At the inaugural ceremony of MIFF 2016, Fadnavis and Col. Rathore honoured the veteran wildlife film maker Naresh Bedi with the V Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award. The award comprising a trophy, shawl and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs (Rs 500,000) is instituted in memory of legendary film maker V Shantaram, who was head of  the Films Division in the past.

 About Bedi 

Naresh Bedi, eldest of the Bedi Brothers, is counted amongst the foremost wildlife documentary makers, being the first Asian to receive the Wildscreen Red Panda award.  A graduate of the Film & Television Institute of India, FTII, Pune, Bedi has made films which have been shown on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, Channel 4 etc. He is credited with filming several rare wildlife movements.  His film ‘Cherub of the Mist’ about the life of two cute red pandas had the honour of being the opening film of MIFF 2016.

 About MIFF 

MIFF 2016 – a biennial event, organized by the Films Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and supported by the Government of Maharashtra will feature 30 films in International Competition, including 12 from India and 27 films in National Competition vying for the Golden Conch Award.  The festival will screen a total of 385 films over the 6 day event.

The festival will also have Master classes by Jury and eminent film makers, Camera and Digital workshops, Producers’ Forum, Panel discussions, Seminar and Open Forum by IDPA, under the MIFF Hub. Cash prizes worth Rs 60 lakhs (Rs 6 million) would be distributed for the winners in various categories along with Golden Conch Awards