Imphal: Television and Cine Foundation, a prominent community of filmmakers in Manipur, has expressed extreme disappointment over the non-selection of any Manipur films in the recent 71st National Film Awards.
Despite a few films from the state doing well in recent film festivals, none of them found a place in the National Film Awards announcement, leaving many film enthusiasts surprised. For instance, “Joseph’s Son,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar, which premiered at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, was notably absent from the award list, a press release said.
Another film, “Andro Dream” by National Award-winning filmmaker Meena Longjam, which opened the Indian Panorama non-fiction film section at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), also failed to make an impact in the announcement, it added.
It’s worth mentioning that the National Film Awards guideline includes specific category, best Manipuri language feature film. However, this year, all scheduled language films were awarded except for Manipur feature films, adding to the disappointment, it said.
“The snub has sparked concern among filmmakers and enthusiasts in Manipur, who are questioning the selection process and the recognition of Manipuri cinema at the national level.”
