Aanand L Rai, Divya Dutta, Randeep Hooda, and Adil Hussain, among other notable personalities, attended the opening ceremony of the fest.
Subbiah Nallamuthu was honoured with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award. (X)
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan emphasised the crucial role of documentary films in authentically depicting human emotions during the opening ceremony of the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
Murugan, who inaugurated the event, stated that the ministry is committed to turning the country into “a global content hub.”
“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 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.
MIFF, established in 1990, is organised biennially by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and managed by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The festival showcases documentaries, short fiction, and animation films as part of its celebration.
Mumbai International Film Festival Off to a Glittering Start 🎉🎥
💠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
— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 16, 2024
During the opening ceremony, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu was honoured with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award, established in tribute to the iconic filmmaker’s legacy.
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 ₹10 lakh, a trophy, and a citation.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Subbiah Nallamuthu rose to prominence through his contributions to Living on the Edge, India’s longest-running and award-winning environmental series. He also distinguished himself during his tenure at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a high-speed cameraman.
Subbiah 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.
The short film Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know (2023) by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, which clinched the top prize in the La Cinef section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month, was also showcased during the event.
MIFF 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.
Spanning seven days, the festival will take place at the Films Division-National Film Development Corporation complex in Mumbai, with concurrent events in Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, and New Delhi.
This edition of MIFF will feature 314 films from 59 countries in 61 languages. The line-up includes eight world premieres, five international premieres, 18 Asia premieres, and 21 India premieres.
The festival will also include masterclasses and panel discussions led by acclaimed filmmakers such as Santosh Sivan, Richie Mehta, T S Nagabharana, Audrius Stonys, Ketan Mehta, and Georges Schwizgebel.
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana; with inputs from PTI)
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