MIFF turns into an annual event!

It is good news for all documentary film lovers!
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 Smt. Ambika Soni at the inaugural function of MIFF 2010.  

Smt. Soni also announced that the Film & 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. Lamenting the fact that the educative short films made by the Films Division were not being screened by cinema, Smt Soni said that the Information & 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.  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.  Report by Rajendra Joshi