Last Friday, the Indian documentary proved that it was alive and thriving. In a quiet break with tradition, the open-air environs of the celebrated Horniman Circle Gardens formed an unconventional venue for the IDPA Awards for Excellence 2006.
Fifty years ago, the inaugural dinner of the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association was a quiet black tie affair at the Princess Room of the Taj Mahal Hotel. Half a century later, the IDPA Awards for Excellence 2006 is only one of several commemorative special occasions planned for the year.
In a clear indication of the appeal of the documentary and short film formats, younger filmmakers, including first-timers, won most awards.
The prestigious documentary gold went to a delightful film shot by a one-man film unit in the mountains near the Chinese border. Alone on a trusted motorcycle, Gaurav Jani braved loneliness and oxygen deprivation, traversing hundreds of miles on a odyssey across India, into the Himalayas at Manali and up to Ladakh, to film Riding Solo to the Top of the World.A unique experiment in film, this adventure was made possible because of advances in digital technology.
The Short Fiction Gold was awarded to what the jury termed ‘ a simple jewel of a film’ -- Arwa Mamaji’s 5 min lyrical rendition of a simple story titled I Became… while Sanghamitra Karmarkar’s Baba Black Beard brought her the Gold for first time Director.
Advertising and corporate film awards were won by Shivendra Singh and Bharatbala, both established names in the genre. The Corporate Communication Gold was awarded to Rajat Nagpal for Tulsi Chanrai Foundation.
Competition was stiff in the innovative field of animation. Gold went to Gitanjali Rao’s Painted Rainbow, a magical exploration of ‘naive art’. Other winners were Vaibhav Kumaresh for the Amaron III commercial in digitally simulated clay-animation and E. Suresh for Slim Vs Slim, an entertaining film using the stick figure.
The IDPA Awards 2006 also conferred technical awards in the Cinematography, Sound Design, Film Editing and Scriptwriting. The Student Film category attracted a large number of entries in the documentary, animation and short fiction sections.
Here is a complete list of the IDPA Awards for Excellence winners with the jury citations and their contact details.
Award Category |
Awardees |
Film |
Citation |
Jury for Technical Award for Cinematography
A K Bir, Sameer Sabnis, Sudheer Palsane |
1st Prize |
Rita Banerji & Shilpi Sharma |
The Right To Survive
(52mins) |
The documentary flows with visuals that strike a fascinating mood and maintain the adventurous spirit of the subject with energetic and engaging imagery. |
Jury for Technical Award for Sound Design
Chirag Cama, Vijay Diwekar |
1st Prize |
Dwarak Warrier |
Riding Solo to the Top of the World
(94 mins) |
A delightful documentary with simple but good sound of consistent quality, with the sound track adding to the film tremendously. |
Jury for Technical Award for Editing
Vidyadhar Pathare, Vijay Tomar |
1st Prize |
Sankalp Meshram |
Riding Solo to the Top of the World
(94 mins) |
The film kept the viewers’interest alive for 94 mins in a feat of sleek editing. |
Jury for Technical Award for Script Writing
Feruzi Anjirbag, Ajit Duara |
1st Prize |
Rita Banerji & Shibani Chaudhary |
The Right to Survive
(52 mins) |
“The script is sympathetic to the economic plight of fishermen on the Orissa coast and at the same time is passionate about saving Olive Ridley turtles from accidental deaths in fishing nets and about preserving their habitat and nesting sites.” |
Jury for Student Animation
Santosh Kale, Ram Mohan, Bijit Kundu |
1st Prize |
Vaibhav Studios |
Symphonick
(45 secs) |
A set of channel IDs that grow and evolve organically into wild, weird, wacky statements to define the channel’s personality. |
Jury for Student Short Fiction
Anuja Ghosalkar, Cheshta Sengupta
|
1st Prize |
Sandeep Modi
FTII Pune |
BILORI
(2 mins 30 secs) |
A sensitive and pertinent exploration of the theme of girl child education in India, well executed with creative use of sound and excellent direction of child actors. |
Certificate of Merit |
