed the need for a dedicated documentary channel in the country.

Sharma said in order to increase the outreach of documentary films, the Films Division has signed an agreement with Prasar Bharati, under which Films Division’s documentaries will be shown on the DD Bharati channel.

The inauguration and closing functions will be held at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai at 5 pm on 28 January and 3 February respectively. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be chief guest for the opening ceremony and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore will preside.

Maharashtra Culture Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde, filmmaker Shyam Benegal, I&B Secretary Sunil Arora, Films Division DG Mukesh Sharma, and Shroff will be present.

“Apart from International and National competition, the screening of films in MIFF Prism, Indian Premieres, Jury retrospectives, Animation and award winning films from different countries, Children’s documentary films, North East package, FD and PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) films, homages etc, will make it a wholesome viewing experience for the delegates of MIFF 2016,”Sharma said.

The festival will also present special packages from leading international documentary film festivals like Berlin, Dresden, DokLeipzig  from Germany and Leiria from Portugal.

Some of the best documentaries of 2015, among them Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi’sAmong the Believers –  about the roots of religious extremism in Pakistan and Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence – a Danish documentary about Indonesian killings of 1965-66 and Rinku Kalsy’s For the Love of a Man – a documentary about the cult of adulation for Rajanikant in South India are among the top draws.

The International Jury for the Festival comprises documentary makers Don Askarian from Germany, Jesper Andersen from Denmark, Mathiue Roy of Canada, Siddharth Kak and Gitanjali Rao.

Pandey, who is president of the Indian Documentary Films Association, Uma DaCunha, Biju Dhanapalan, Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) and Jane Yu (Taiwan) are the members of the National Jury.

The festival will also have Master classes by Jury and eminent filmmakers, Camera and Digital workshops, Producers’ Forum, Panel discussions, Seminar and Open Forum by IDPA, under the MIFF Hub.

Cash prizes worth Rs 60 lakh will be distributed for the winners in various categories along with Golden Conch Awards.

In addition the festival will honour a veteran personality from the Indian documentary fraternity with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award that carries a cash component of Rs 5 lakh, trophy and a citation.

Buoyed by the warm reception to the MIFF Zone, screening of films in National competition will be held simultaneously in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Lucknow, Nagpur and Thrissur. MIFF Zone is aimed at taking select competition films to film lovers who are unable to travel to Mumbai for the MIFF.

January 26, 2016