COUNTDOWN FOR MIFF 2020 BEGINS !

COUNTDOWN FOR MIFF 2020 BEGINS !

8 DAYS TO GO FOR THE WEEKLONG FILM FESTIVAL 

Much awaited by cinephiles across India and the world, the 16th MIFF-2020 (Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation films), will be inaugurated on 28th January, 2020 at 5.00 pm at Nehru Centre Auditorium, Worli. The festival will conclude with an award ceremony at the same venue on 3rd February at 5.00 p.m. Screening and other special events of the festival, the oldest international event for non-feature films in South Asia; will beheld at Films Division complex at 24, Dr. G. Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai from 29th January to 2nd February, 2020.

16th edition of MIFF will be special in many respects. Apart from screening of wide variety of films in competition sections, departed legends of documentary and animation genre will be remembered with special screenings in homage apart from exhibitions on a few of them. Animation lovers will be delighted to savour retrospective packages from three countries and European documentary culture will be revealed through a specially curated package. The delegates of 16th MIFF will experience qualitative as well as diverse content in the current edition.

MIFF attracts film makers from all over the world. The number of entries received this year is testimony to the credibility of the festival. The 16th edition has received a record 729 entries in National and 144 in International competition from 24 countries, which underlines the remarkable response received by the festival.

Highlights

The MIFF 2020 will have a number of attractions such as a special package of films from European Union, Animation package from Russia, Finland and Balkan, Oscar nominated films such as Fauve, Detainment and Night at the garden. Ireland will showcase its best documentaries in the Country Focus section.

Similarly, curated films from North-East India, best of various International Film Festivals and eminent film maker SatyajitRay’s films such as Sukumar Ray, Rabindranath Tagore, The inner Eye, and iconic film Pikoo will be screened.  Student films from FTII / SRFTI / NID / FTIT/ Srishti / Craft School/ Whistling Wood add to the list of films eagerly awaited by delegates of MIFF.  Other highlights include Open Forum by IDPA, ‘Film Editing’ workshop by B. Lenin, ‘Drone Cinematography’ Workshop by Indian Institute of Drones, Master classes by acclaimed animator Michael Dudok De Wit (Poland), senior film academician Thomas Waugh (Canada) and many more.

Added attractions in MIFF 2020 are Sculpture and Photo Exhibition-cum-demonstration to

Commemorate 150th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and celebration of Centenary of Satyajit Ray. MIFF will pay homage to Mrinal Sen, Ram Mohan, Bhimsain Khurana, VG Samant, Vijaya Mule, Manjira Datta etc by screening their select works and also through specially curated exhibition.  This edition will also see a participation of intellectually challenged young adults with their short films, in special screenings. Further, films recommended by the Selection Committee will be screened under MIFF Prism.

A mobile app for MIFF has been launched by Ms. SmitaVats Sharma , Festival Director, MIFF and DG, Films Division in a curtain- raiser press conference held in Mumbai Press Club today. “MIFF 2020 is going mobile. All information on the festival can be accessed via the mobile app. The MIFF app will facilitate the delegates of MIFF to network and vote for films too”, stated the Film Director.

The Festival Director- MIFF further also informed, “MIFF 2020 will facilitate conversations, Q& A sessions and B2B meets between filmmakers and OTT players, to help filmmakers better market their films”. Mumbai International Film Festival is a platform not only for Indian film makers but also for film-makers from across the world, she added.

Ms. Smita Vats Sharma also informed that a special award for the best short film on ‘Water Conservation and Climate Change’ carrying One lakh cash and trophy has been instituted in the current edition of the festival.

Ms. Vats Sharma further said “MIFF not only recognises best talents in documentary, short fiction and animation films by bestowing Golden and  Silver Conches and trophies, but it also gives away handsome cash awards in different competition categories. The most prestigious award in the 16th MIFF, the Best Film of the Festival carries a cash prize of 10 Lakh and Golden Conch while other awards carry cash awards varying from five to one Lakh along with Silver Conch, trophy and certificate.  IDPA award carrying Rs One lakh and trophy for the Best student film and Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for the Best Debut Director will also be presented on the closing day.  The coveted Dr. V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award that carries a cash award of Rs 10 lakh, trophy and a citation is presented to a filmmaker for seminal contribution to  documentary films and its movement in India in every edition of the festival. Awards in various competition categories will be presented on 3rd February at the closing ceremony”, she added.

As part of MIFF 2020, screenings of specially curated films will be held at Kalina campus of University of Mumbai, Deviprasad Goenka Management College at Malad and Usha Pravin Gandhi College Campus at Vile Parle to encourage and engage students at large to get involved  in documentary film making and aesthetics. Legendary animation films will be screened at college campuses to attract younger audience, informed Ms Vats Sharma in course of the press-conference held today.

For delegate registration and details log on to www.miff.in. The Festival Directorate can be approached at miffindia@gmail.com for queries related to the festival.