iWorld
Jagran Film Festival reveals star-studded jury for features and shorts
Mumbai: The 11 editions of the Jagran Film Festival (JFF), recognised as the world’s largest travelling film festival, have revealed its panel of judges for the feature film and short film segments. In a distinctive approach, the festival will have distinct jury members for each category – Feature Films and Short Films. With its 11 seasons, the festival has enlisted highly experienced figures from the industry as jury members. The distinguished jury for this year comprises celebrated Indian directors, editors, screenwriters, and film critics.
The ‘Best Feature Film Award category’ will have its feature films evaluated by a panel consisting of Rahul Rawail, known for directing and editing Indian classics like Love Story, Betaab, Arjun, Dacait, Anjaam, Arjun Pandit, and the recent release Jo Bole So Nihaal. Additionally, Girish Kasaravalli, a well-established Kannada film director with a remarkable tally of fourteen national awards, and Juhi Chaturvedi, the accomplished screenwriter behind acclaimed Bollywood hits such as Vicky Donor, Piku, October, and Gulabo Sitabo, will be part of the panel.
The assessment of short films will be undertaken by a distinguished panel of jurors, including A. Sreekar Prasad, a renowned film editor from the Telugu and Tamil film industry, with a remarkable nine national film awards to his credit. Joining him is Haobam Paban Kumar, an accomplished filmmaker honoured with the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation, and Baradwaj Rangan, a respected film critic and editor-in-chief of Galatta Plus, who formerly served as an editor at film companion (South). Following their review of the films, the jurors will proceed to select the recipient of the Best Short Film award category.
Both categories are dedicated to honouring and celebrating the outstanding achievements of directors and filmmakers who bring remarkable narratives to life through the medium of feature and short films. It’s a platform designed to recognize the exceptional storytelling and creative prowess that these artists exhibit within their respective formats, highlighting their significant contributions to the world of cinema.
Jagran Prakashan Sr VP, strategy, brand and business development Basant Rathore, said, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our esteemed jury, entrusted with the challenging task of choosing the best amongst equals. Anticipating some exciting times as the festival marches ahead in its journey.
Jagran Film Festival has gained immense popularity and each year it attempts to present a treat for cinema lovers by showing unique and popular movies during the show. Some prominent sections of the festival are In conversation, World Panorama, Homage, Country Focus, Asia Premiere, World Premiere, and the Retrospective of Films.
The world’s largest travelling film festival is all set to enrapture audiences with an exceptional array of world-class films from all around the globe. The Jagran Film Festival started in Delhi on 3 August and has travelled through Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Bareilly and will travel to, Dehradun, Hisar, Gurgaon, Ludhiana, Patna, Darbhanga, Ranchi, Raipur, Indore, and Siliguri. For registration log on to: www.jff.co.in. The award ceremony will happen in Mumbai on 15 October 2023.
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Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
