Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image is a public trust that organizes the international Film Festivals in Mumbai. Time has taken its course as and when industry stalwarts headed by late Hrishikesh Mukherjee founded the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) as a not-for-profit trust, in the year 1997 they envisioned an annual International Film Festival as a tribute to good cinema. Chaired by Shyam Benegal, it has grown over the years to include the best of world cinema.
Role of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image
Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image is popularly called MAMI in the film fraternity. Over the years, MAMI has only expanded the Mumbai Film Festival being the only one which is run by the corporate entertainment firm. Fostering meaningful movies transcending the barriers of the typified art and commercial and merging the branded horizons is what they aim for. The celebration of the climate of cinema is what they intend to.
Members of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image
The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is a public trust that organizes the annual international film festival in Mumbai known as the Mumbai Film Festival (MFF). Actress Deepika Padukone is the chairperson of the trust. Deepika has been touted as one of Indian Cinema"s most loved and successful actresses till date and her achievements have made her one of the country"s biggest role models for the youth in recent times. Nita Ambani plays the role of co-chairperson of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image. Nita is committed to promoting India"s art, culture and heritage. Anupama Chopra, a noted film critic, television anchor, and a National Award-winning book author, is the festival director of MAMI. Ajay Bijli and Anand Mahindra play the role of Chairman and Managing Director respectively. Other important and active members of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image are Farhan Akhtar(Filmmaker), Isha Amban i(Director, Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail), Kabir Khan (Filmmaker), Kaustubh Dhavse (Joint Secretary and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Hon. Chief Minister), Kiran Rao (Filmmaker), Manish Mundra (Producer), Rana Daggubati (Actor), Rohan Sippy (Filmmaker), Vikramaditya Motwane (Filmmaker), Siddharth Roy Kapur (Founder and MD, Roy Kapur Films), Vishal Bhardwaj (Filmmaker), Zoya Akhtar (Filmmaker) etc. Other trustee members are Ashutosh Gowarikar, Jaya Bachchan, Amol Palekar, Shabana Azmi, Amit Khanna etc.
Awards from Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image
Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image also gives away awards depending on various categories, qualities and criteria in its Mumbai Film Festival. Some of them are mentioned below-
International competition for the first feature films of directors: This selection aims to attract fresh talent to the festival. The competition is open to debut filmmakers from all over the world.
Dimensions Mumbai: A short film competition of five-minute duration or less in any format by the Youth of Mumbai below the age of 35 years, on any aspect of this bustling metropolis, Mumbai.
Harmony Celebrate age: This competition aspires to encourage filmmakers from all over the world to look at the spice, fun, adventure and concerns of growing older.
World cinema: World Cinema showcases the best cinema of the year which is selected from important global film festivals.
Above the cut: Films in this category screens a package of debut feature films which could not be accommodated in the International Competition.
Retrospectives: Films in this selection present films from the past.
Indian frame: Features the very best of Indian Cinema from all regions of the country.
New faces in Indian cinema: Screens first and second feature films of Indian directors to provide a platform for emerging Indian filmmakers.
The real reel: Showcases award-winning and critically acclaimed feature length documentaries which carry strong opinions on issues concerning social lives, human nature and many other topics.
Film India worldwide: The global face of Indian cinema, which has gone beyond reflecting Diaspora.
Mumbai Film Festival Organized by MAMI
Mumbai Film Festival is an International film festival held in Mumbai each year. Organized by Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI), the festival previews new films of all genres from around the world with a range of Competitions and Showcase categories. The festival aims to provide a platform for documentary and short film makers from all over the world to meet, exchange ideas and explore possibilities of co-production and marketing of documentary, short and animation films. It was started in 1990, and focuses on documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Mumbai have had strengthened its position being cradle of Indian Cinema; the city has nurtured the dream wheeled aspirations of many nourished and their passion. Cinema is the universal language of unspoken expressions, of visual art, of feelings, of themes put into celluloid frames. Hence preserving its heritage is an imperative.