Hindi
‘Murga’ gets ‘Swachh’ film prize; top producers to support campaign
NEW DELHI: Eminent filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar, Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi, Prasoon Pandey, Ramesh Sippy and Shoojit Sircar will produce films on Swachh Bharat providing support and creative ideas to the movement.
This was announced here on Sunday by the Information and Broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu after presenting the awards at the first Swachh Bharat Short Film Festival here. Minister of State for I and B Rajyavardhan Rathore and secretary Ajay Mittal were present.
Naidu said the festival was aimed at generating awareness, and motivating participants and citizens towards the Swachh Bharat mission through the most interactive medium of cinema.
Complimenting the youngsters for the creativity and talent shown, Naidu said the future of India was safe in the hands of the young generation who understood the communication needs on issues such as Swachh Bharat which required mass mobilization.
Naidu along with Rathore released the book “In the Footsteps of Mahatma: Gandhi & Sanitation” published by Publications Division (I & B ministry) and written by the noted Gandhian Sudarshan Iyengar.
Mittal said the festival had provided a platform to pool ideas and talent of the creative youngsters.
The competitive short films festival was for films having duration of not more than three minutes each. A jury comprising eminent theatre and film actor–producer Vani Tripathi, award-winning filmmaker Gitanjali Rao, and celebrated advertising personality Prahlad Kakar selected 20 short films out of the 4346 entries.
The first prize was pocketed by Katyanan Shivpuri from Maharashtra for the film Murga. The second prize was bagged by Sudhanshu Sharma, KVK Kumar and Akshay Danavale for their films Nahna Doot, Chembuku Moodindi (The Dying Vessel) and Sarkarmi Rati Wadho! respectively. The third prize was awarded to six entries.
The directors of the top 10 films were rewarded with Rs 10 lakh (first film), Rs 500,000 (next three films) and Rs 200,000 respectively (last six films), while the next 10 were awarded certificates.
The highlight was a performance by the Advait band and the rendition of Swachh Bharat theme song by the eminent singer Kailash Kher.
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
