Documentary | Short | Animation
Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation, popularly known as MIFF, is the oldest and largest film festival for non-feature films in South Asia. Began in 1990 as BIFF and later re-christened as MIFF, this international event is organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. Since its inception in 1990, the festival has grown in scope and scale and is attended by cineastes from around the globe. The Organizing Committee of MIFF is headed by the Secretary, I&B and consists of eminent film personalities, documentary makers and senior media officials.
MIFF provides a platform for documentary film makers from all over the world to meet, exchange ideas, explore the possibilities of co-productions and marketing of documentary, short and animation films and also broadening the vision of the film makers vis-à-vis world cinema.
Documentary cinema creates the most significant impact to the world. One that not only educates, inspires and motivates a change in the society but also acts as a tool that transcends cultures and boundaries. The flourishing non-fiction film movement spearheaded by MIFF has gained momentum with the increased need for more realistic content opposed to the more dramatized and commercial fiction stories. MIFF with participation of world’s leading documentary making countries with their best content, gives Documentary, Animation and Short Fiction film makers their wings so that they can soar into deeper conceptualizations that accommodate narratives of the past, present and future of the society.
To add more colour, variety and substance to the MIFF, apart from films in competition categories, best documentaries, short fiction and animation films produced in India and abroad are screened under special packages including Jury retrospectives, Homages, Oscar films, Country Focus, Best of Animation, Students’ Best and Best of Festivals, which deeply engage MIFF delegates.
The Workshops and Master Classes in MIFF are curated keeping in mind the changing technology in cinema and introduction of new, improved tools to tell a visual story. Open Forum and Panel discussions on the aesthetics and technical aspects of film making and B 2 B meet have also been attractions of MIFF.
Off-campus screening in around Mumbai simultaneously during the MIFF and Best of MIFF festival in different parts of India after the MIFF where award winning films are screened, are highlights of the event. The Best of MIFF festival help out-reach of best documentaries, made around the world, to cinephiles in different parts of the country.
MIFF not only recognizes best talents in documentary, short fiction and animation films by presenting Golden, Silver Conches and trophies, but it also gives away handsome cash awards in different competition categories. The highest and most prestigious award in the MIFF, the Best Film of the Festival, carries a cash prize of Indian Rupees One million and a Golden Conch while other awards carry Silver Conch and cash awards varying from five lakh to one lakh along-with trophy and certificate. Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) and the Government of Maharashtra, through Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari join hands with Films Division in instituting special awards.
On an average, 35 to 40 countries participate in MIFF and the festival receives more than 800 entries in different competition categories. The short listing of films for competition is done by Selection Committees comprising of known documentary film makers, technicians, writers and critics. Juries consisting of eminent film makers from India and abroad judge best films in both International and National competition.
MIFF gives away Rupees 4.4 Million as award money in different categories of competition apart from honouring a veteran film personality by conferring the coveted V. Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award for promotion of documentary movement in India. This award carries Trophy, Shawl, Citation and a Cash Prize of Rupees One million.