Awards
AFI to bestow lifetime achievement award on George Lucas
MUMBAI: Legendary film producer George Lucas will receive the American
Film Institute’s (AFI) 33rd Lifetime Achievement Award on 9 June 2005. Lucas created the Star Wars saga. The latest film in the series Revenge Of The Sith is creating waves at the box office.
Filmmaker and past recipient Steven Spielberg will present Lucas with the award at the tribute, which will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
The event will feature tributes from a number of Lucas’ friends and colleagues-including the original Star Wars cast Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, as well as intergalactic celebrities C3PO, Chewbacca and R2D2. Additionally, clips from Lucas’ films will be presented with commentary from four Academy Award winning directors —
Spielberg, James Cameron, Ron Howard and Peter Jackson.
Meanwhile it appears that Revenge Of the Sith will not be the last Star Wars film. Media repotrs indicate that Lucas is looking at doing a Star Wars prequel. Earlier he had said that Revenge of the Sith would be the last Star Wars film. The film will be set 100 years before the current movies. Lucas will reportedly try to take a backseat throughout the next production.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
