Event Coverage
International interactive Emmy awards announced at MipTV
CANNES: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS) has announced the winners for the International Interactive Emmy awards.
“This year‘s winners are an illustration of how technology is enhancing viewer participation and bringing an added value to television content,” said IATAS president and CEO Bruce L Paisner.
Scandinavia led the evening with Finland‘s children‘s programme Staraoke winning the ‘Interactive Programme‘ category and Sweden‘s participation drama The Truth About Marika winning the ‘Interactive TV Service‘ category. The ‘Interactive Channel‘ award went to the UK‘s WeDigTV.
International Emmy ‘Directorate Award‘ went to Liu Changle of Phoenix Satellite.
Launched in Hong Kong in 1996, Phoenix Satellite Television has rapidly expanded from a single general entertainment channel to an integrated multimedia group with five television channels broadcasting in Mandarin Chinese and covering over 150 countries around the world.
Dick Wolf, the architect of the Law & Order brand, bagged International Emmy Founders Award. Wolf‘s classic television series has transcended cultural boundaries for the last 25 years. Law & Order is the longest-running drama series currently on American television and a major international success with brand licences in more than 300 territories and localised versions in France, Russia and the UK.
IATAS is the largest organisation of broadcasters in the world, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies.
The awards will be given at the 36th International Emmy Awards gala on 24 November in New York.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
