MIFF 2012 opens in Mumbai
with a package of 101 best documentary and short films;
Environmental film maker Mike Pandey honoured with
V Shantaram Life time Achievement Award ;
India’s veteran environmental film maker Mike Pandey has been honoured with the prestigious V
Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award of the Mumbai International Film Festival – MIFF 2012.
The award carries a citation, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs. (Rs 500,000)
Instituted in 1996 in memory of India’s foremost film maker V Shantaram, the Life Time
Achievement Award aims to recognize the multi-faceted contributions of an Indian for the
documentary film movement.
The Award was presented to Mr. Mike Pandey by the Governor of Maharashtra, Mr. K
Sankaranarayanan in the presence of Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Mr.
Chaudhury Mohan Jathua, veteran film historian Ms. Vijaya Mulay and popular Marathi actor Ms.
Amrutha Khanvilkar.
MIFF 2012 – What is in store?
MIFF 2012, will showcase more than 101 documentary, short and animation films from
37 countries. 22 Awards including the Golden Conch Award for best films in International
Competition, Indian Competition, best fiction, best animation films, will be given away.
World renowned film maker John Bradbury of Australia, Japanese animation director/producer
Sayoko Kinoshita, Austrian cinematographer and Director Michael Glawogger, Bulgarian film
maker Adela Peeva, Irish film maker Stefanie Dinkelbach, acclaimed film maker Kumar Shahni are
attending the week long event taking place at NCPA, Nariman Point from February 3-9.
About Mike Pandey
Mike Pandey is one of India’s foremost wildlife and environmental filmmakers with over
300 national and international awards. Several of his films, such as Shores of Silence, The Last
Migration, Broken Wings and The Timeless Traveller, to name a few, have been directly instrumental
in bringing about legislative changes to protect species such as whale sharks, elephants, vultures
and horse-shoe crabs.
The Delhi based film maker Mike Pandey was born in Kenya and trained and educated in the UK
and the USA.
In 1994, he became the first Asian producer / director to win a Wildscreen Panda Award, also
known as the Green Oscar, for his film The Last Migration – Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja.
In 2000, his film Shores of Silence – Whale Sharks in India, won a ‘Green Oscar’ for the second time.
The film also led to the ban on the killing of whale sharks on Indian shores. This film has also won
a National Award for Best Film in the “Exploration & Adventure” Category, 2005.
On October 2004, he did India proud once again by winning a Panda Award for the Third time for
his film Vanishing Giants – a story of his passion and involvement with elephants. This film also led
to the ban of cruel and outdated techniques of elephant capture in India.
The prestigious United Nations International Award For Outstanding Achievement In
Global Conservation, the Prthvi Ratna was awarded to Mike at the Vatavaran Film Festival in
November 2003, for his outstanding contribution towards generating awareness, which led to the
conservation of a global heritage – the Whale Shark.
Mike Pandey’s Riverbank Studios has produced some of India’s most popular programmes
like Earth Matters, aired on Doordarshan national network for 13 years, so far reaching over 800
million viewers .
With over three decades of filmmaking experience Mike Pandey has produced over 600 films. His
powerful films are living proof of the difference a film can make in bringing about changes locally,
nationally and globally.
In recognition of this fact, the Mumbai International Film Festival is proud to honour him with the
prestigious V Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award.
