Mumbai International Film Festival
The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF) is a festival organized in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.[1][2][3] It was started in 1990, and focuses on documentary, short fiction and animation films.[4][5]
![]() The inaugural function of the 13th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF-2014) | |
Location | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
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Founded | 1990 |
Language | International |
Website | miff |
History
The festival aims to provide a platform for documentary and short film makers from all over the world to meet, exchange ideas and explore possibilities of co-production and marketing of documentary, short and animation films.
This biennial festival is traditionally held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. However, most screenings of the 15th edition of the festival took place in the Films Division Complex on Pedder Road, which now sports multiple, state-of-the-art screening facilities.
Entries are open up to November for the Golden Conch and Silver Conch awards in International and National Competition Sections. The top documentary film of the festival in International Competition is honored with the Golden Conch Award and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakhs). All the awards in the competition category are decided by an International and National Jury respectively, comprising top documentary and short filmmakers from India and abroad.
Besides the competition films, MIFF also screens a number of special packages like Jury Retrospective, Best of the Festivals, MIFF Prism, Country Focus documentaries, and restored classics. Panel discussions, an open forum, seminars and workshops on documentary filmmaking are organized as side activities during the festival.
The festival is open to the public, although prior registration as a delegate is required. The delegate fee is waived for students of film schools and mass media courses, in a bid to attract youngsters to meet up with masters.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting approved the doubling of prize money for the Golden Conch Award-winning Best Documentary Film in the International Competition to Rs 1 million. The award money for the Lifetime Achievement award was also doubled to Rs 1 million. Altogether, cash awards of Rs 5.8 million will be given away during MIFF 2018.
2016
The 14th edition was held from 28 January to 3 February 2016. The 14th edition received a total of 825 entries including 135 entries in the International Competition. The International Jury was made up of Don Askarian (Germany), Jesper Andersen (Denmark), Mathicu Roy (Canada), Siddharth Kak (India) and Gitanjali Rao (Mumbai). The National Jury comprised Mike Pandey (India), Uma DaCunha (India), Biju Dhanapalan (India), Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) and Jane Yu (Taiwan). Manipuri Phum Shang by Haobam Paban Kumar won the top honors at the festival, along with the Swiss Indian films My Name Is Salt and Placebo.
Wildlife filmmaker from India Naresh Bedi was presented with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting the documentary movement in India. Legendary filmmaker late V Shantaram was formerly the Chief Producer and Head of Films Division.
2018
The 15th edition of MIFF was held from 28 January – 3 February 2018.
2020
The 16th edition of MIFF was held from 28 January – 3 February 2020
References
- "Festival of docu films at Thrissur on July 18, 19". The Hindu. 16 July 2019. ISSN 0971-751X.
- (14 August 2011). "12th Mumbai International Film Festival- India Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Sunday Observer.
- "اصغر فرهادی رئیس هیئت داوران جشنوارهٔ "بمبئی" شد". BBC Persian. 4 September 2013.
- Sharma, Sanjukta (24 October 2018). "Mumbai International Film Festival set to open tomorrow". Livemint.
- "Mumbai International Film Festival to kick start from Jan 28". Deccan Herald. 15 January 2018.