Event Coverage
iEmmy nominees announced at Mipcom
CANNES: Mipcom 2003 at the Palais de Festivals witnessed another important announcement a short while ago. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees and a sneak preview of what is in store for the 31st International Emmy Awards to be held in New York’s Hilton Hotel on 24 November 2003.
IATAS president Fred Cohen said that more than 500 judges globally helped shortlist the iEmmy nominations this year. “It is the most extensive judging process worldwide. The winners will be revealed at the gala in New York,” he said.
The UK (10) and Germany (5) swept the nominations, accounting for close to 15 of them between themselves. Japan pocketed two, with the rest of the nominations going to a sprinkling of other countries. BBC led among the broadcasters with six nominations.
The nominees included:
Drama Series: Nikolaj and Julie (Denmark- Danish Broadcasting Corp in co-production with Norwegian Broadcasting), Cuentame Coma Pasao (Tell me what happened – Spain – Grupo Ganga for TV E), MDA (Medical Defense – Australia – Screentime in Association with ABC Australia), Walking the Dead – Deathwatch (UK – BBC).
TV Movie/Mini-Series: Ramona (Sweden- Sveriges TV- SVT), Jean Moulin – A Hero’s Destiny (France – GMT Productions/Transfilm/SpiceFactory/TF1), Mein Vater (Coming Home–Germany–Colonia Media Filmproduktion GMB for Westdeutshcer Rundfunk Cologne).
Documentary: Stalinguard (Germany – Broadview TV in association with ZDF and Teleac/NOT/Media/YLE/TVS/DR TV/SBS Australia with the support of Media/World Sales by German United Distributors), Das Leben Geht Weiter (Life Goes On – Germany –Starcrest Media GmbH/Hessische Rundfunk/ARTE), Avenging Terror (United Kingdom – Brook Lapping Productions for Channel 4 Television and WGBH/PBS), The Least Peasants (United Kingdom – October Film Production for Channel Four).
Arts Programming: Visions of Space: Antoni Gaudi (United Kingdom – Oxford Film Production for BBC in Association with RMS Associates), Arena: The Life and Times of Count Luchino Visconti (United Kingdom – BBC), Viaje al Centra de la Musica (Chile – Canal 13 –Chile, Videografica), Living Architecture: The Work of Tadao Ando (Japan – NHK – Japan Broadcasting Corp).
Popular Arts Non-Scripted: Me Lo Dices o Me Lo Cuentas (Spain – Telemadrid/El Terrat), Caiga Quien Caiga (Argentina – Cuatro Cabezas), Home on their Own – Ep 2 (United Kingdom – London Weekend Television), Without Prejudice – Ep 1 (United Kingdom – 12 Yard Productions).
Popular Arts Scripted: Alt & Durchgeknallt (Old and Crazy – Germany, Brainpool TV AG), The Perfect Manual – #7Sushiko (Japan – TV Asahi), Lenny Henry in Pieces –Series 2 #Ep 1 (United Kingdom – Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC), The Kumars at No 42 – Series 3, Show 1 (United Kingdom –Hat Trick Productions for BBC).
Children and Young People: Laura Trenter: Det brinner! (Laura Trenter: Fire! – Sweden – Jarowskij for SVT), The Little Polar Bear Ep 10 The Big Harbour (Germany – Westdeutscher Rundfunk), Legend of the Lost Tribe (United Kingdom – A BBC Bristol/comic Relief Co-production), An Angel for May (United Kingdom – A Spice Factory-Barzo Production in association with Gentian Productions and Portman Film).
The iEmmys committee also revealed that Bob Costas the host of the HBO Emmy-winning show On the Record with Bob Costas will host the gala, while Sarah Jessica Parker will be presenting a special award to HBO. Other presenters are being finalised. The International TV Academy will also present the International Emmy Directorate Award to BBC Director general Greg Dyke and the International Emmy Founders Award to HBO for its innovative programming.
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.
