Event Coverage
BAF Awards get bigger, attract global personalities
MUMBAI: The excitement, the nervousness, the anticipation, the honor… that’s what make award ceremonies exciting and the BAF Awards held yesterday at the Frames convention was no different.
The BAF (Best Animated Frames) Awards have grown bigger in terms of scale, which was evident also from the fact that the handing out the trophies were some of the best international personalities of the industry, including Barrie Osborne and Jon Niermann.
Each awards ceremony has its moments and amongst the best moments at BAF was when Indian animation veteran Bhimsen Khurana received the Special contribution to the Animation Industry(Indian) and his trophy was presented to him by none other than Lord of The Rings Producer Barrie Osborne.
Khurana has to his credit many firsts in Indian animation, including the first Indian animated TV series `Lokgatha’ and `Vartaman’.
In a jovial mood, Khurana took a jibe at the long citation read out in his honor when he quipped,”Was it me?” Later on, he told Indiantelevision.com,”With this recognition, I feel that hardwork pays. Though they take their own time, results do come.”
The BAF award for Special contribution to the Animation
Industry(International) went to Mike Young of Mike Young Productions. Mike, who could not make it to India, sent in a special recorded message that was played out as a representative from his company collected the award.
Some of the other memorable moments included the ecstatic JWT team when Bhaskar Mani went onstage to receive his BAF Award for the Best Social Welfare Film (Professional) for ‘Bust that Noma’. MAAC student Neha Gupta was overwhelmed as she went on stage to receive her BAF award for Best Promo Students) for ‘Concept Ad Motorola V3’.
Indian studios that figured in the winning list included Crest Animation, Paradox Studios, Dhruva Infotech and Vaibhav Studios. Electronic Arts, Turner Entertainment and Studio Nix were amongst the international winners.
THE COMPLETE LIST OF THE WINNERS:
Short Films Professional –
Studio Nix, Australia for ‘Twelve Months’
Short Films Students –
Eva Steegmayer, Institut of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Post Production Germany for ‘Das Flops’
Special Jury Award –
Sudhanshu & Harun from NID for ‘Once upon a Tree’
TV Episode –
Crest Animation/Mike Young Productions, USA for Rain Rain go away -Jakers
AD Film
Vaibhav Studios for Amaron -Pandu Mangal
Promos Professional
Turner Entertainment for Marinate You
Promos Students
Neha Gupta (MAAC) for ‘Concept AD Motorola V3’
VFX (in film)
Yashraj Films – Dhoom
Social Welfare/NGO (Professional)
J Walter Thomson for ‘Bust that Noma’
Gaming
Electronic Arts, USA, for ‘Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban’
Special Jury Award
Paradox Studios for Bomberbabe
Mobile Gaming
Dhruva Infotech for Pat Cash Tennis Pro
Special Contribution to the Animation Industry (Indian)
Bhimsen Khurana
Special Contribution to the Animation Industry (International)
Mike Young
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.
