Hindi
Three aspiring filmmakers win Moviebuff’s theatrically showcased ‘First Clap’ contest
MUMBAI: Five filmmakers from Tamil Nadu were the shortlisted finalists in the Moviebuff First Clap film contest, India’s first theatrically showcased talent hunt for aspiring filmmakers, challenging them to tell a compelling story in three minutes on any subject of their interest. Three winners from these five were announced at an awards presentation at Sathyam Cinemas on 22 May.
Prizes include cash rewards as well as a coveted internship opportunity with Suriya’s production company 2D Entertainment.
The winners were:
1st prize – Ival Azhagu – Directed by Vijay Ganapathy
2nd prize – App(a) Lock – Directed by Pradeep Ranganathan
3rd prize – Yennaga Sir Unga Sattam – Directed by Prabhu Jeyaram
4th prize – Intha Naal Iniya Naal – Directed by Magesh Balasubramaniam
5th prize – Think & Ink – Directed by Nattu Dev
“FirstClap was conceived to identify new talent who have it in them to attract audiences to the cinema halls and benefit our industry. This is just the beginning of many more innovative initiatives keeping the interest of cinema in mind,” says Director Jayendra Panchapakesan, co-founder of Qube Cinema Technologies.
Chief guests at the event included Cinematographer and Director PC Sreeram, Director Ezhil, Director Vetrimaran, Cinematographer Magesh Muthuswamy, Director Arun Kumar S.U., CEO of 2D Entertainment Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian, Film Critic Sreedhar Pillai, Film Editor KL Praveen, Audiographer Udayakumar, Director Hari Viswanath, Chennai International Short Film Festival Director Srinivasa Santhanam and Film Critic, Trade Analyst, CEO of Common Man Media Sathish Kumar. They were also part of the jury that judged the final round of entries in the contest.
“I am extremely happy for the finalists and the winners that they got to realise their dream of watching live audience reactions to their content at the theatres…invaluable feedback for them for their future efforts in filmmaking. This whole endeavour would not have been possible without the active support and encouragement of the esteemed theatre owners of Qube Cinema Network. All the finalists, who visited various theatres across Tamil Nadu, were thrilled and extremely thankful for this encouragement from the theatre community. The next phase of internship with 2D Entertainment will no doubt be a period of intense learning that will hone their thinking and skills. With the success of this initiative, the next edition of First Clap will be an all-India initiative by Moviebuff and we hope to enhance the scope of assistance that Moviebuff will offer to budding filmmakers in the days to come,” says Arvind Ranganathan, CEO of Qube Cinema Technologies.
Beginning 16 December, 2016, more than 250 entries were received for Moviebuff’s First Clap contest. Of these, 17 were shortlisted by judges from Moviebuff and Littleshows. The final five films were selected from public voting via screenings at local theatres supporting the contest as well as scores awarded by the panel of judges associated with the Tamil film industry. Finally, the top three were selected by public voting from cinemas, with audiences participating by choosing the next filmmaker via a unique SMS code. A total of 170 screens showed the movies, accounting for around 23,800 shows (170 screens x 5 weeks x 28 shows) across Tamil Nadu from 10 March 2017 to 13 April 2017.
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.