Pradeep R Waghmare
DCS University of Pune |
Jhingrya
(12 min 55 Sec) |
|
Certificate of Merit |
Amruta More
DCS University of Pune |
Genuine confusion
(14 Min 30 secs) |
|
Certificate of Merit |
R Premnath
L V Prasad Film & T V Academy |
Montage my love
(20 Mins) |
|
Jury for Student Documentary
Anjoo Daswani, Jeroo Mulla, Omkar Patki
|
1st Prize |
Nayantara Kotian
NID Ahmedabad |
One Show Less
(20 Mins) |
An excellent execution of a strong concept, with a lasting impact on the mind of the viewer. |
1st Prize |
Chaitanya Modak
NID Ahmedabad |
Voices of Kutch
(34 mins) |
Impeccable research interspersed with wry humour and the capacity to hold the viewer’s attention. |
2nd Prize |
Akhila Krishnan
NID Ahmedabad |
Words In Stone
(22 mins) |
Commendable for its socio-political relevance in today’s milieu. |
2nd Prize |
Dipti Gogna
FTII Pune |
A Call Too Far
(32 mins 20 secs) |
An excellent treatment of a subject of contemporary relevance. |
Certificate of Merit |
Pankaj Rishi Kumar
PSBT |
BARE
(11 mins) |
|
Jury for Animation
Santosh Kale, Ram Mohan, Bijit Kundu |
1st Prize |
Gitanjali Rao |
Printed Rainbow
(15 mins) |
A sensitive painterly exploration of a vibrant magical world expressed in the language of naïve art. |
2nd Prize |
E Suresh |
Slim Vs Slim
(90 secs) |
Innovative design and stylish execution capture the excitement of a fast-paced chase with the most elementary of animated characters the stick figure. |
2nd Prize |
Vaibhav Studios |
Amaron III
(60 secs) |
Superbly crafted, the commercial simulates the look of clay animation digitally, constantly morphing images to keep pace with a witty voice track. |
Jury for Corporate Communication
Ravi Deshpande, Vijay Maurya, Shalini Rao |
1st Prize |
Rajat Nagpal |
Tulsi Chanrai Foundation
(16 mins) |
A touching film, which generates empathy through a universally appealing story giving the big picture through candid narratives. |
2nd Prize |
Bharatbala Production Pvt. Ltd |
India Brand Equity Foundation “I Am India”(3 mins 28 secs) |
Stands out for its lively visual mnemonics and music depicting images of progressive India. |
Jury for Public Service Communication
Ravi Deshpande, Vijay Maurya, Shalini Rao |
1st Prize |
Vaibhav Studios |
Buladi Anti Aids
(60 secs) |
Effective creation of a milieu and characters in full detail using of stop motion animation to communicate humorously in a mixed Hindi–Bengali language. |
Jury for Commercials
Ravi Deshpande, Vijay Maurya, Shalini Rao
|
1st Prize |
Shivendra Singh |
SBI Vase
(30 Secs) |
A disarming simple, comprehensive and simply told story with restrained direction and performances. |
2nd Prize |
Shivendra Singh |
HSBC Caterpillar
(45 Secs) |
An accessible film allowing clear comprehension with lucid cinematography, sound design and editing. |
Jury for Short Fiction
Aditya Bhattacharya, Sam Pareth, Mukta Rajadhyaksha |
1st Prize |
Arwa Mamaji |
I Became…..
(5 Mins 28 Secs) |
The film epitomises the possibilities of fiction film-making with its fluid and lyrical rendition of a universal story.
|
Certificate of Merit |
Jasmine Kaur |
Meena
(22 mins) |
|
Jury for Best First Short Fiction Film of A Director
Aditya Bhattacharya, Sam Pareth, Mukta Rajadhyaksha |
1st Prize |
Sanghamitra Karmarkar |
Baba Black Beard
(11 mins) |
An interesting narrative structure centered on the innocent world view of a child. |
2nd Prize |
Vasant Nath |
Shanu Taxi
(15 mins) |
A portrayal of the honest ambitions of a taxi driver, the film progresses smoothly engaging the audience with its strong direction. |
Certificate of Merit |
Jyoti Patil |
Eshti
(20mins) |
|
Jury for Documentary
Lalitha Krishnan, Vishnu Mathur, Archana Menon |
1st Prize |
Gaurav Jani |
Riding Solo to the Top of the World
(94 Mins) |
A true celebration of the documentary, this solo adventure translates into a film that is an experience both personal and universal. |
2nd Prize |
Shyamal Kumar Karmarkar |
I am The Very Beautiful
(59 Mins) |
A bold and intimate look at the life of an unconventional person in a fresh narrative style where the filmmaker does not hesitate to include himself in the frame along with the protagonist. |
2nd Prize |
