MIFF 2012 opens; Mike Pandey honoured with V Shantaram award

Mumbai: Noted environmental film maker Mike Pandey has been honoured with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award of the Mumbai International Film Festival MIFF 2012, which opened here today.

The award carries a citation, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Instituted in 1996 in memory of India`s foremost film maker V Shantaram, the award aims to recognise the multi-faceted contributions of an Indian for the documentary film movement. The award was presented to Pandey by Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan in the presence of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhury Mohan Jathua. MIFF 2012 will showcase more than 101 documentary, short and animation films from 37 countries. 22 Awards, including the Golden Conch Award for best films in International Competition, Indian Competition, best fiction, best animation films, will be given away. Noted film maker John Bradbury of Australia, Japanese animation director/producer Sayoko Kinoshita, Austrian cinematographer and Director Michael Glawogger, Bulgarian film maker Adela Peeva, Irish film maker Stefanie Dinkelbach, acclaimed film maker Kumar Shahni are attending the weeklong event, taking place at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) here. PTI