Delhi Film Festival to have 15 awards, including life time achievement

The Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi is making preparations for the inaugural Delhi International Film Festival, scheduled to take place in August.

Officials have disclosed that the festival will feature numerous awards, including a prestigious lifetime achievement award recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of filmmaking.

According to a senior officer from the Delhi government, the festival will present five special awards and an additional ten awards that recognize various aspects of filmmaking. The event is part of the government’s plan, as announced in the Rozgaar Budget 2022-23, to organize an international film festival.

The Tourism department of the Delhi government is currently outlining the blueprint for the festival, which will be shared with Atishi, the minister responsible for the initiative. The Siri Fort Auditorium in south Delhi has been selected as the venue for the film festival.

To curate a diverse selection of films, the Tourism department has recruited several programmers who are responsible for identifying films from different countries. There is also a possibility of featuring a special section dedicated to films from G20 member countries, as India is hosting a G20 summit meeting this year, as mentioned by the officer.

In terms of judging the film entries, the government may constitute a seven-member jury, including two members from abroad, to evaluate the submissions.

This initiative builds upon the Delhi government’s previous efforts to boost the city’s film industry. Last year, the Kejriwal government launched the “Delhi Film Policy-2022” with the aim of positioning Delhi as a thriving hub for movie production. The policy included measures such as establishing a Rs 30 crore fund to support producers and a commitment to hosting an international film festival annually. The overarching goals of the film policy are to promote artistic, creative, and cultural expression, brand Delhi as a vibrant destination for film shoots, streamline funding and location approval processes, and foster the growth of local infrastructure and talent. (With inputs from PTI)