Regional juries set to make a come back in National Film Awards

By Utpal Borpujari

A practice abandoned in the mid-1970s is all set to be revived as an expert panel tasked to suggest revamp of the National Film Awards has suggested that the judging process should be first at a zonal level and then at the national level.

The expert committee, chaired by noted filmmaker Shyam Bengal, has recommended that there should be a two tier viewing of films to facilitate the selection process of the National Film Awards. 

According to its suggestions, a central jury will choose films for various award categories from a short list chosen by five regional juries which will look at films made in various languages in those regions. 

The committee has also outlined guidelines for the regional jury composition. Incidentally, almost a similar jury system was in vogue decades ago, which was later scrapped apparently to overcome alleged intra-regional biases.

The committee, formed at the behest of Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni to make the National Film Awards more contemporary, has also suggested constitution of new awards in audiography, music, best screenplay and dialogue.

It has suggested that the award for best art direction be called Best Production Design Award to reflect contemporary technology. Also, it has said that the number of awards in the feature film category be raised from 31 to 34 and the cash prize for special jury award in feature films be raised from Rs 1,25,000 to Rs two lakh.

For the non-feature film category too, the committee has made some key recommendations, including splitting of the award for the Best Film on Environment, Agriculture and Education into Best Educational Film and Best Film on Environment awards. 

It has also said that the cash component of awards for best non-feature film and best direction be enhanced from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh so that they are brought at par with feature films. 

The report of the committee, comprising Benegal, Sai Paranjpye, Ashok Vishwanathan, Rajiv Mehrotra, Sharmila Tagore, Vishal Bhardwaj, Nagesh Kukunoor, Mohan Agashe, Waheeda Rehman, Jahnu Barua and Shaji Karun, was presented by Benegal a few days ago to Soni, who promised immediate processing of the recommendations.

(Published in Deccan Herald, www.deccanherald.com, www.deccanheraldepaper.com, 17-05-2010)

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/69986/regional-jury-system-film-awards.html

A ‘Chalchitra Akademi’ in the offing?

By Utpal Borpujari

If the Expert Committee appointed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry for “upgradation” of the National Film Awards has its way, the country might soon have a Chalchitra Akademi in the line of Sahitya, Sangeet Natak and Lalit Kala Akademis.

The suggestion to set up a Chalchitra Akademi, in keeping with earlier recommendations of the Satyajit Ray Committee and B V Karanth Committee reports, came from the Expert Committee at its introductory meeting chaired by Dada Saheb Phalke awardee director Shyam Benegal in the capital on Wednesday

The committee members, who unanimously selected Benegal as the chairman of the body, decided that they would submit their recommendations latest by March 15, so that qualitative changes could be effected in the NFA 2009 itself.

The members pointed out that the NFA carried a dignity and importance not rivalled by any other awards in the industry purely because the former gave due recognition to the pan-Indian cinema of the country.

They suggested that keeping in view the technological advancements, more categories in the awards, recognising newer professional fields, newer formats such as digital format and newer media should be recognised.

The members were also of the view that a two-tier jury, first regional and then national level jury, should be appointed to do justice to the linguistic and regional nuances.

Increase in the cash reward of the Awards and rationalizing the Censor procedures were also discussed.

Among those who attended the meeting today were Benegal, Ashok Vishwanathan, Jahnu Barua, Mohan Agashe, Nagesh Kukunoor, Rajiv Mehrotra, Shaji N Karun, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sai Paranjapye and Sharmila Tagore.

Welcoming the members, I&B Minister Ambika Soni said her Ministry wanted the NFA to be revamped from NFA 2009 onwards.

(Published in Deccan Herald, www.deccanherald.com, www.deccanheraldepaper.com, 26-12-2009)

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/43293/chalchitra-akademi-offing.html