National Film Awards

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National Film Awards Award Information

Category Films

Instituted 1954

Last Awarded 2007

Awarded by Directorate of Film Festivals, India

Description Highest award for

films in India

The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India, and the

country's oldest alongside the Filmfare Awards.[1]

Established in 1954, it is administrated by the

Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.[2][3]

Every year a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the

award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India gives away the awards. This

is followed by the inauguration of the National Film Festival, where the award-winning films are

screened for the public. Declared for films produced in the previous year across the country, they

hold the distinction of awarding merit to the best of Indian cinema overall, as well as presenting

awards for the best films in each region and language of the country. Due to the national scale of

the National Film Awards, it is considered to be the equivalent of the American Academy

Awards.[4][5]

Contents

1 History

2 Juries and rules

3 Awards up to 2009

o 3.1 Golden Lotus Award

o 3.2 Silver Lotus Award

o 3.3 Nargis Dutt Award

o 3.4 Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film

o 3.5 Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award

o 3.6 Non-Feature Film Awards

o 3.7 Best Book on Cinema

o 3.8 Best Film Critic

4 See also

5 References

o 5.1 Notes

o 5.2 Further reading

6 External links

History

The Awards were first presented in 1954. The Government of India conceived the ceremony to

honour films made across India, on a national scale, to encourage the furthering of Indian art and

culture.

Juries and rules

The National Film Awards are presented in two main categories: Feature Films and Non-Feature

Films. The feature film jury for 2009 consists of 13 members, including Rahul Dholakiaand is

headed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta. The non feature film jury consists of five members and is

headed by Bikram Singh.[6]

The juries are appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals in India.

Neither the Government nor the Directorate have influence over which films are selected for

consideration and which films ultimately win awards. There are strict criteria as to whether a

film is eligible for consideration by the jury panels. Over 100 films made across the country are

entered in each category (Feature and Non-Feature) for the awards and deemed eligible each

year.

A list of rules is presented every year in a documment of regulations known as the National Film

Award Regulations. The criteria for eligibility contains many clauses. Among them, there is a

direct requirement for the makers of a film, and particularly the director, to be Indian nationals.[7]

Films entering the competition should be produced in India, and in case of co-production

involving a foreign entity, there are as many as six conditions which should be fulfilled in order

for the film to qualify.[7]

According to the criteria, in order to be eligible for consideration of the

jury, a film should be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between January 1 and

December 31. Whether a film is considered a feature film or a non-feature film shall be decided

by the Feature Film jury. The eligibility list includes a section of rules determining which films

shall not by eligible for entry in the competition.[7]

Awards up to 2009

The Awards are presented to feature films produced in the previous year,[8]

given in the

following categories:

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

Best Film

Best Direction

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment

Best Children's Film

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Child Artist

Best Cinematography

Best Screenplay

Best Art Direction

Best Make-up Artist [9]

Best Costume Design

Best Music Direction

Best Lyrics

Best Male Playback Singer

Best Female Playback Singer

Best Choreography

Best Audiography

Best Editing

Best Special Effects

Second Best Feature Film

Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film)

Best Feature Film in each of the languages specified in schedule VIII of the constitution:

Best Feature Film in Assamese

Best Feature Film in Bengali

Best Feature Film in Hindi

Best Feature Film in Kannada

Best Feature Film in Konkani

Best Feature Film in Malayalam

Best Feature Film in Manipuri

Best Feature Film in Marathi

Best Feature Film in Oriya

Best Feature Film in Punjabi

Best Feature Film in Tamil

Best Feature Film in Telugu

Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in schedule VIII of the

constitution:

Best Feature Film in English

Best Feature Film in Bhojpuri

Best Feature Film in Monpa

Best Feature Film in Tulu

Other Feature Film Awards:

Best Film on Family Welfare

Best Film on Other Social Issues

Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation

Nargis Dutt Award

This award is given to the Best Feature film on National Integration

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration

Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film

This award is given to the film judged Best First Film of a Director at the National Film Awards

Indira Gandhi Award

Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is for lifetime achievement and contribution to Indian Cinema. It is named after

Dadasaheb Phalke, one of India's pioneering film makers.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Non-Feature Film Awards

The Awards presented to Non-Feature Films are given in different categories including the

following:

Best Non-Feature Film

Best First Non-Feature Film

Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film

Best Biographical Film

Best Arts/Cultural Film

Best Scientific Film

Best Promotional Film

Best Agriculture Film

Best Film on Social Issues

Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film

Best Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film

Best Exploration/Adventure Film

Best Investigative Film

Best Animated Film

Best Short Fiction Film

Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare

Best Non-Feature Film Direction

Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography

Best Non-Feature Film Audiography

Best Non-Feature Film Editing

Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction

Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Non-Feature Film)

Best Book on Cinema

This award is given to the Best Book on Cinema:

Best Book on Cinema

Best Film Critic

This award is given to the Best Film Critic on Cinema: Best Film Critic

References

Notes

1. ^ Both Filmfare Awards and National Film Awards were established in 1954. IMDb.

Retrieved on 2008-08-14.

2. ^ Official site Directorate of Film Festivals

3. ^ Film Festival

4. ^ "National Film Awards (India's Oscars)". Film Movement.

http://www.filmmovement.com/filmcatalog/festivals.asp?FestivalID=76. Retrieved 2009-

02-11.

5. ^ "We have lots to give the West: Rahman". The Hindu. February 20, 2009.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/20/stories/2009022053311400.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-

28.

6. ^ "Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting-54th National

Film Awards". http://www.pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2008/jun/54th_nfa.pdf. Retrieved

2009-08-08.

7. ^ a b c 55th National Film Awards Regulations. Eligibility. Pages 2-3.

8. ^ National Film Awards

9. ^ 54th National Film Awards The Hindu, June 11, 2008. "Two new award categories —

best animation and best make-up artist — have been constituted this year. Telugu film

“Kittu” won the award in the best animation film category and Anil Moti Ram Palande

was awarded the best make-up artist for the film “Traffic Signal.”

External links

IMDB

Directorate of Film Festivals