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

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973. Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in

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, where the

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presents the awards. This is followed by the inauguration of the National Film Festival, where 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.

History

The Awards were first presented in 1954. The

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

conceived the ceremony to honor films made across India, on a national scale, to encourage the furthering of Indian art and culture. Since 1973, the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals administers the ceremony along with other major film events in India annually.

Juries and rules

The National Film Awards are presented in two main categories:

Feature Films A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

and Non-Feature Films. The juries are appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals in

. Neither the Government nor the Directorate has 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 are deemed eligible each year. A list of rules is presented every year in a document of regulations known as the National Film Award Regulations. The criteria for eligibility contain many clauses. Among them, there is a direct requirement for the makers of a film, and particularly the director, to be Indian nationals.55th National Film Awards Regulations. ''Eligibility''. Pages 2–3. Films entering the competition should be produced in India, and in the case of co-production involving a foreign entity, there are as many as six conditions that should be fulfilled in order for the film to qualify. According to the criteria, in order to be eligible for consideration by the jury, a film should be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January and 31 December. 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 be eligible for entry in the competition.

Awards

The Awards are categorized into three sections; Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Best Writing on Cinema. With each section having its individual aims, Feature Film and Non-Feature Film sections aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance, contributing to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different regions of the country in cinematic form, thereby promoting unity and integrity of the nation. The Best Writing on Cinema section aims to encourage the study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of the art form through the publication of various books, articles, reviews, newspaper coverage, and studies. In addition, a lifetime achievement award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke, is awarded to a film personality for the outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. All the award winners are awarded a

Medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

lion, a cash prize, and a certificate of merit. Six categories from the Feature Films section, two from the Non-Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema sections each have been made eligible for ''Swarna Kamal'' (Golden Lotus Award), and the rest of the categories for ''Rajat Kamal'' (Silver Lotus Award).

Lifetime Achievement Award

* Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Feature Film Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Official name - ''Swarna Kamal'' *

Best Feature Film Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

* Best Director * Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment * Best Children's Film * Best Debut Film of a Director * Best Animated Film

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: ''Rajat Kamal'' *

Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...

* Best Actress * Best Supporting Actor * Best Supporting Actress * Best Child Artist * Best Music Direction * Best Male Playback Singer * Best Female Playback Singer *

Best Lyrics Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

* Best Art Direction * Best Audiography *

Best Choreography The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...

* Best Cinematography * Best Costume Design * Best Editing * Best Make-up *

Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

* Best Special Effects * Best Stunt Choreography * Special Jury Award *

Special Mention Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

* Best Film on Environment Conservation / Preservation * Best Film on Family Welfare * Best Film on National Integration * Best Film on Other Social Issues
Best Feature Film in 17 of the 22 languages specified in the Eighth Schedule of the

Constitution of India The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ...

Discontinued Awards

* Second Best Feature Film * Third Best Feature Film *

Best Story Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

Non-Feature Film Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: ''Swarna Kamal'' * Best Non-Feature Film * Best Director

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: ''Rajat Kamal'' * Best First Film of a Director * Best Audiography * Best Cinematography * Special Jury Award / Special Mention * Best Editing * Best Music Direction * Best Narration / Voice Over
* Best Agriculture Film * Best Animation Film * Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film * Best Arts / Cultural Film * Best Biographical Film * Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film * Best Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film * Best Exploration / Adventure Film * Best Film on Family Welfare * Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation Film * Best Investigative Film * Best Promotional Film * Best Scientific Film * Best Short Fiction Film * Best Film on Social Issues

Discontinued Awards

* Best Experimental Film * Best Filmstrip * Best Industrial Film * Best News Review * Best Newsreel Cameraman

Writing on Cinema

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: ''Swarna Kamal'' * Best Book on Cinema * Best Film Critic

Records

References

External links

Directorate of Film Festivals

National Film Awards
at

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{{National Cinema Awards Indian film awards Awards established in 1954 1954 establishments in India

History

Juries and rules

Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

Feature Film Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Silver Lotus Award

Discontinued Awards

Non-Feature Film Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Silver Lotus Award

Discontinued Awards

Writing on Cinema

Golden Lotus Award

Records

References

Further reading

External links