Event Coverage
IBC to Honour NASA at IBC2016 Awards
MUMBAI: IBC announced that it is to give one of its highest awards, the Judges’ Prize, to NASA. Celebrating the achievements of one of the world’s most well known brands, the award will be presented at the ceremony held on Sunday 11 September at the RAI, Amsterdam. NASA’s contribution to the ceremony promises to be literally out of this world.
From the very beginning, NASA has ensured that every moment of the space exploration programme has been captured, firstly with film cameras and then video, including the globally viewed footage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon in 1969. Today NASA operates a 4K Ultra HD channel and allows viewers to watch footage on a wide range of televisions and internet connected devices.
The Judges’ Prize is presented to a company or project displaying a unique creative, technical or commercial imagination and past winners include Stereoscopic 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and DNA’s single frequency networks for HD with DVB-T2, which was awarded in 2011. The award will be accepted by Carlos Fontanot, Imagery Manager for the International Space Station and Kelly O. Humphries, the voice of mission control for more than 50 shuttle missions and hundreds of space station activities.
“It is impossible to understate the importance of NASA’s film and video efforts,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “Their engineers and producers have had to overcome massive technical challenges, which has meant close co-operation with suppliers of equipment and systems. The result has been stunning imagery, which has literally changed our view of the world.”
The IBC Awards Ceremony will take place on Sunday 11 September, and is free for all IBC attendees. Find out more about the awards at IBC.org/awards and register for your IBC2016 pass at IBC.org/register
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.
