Hindi
PIFF presents best film award to South Korea-France film
MUMBAI: South Korea-France film Dooman River/ La Riviere Tumen has won Maharashtra government‘s ‘Best international film‘ award named ‘Prabhat‘ carrying a purse of Rs 1 million on the concluding day of the 9th Pune International Film Festival.
Likewise, the ‘Prabhat‘ best international director award of Rs 500,000 was lapped up by Polish director Borys Lankosz for his film The Reverse. The special jury award was given to Natalie Smirnoff, director of the film Puzzle, a Argentina- France production.
The Sant Tukaram Best Marathi Feature Film award of Rs 500,000 was given to the film Baboo Band Baaja by Rajesh Pinjani. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) student Tathagata Singha bagged the PIFF special award of Rs 25,000 for direction.
ALT Entertainment & Friday Filmworks‘ first Marathi film, Taaryanche Bait won two top honours. While Shailesh Dupare, Sourabh Bhave and Kiran Yadnyopavit walked away with the award for the best script, Sachin Khedekar‘s portrayal of a father caught in a dilemma won him the best actor award.
Giving his concluding speech, PIFF director Jabbar Patel said, “Next year, we are going to introduce Indian cinema competition award in which first or second film of the Indian director will be eligible for the competition. Forty films from PIFF will be sent to the first Yashwant International festival which will held in Mumbai later this month.‘‘
Minister of state for cultural affairs Faujia Khan, who was the chief guest of the evening, said: “PIFF is the only award function, the state government involves itself with and government takes lots of efforts to encourage Marathi films.‘‘
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
