Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 15 (ANI): Wildlife filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu received the prestigious V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival on Saturday.
He has won several national and international awards including the five National Film Awards. He is a regular jury member of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and has also served as the jury chairman of the Indian Panorama at IFFI 2021.
The 18th Mumbai International Film Festival was attended by several celebrities including Randeep Hooda, Abhishek Banerjee, Divyendu, Divya Dutta, Avinash Tiwary, Upasana, Madhur Bhandarkar, Vineet Kumar Singh, film director Rahul Rawail, Sonali Kulkarni and Anand L Rai.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan inaugurated the film festival in a grand opening ceremony at NCPA, Mumbai, on Saturday. 
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan along with Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar attended the grand event.
The 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival kicked off with the screening of the documentary ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’. The film was screened simultaneously in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune.
The documentary, which was made by Charlie Hamilton James, tells the unusual tale of a man who, while residing in the isolated Shetland Islands, befriends a wild otter. Through the touching journey of Molly, an orphaned otter, this video explores the coastlines of Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
The events witnessed an artistic melange of cultural acts which included an act depicting the journey of Indian animation, a cultural performance from Sri Lanka. There was also the screening of the FTII student short Film ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’, which won the La Cinef Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival this year.
A celebration of Sri Lankan creativity, Peacock Dance, “Dharani,” a fusion dance performed by the Rigveda Dance Studio, and inspiring dance tales of the island nation were also part of the Opening Ceremony of MIFF, which was a dazzling combination of cultural vitality, animation heritage, and dance narratives.
Some of the prominent films in the Red Carpet Gala include ‘Poacher’, directed by Richie Mehta, Inside Out – 2, directed by Kelsey Mann, Srikanth by Tushar Hiranandani and Gandhi Talks by Kishor Pandurang Belekar.
Jury members include international filmmakers Audrius Stonys, Bharat Bala, Dr Bobby Sarma Baruah, Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck and producers Apoorva Bakshi, Adele Seelmann-Eggebert, Keiko Bang and Barthelemy Fougea.
There are a total of 314 films in the MIFF this year from 59 countries across 61 languages. Noted international filmmakers will take part in more than 25 masterclasses, panel discussions and open forums on the curated topics.
The mid-fest film of the 18th MIFF is “The Commandant’s Shadow”, directed by Daniela Volker, will be screened on June 18.
The closing film of the festival is the film that wins the Golden Conch and will be showcased on June 21.
A total of 102 films were selected by the three selection committees of eminent film experts for the International (25) and National (77) competition sections.
MIFF offers a forum for international documentary filmmakers to connect, share ideas, investigate co-production and marketing opportunities for documentaries, shorts, and animation projects, and expand their perspectives on global cinema. The festival aims to promote artistic expression and serve as a creative spark for both attendees and filmmakers by offering a forum for additional talks and debates on short films, documentaries, and animation.
The 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival will continue till June 21. (ANI)
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