Mind Blowing Films is extremely honoured and delighted to announce that the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has been selected as a finalist for the Melbourne Awards by the City of Melbourne. IFFM has been nominated under the category, ‘Contribution to Multiculturalism by a Corporation.’ The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne hosted by Mind Blowing Films is a celebration of cinema and culture from the Indian subcontinent. T

he festival currently in its fifth year, aims to start a discussion through cinema using different themes to convey a message. This year’s theme was ‘Female Empowerment’ and Oscar winning documentaries about acid attack victims, a feature film on police brutality in India and a biopic of a famous feminist poet, were some of the diverse films screened at the festival. Apart from curating theme based films, the festival hosted master classes, panel discussions and Q & As with some of India’s best filmmakers and actors.

Since the last three years, the festival has appreciated and awarded the best that Indian cinema has to offer through the Westpac IFFM Awards. Each year, the awards night uses a different platform to discuss their theme. In 2015 it was an equality fashion show where community members from all walks of life, celebrities and movie stars walked the ramp.

This year it was an empowerment concert where Indian, Pakistani and Australian musicians collaborated and performed for audiences at Melbourne Recital Centre. As proud believers of Melbourne’s mantra of diversity, the festival has for the second year in a row unfurled the Indian National Flag at Melbourne’s busiest cultural precinct, Federation Square.

IFFM has always believed in providing a platform whether that is through the Western Union short film competition which has had a record breaking number of entries or through the Telstra Bollywood Dance competition, a crowd pleaser, that has groups from all over Australia who participate in the event. The Melbourne Awards are the city’s highest accolade and have always held a special focus to promote community engagement, sustainability and the strengthening of multiculturalism in the world’s most liveable city. IFFM is proud of it efforts and contributions to all these movements.

The other finalists in this category are; Crown Melbourne’s Indigenous Employment Program which is a promising start to close the gap on indigenous employment and Melbourne Museum – Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre that works to educate and celebrate the culture of Koorie people. IFFM would like to thank all our sponsors and most importantly every single one of our supporters who never fail to promote and follow the festival.

This nomination, for the second time, is testimony to the tireless work we do to promote diversity in Australia’s cultural capital. Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Director Mind Blowing Films said “A big big thank you to the City of Melbourne for recognising our humble efforts. To be nominated alongside some of Melbourne’s top institutions like Crown and Melbourne Museum is itself an honour. We are delighted that IFFM’s motto of promoting diversity has added a little drop to Melbourne’s multicultural ocean. “