Week-long film fest MIFF in Mumbai from February 3

The 11th edition of MIFF (Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films) organised by the Films Division will be held in the metropolis from February 3-9.

The week-long fest will be held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

MIFF is a competitive biennial event which has gained recognition on par with renowned International Film Festivals like Leipzig, Berlin, Oberhausen, Cracow and Tampere.

After it commenced in Mumbai in 1990, MIFF has went on to become as the world’s best and largest documentary film festival, Kuldeep Sinha, chief producer, Films Division and director, MIFF told reporters at IFFI 2009 in Goa.

From this edition, International and Indian Competition Sections have been merged into one, he said.

Besides, there will be screening of 'Retrospectives and Special Packages', 'Spectrum India', seminars and open forum during MIFF-2010, Sinha said.

In Retrospectives and Special Packages, jury’s retrospectives, women packages, Oscar nominated films, films on cinema legends and unsung heroes of the Indian freedom movement; in country focus, films from Bhutan, France, Chile, Argentina as well as students package from FTII, SRFTII, NID are being showcased, he said.

So far, MIFF has received 864 entries from 37 countries which is an all time record, he said.

The selection committee, consisting of eminent film makers, journalists and critics has already started previewing the films, totalling more 400 hours of duration.

Another salient feature is a new award being introduced for 'Best Student Film/Video'.

The award money has also been enhanced this time onwards in each category and the total award money is Rs22.75 lakh along with Golden/Silver Conches in different categories of competition.

Also, 'Dr V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award' will be awarded to an Indian film maker for his/her contribution to documentary film movement, with cash award and trophy.

Sinha said that about 40 documentary film festivals take place annually an indication of growing popularity of docu films in the country.

Documentary is a very serious business. It should not be commercialised and the Films Division takes it as a means to explore serious issues, and docu film culture in India will get a huge boost with the advent of digital technology, he said.

He also disclosed that Films Division CDs on documentary on Satyajit Ray and Mohmmad Rafi are a big hit at the CD counter at IFFI in Goa.