Praveen Kumar |
Naina Jogin
(The Ascetic Eye)
(59 mins) |
The film successfully adopts a stylised form, exploring the art of Madhubani painting and delving unobtrusively into the lives of the artists and their changing world. |
Certificate of Merit |
Lalit Vachani |
Natak Jari Hai
(84 mins) |
|
Awardees |
Adresses |
Tele |
Email ID’s |
Cinematography |
|
|
|
Rita Banerji & Shilpi Sharma |
C-9/9037 Vasant Kunj
New Delhi 70. |
98102 50260/98688 83097 |
dustyfootindia@yahoo.com |
Sound Design |
|
|
|
Dwarak Warrier |
63-J Gitanjalo Socy. Raheja Township
Malad East
Mumbai 400 097 |
98330 13039 |
info@dirttrackproductions.com |
Editing |
|
|
|
Sankalp Meshram |
63-J Gitanjalo Socy. Raheja Township
Malad East
Mumbai 400 097 |
98330 13039 |
info@dirttrackproductions.com |
Script Writing |
|
|
|
Rita Banerji & Shibani Chaudhary |
C-9/9037 Vasant Kunj
New Delhi 70 |
98102 50260/98688 83097 |
dustyfootindia@yahoo.com |
Student Animation |
|
|
|
Rajesh Eipe
c/o Vaibhav Studios |
C-9/9037 Vasant Kunj
New Delhi 70 |
98102 50260/98688 83097 |
dustyfootindia@yahoo.com |
Student Short Fiction |
|
|
|
Sandeep Modi |
501, Sumil Apts., Plot 11, Sector 5
Charkop, Kandivli West, Mumbai 400 067 |
93211 13211/3290 9662 |
sandeip@gmail.com |
Pradeep R Waghmare |
D.C.S. University Of Pune, Ganesh Khind,
Pune |
9823377250 |
srpradeep2007@rediffmail.com |
Amruta More |
22, Profile Eden,
8th Lane, Prabhat Road,
Erandawara,
Pune – 411004 |
020 - 25423849/ 09823124535 |
more.amruta@rediffmail.com |
R Premnath |
L. L. Prasad Film & TV Academy
28, Arunachalam Road, Saligram Chennai 93 |
98841 62531 |
cryingcandle@hotmail.com |
Student Documentary |
|
|
|
Nayantara Kotian |
114 8th Main Jayalakshmi Puram
Mysore 12 |
098674 61948 |
nayantara.kotian@gmail.com |
Chaitanya Modak |
S. No. 11/2, Swami Krupa Nagri,
Vardhaman Karve Nagar, Pune – 411052 |
9850891581 |
cmodak8@gmail.com |
Akhila Krishnan |
C/o A S Krishnan
C-102 Riviresa, Baner Road Baner Pune 411045 |
020 2729 3607 / 99983 68250 |
krishnan.akhila@gmail.com |
Dipti Gogna |
2-5-27, Boys Hostel, FTII, Law College Road
Pune 411004 |
9823384504 |
dipti.gogna@gmail.com |
Pankaj Rishi Kumar |
B-103 Gokul Tower
Thakur Complex
Kandivli (E)
Mumbai 400 101 |
098311 29079 |
kumartalkies@yahoo.com |
Animation |
|
|
|
Gitanjali Rao |
C-305 Country Park Dattapada Road
Borivali East
Mumbai 400 066 |
98217 34885 |
gitanjalirao@gmail.com |
E Suresh |
Famous Studios Ltd. 20 Dr E Moses Road Mahalaxmi Mumbai 400 011 |
3042 3131 |
suresh@famousanimation.com |
Vaibhav Studios |
B-504, Parkside III, Raheja Estate,
Borivali East
Mumbai 400066 |
9820655168 |
vaibhavkumaresh@hotmail.com |
Corporate Communication |
Rajat Nagpal |
22, Unique Industrial Estate, Bombay Dyeing Compound,
Prabhadevi
Mumbai 400 025 |
66669884 |
rajat@procammediatel.com |
Bharathbala |
G-9, Satnam Nagar
20 Peddar Road
Mumbai 400 026 |
2351 2490 |
contact@bbp.co.in |
Public Service Communication |
Vaibhav Studios |
B-504, Parkside III, Raheja Estate,
Borivali East 400066 |
9820655168 |
vaibhavkumaresh@hotmail.com |
Commercials |
|
|
|
Shivendra Singh |
A-5 Ananta Apartments
Dr Rajabali Patel Road
Breach Candy, Mumbai 400 026 |
2351 9715, 2352 0519 / 2367 9715 |
dungarpurfilms@gmail.com |
Short Fiction |
|
|
|
Arwa Mamaji |
23, Arun Chambers,
Tardeo, Mumbai – 34 |
9820605133 |
dungarpurfilms@gmail.com |
Best First Short Fiction Film of A Director |
|
|
|
Sanghamitra Karmarkar |
Flat – 21, Block – K/231/4 Baishnabghata, Patuli,
Kolkata – 700094 |
033- 24369723/ 9831060063 |
sk.films@rediffmail.com |
Vasant Nath |
C/o Bharathbala Productions
G-9, Satnam Nagar
20 Peddar Road Mumbai 400 026 |
98926 21857 |
vasantnath@yahoo.com |
Documentary |
|
|
|
Gaurav Jani |
63-J Gitanjali Society Raheja Township
Malad East
Mumbai 400 097 |
98330 13039 |
info@dirttrackproductions.com |
Shyamal Kumar Karmarkar |
Flat – 21, Block – K/231/4
Baishnabghata, Patuli,
Kolkata – 700094 |
033- 24369723/ 9831060063 |
sk.films@rediffmail.com |
Praveen Kumar |
A-9 Sai Shakti
Saibaba Complex
Goregaon East
Mumbai |
2841 4217/98699 75222 |
pkfar@mtnl.net.in |
Lalit Vachani |
C-53, Mayfair Gardens,
New Delhi 110016 |
9871821273 |
lvachani@vsnl.com |
