Event Coverage
Banff Rockie Awards rebranded as Banff World TV Awards
CANNES: The world’s largest television programme competition, the Banff Rockie Awards, have been rebranded as the Banff World Television Awards. This development is an indication of the high stature the awards have acquired over the past few years, owing to the independent and transparent judging process involved.
Commenting on the rebranding, Festival CEO Robert Montgomery said, “Over the past 27 years, Banff’s program competition has grown to become the most influential and truly international in the world. The Banff World Television Awards is an identity that encompasses the global scope of this competition and provides proper justice to the many noted program creators and broadcasters who enter the race. As interactive television content gains an ever-stronger foothold within the industry and amongst audiences, we are elated to honour the ‘best of the best’ in this category.”
The call for entries for the 2006 programme competition were also announced. This time round, an award for Interactive Television Programs has been introduced, amongst the 18 categories in the competition. The nominees will stand to win a Rockie Award for each category, besides several Special Jury Awards and of course, the Grand Prize.
The Banff World Television Festival will be produced by Achilles Media Ltd. It will take place from 11 – 14 June, 2006, at the Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies, and will be attended by over 1,300 broadcasters and program creators from more than 24 countries.
Past nominees and winners include productions from ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), A&E, ARTE France, AVRO, BBC, CBC/SRC, Channel 4, CTV, Film Australia, FRONTLINE, Granada, HBO, MTV, NFB, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), NPS, Paramount, PBS, Showtime, SVT, Touchstone, VPRO, WDR, WGBH, and ZDF German Television.
The 2006 Program categories are:
Animation Programs
Arts Documentary
Children’s Programs
Comedies
Continuing Series
Family and Youth Programs
Feature Length Documentaries
History and Biography Programs
Information and Current Affairs Programs
Interactive Television Programs – NEW
Lifestyle Programs
Made-for-TV-Movies
Mini-Series
Performance Programs
Popular Science and Natural History Programs
Social and Political Documentaries
Sports Programs
Unscripted Entertainment Programs
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.
