**Executive Summary**
The 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) concluded on June 21, 2026, with an awards ceremony held at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Mumbai. The festival honored global and Indian excellence in documentary, short fiction, and animation cinema, awarding its highest honor, the Golden Conch, to the Polish documentary *Silver*. Following the conclusion of this edition, the festival announced its return for the next edition in 2028.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Major International Awards**
* **Golden Conch for Best Documentary:** Awarded to the Polish film *Silver*, directed by Natalia Koniarz, for its exploration of poverty, labor, and dignity.
* **Best International Short Fiction:** The Silver Conch was awarded to the Iranian film *Under The Snow* for its portrayal of personal and societal constraints.
* **Best International Animation:** Germany’s *Maya’s Song* received the Silver Conch for its resonant storytelling regarding identity and self-discovery.
**National Competition Winners**
* **Best Indian Short Fiction:** Awarded to *Small Clouds*, produced by FTII and directed by Shubham Sumit.
* **Best Indian Documentary:** Awarded to *Waai*, directed by Sainath S. Uskaikar, for its portrait of fading nomadic musical traditions.
* **Best Indian Animation:** Awarded to *Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street* for its social commentary and use of animation as a cinematic language.
**Special Recognitions and Technical Awards**
* **FIPRESCI International Critics Prize:** Won by Pradeep Kenchanuru for *The Hug of Emptiness*.
* **Best Debut Director:** Pooja Tolani received the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for the film *Razaa*.
* **Technical Categories:** Awards were presented for Best Sound Design, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography in both National and International competitions.
* **Innovation Award:** Taiwanese filmmaker Chuan-Ying Liao received the Pramod Pati Special Jury Award for *The Hoarders*.
**Impact Analysis**
**Filmmakers and Producers**
**Impact**
Award winners receive international and national recognition, enhancing their professional standing and providing a platform for their work to be screened to global audiences.
**Action Required**
Winning filmmakers are encouraged to coordinate with the MIFF media desk for interviews and promotional interactions.
**Journalists, Bloggers, and Vloggers**
**Impact**
Media professionals have the opportunity to connect with award-winning creators for exclusive content and storytelling.
**Action Required**
Interested parties must contact miff.mediadesk@pib.gov.in with the subject line "Take One with PIB" to schedule interviews.
**Film Enthusiasts and General Public**
**Impact**
The public gained exposure to high-quality non-feature cinema and was informed that the festival will now move to a biennial or longer cycle, returning in 2028.
**Action Required**
Audiences are encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #MIFF2026 and tagging @pibmumbai.
Key Entities Referenced
Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026: The 19th edition of the biennial international film festival dedicated to documentary, short fiction, and animation cinema.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: The primary government body responsible for the oversight, administration, and policy direction of the film festival.
National Film Development Corporation (NFDC): The nodal agency under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that serves as the primary organizer and manager of the festival.
Golden Conch: The highest honour awarded at the festival for the Best Documentary Film, representing the festival's top recognition for cinematic excellence.
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII): A premier film education institute whose leadership and produced films received significant recognition and awards during the festival.
Polish film Silver bags the
Golden Conch as MIFF 2026
honours global and Indian
storytelling excellence
Under The Snow from Iran bags Best
International Short Fiction Award, Small
Clouds chosen as Best Indian Short Fiction
Mumbai, 21 June 2026
The curtains came down on the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) with a glittering
closing ceremony at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Dadar, where some of the finest voices in documentary,
short fiction and animation cinema were honoured with the festival’s coveted Golden Conch and Silver
Conch awards.
The festival’s highest honour, the Golden Conch for Best Documentary Film of the Festival, was
awarded to the Polish documentary Silver, directed by Natalia Koniarz and produced by Maciej Kubicki.
The jury described the film as “a poetic yet uncompromising exploration of poverty, labour and dignity,
transforming a local reality into a profound reflection on global injustice.” The award was received on
behalf of the filmmakers by Malgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, Minister Plenipotentiary and Director of the
Polish Institute.The Minister Plenipotentiary and Director, Polish Institute, Ms. Malgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak received the
Golden Conch for Best International Documentary Film Award on behalf of film director Natalia Koniarz
and producer of the film Maciej Kubicki
National Competition: Indian stories find their moment
The National Competition showcased the strength and diversity of contemporary Indian non-feature
cinema, with three films taking home the prestigious Silver Conch honours.
The Silver Conch for Best Indian Animation Film went to Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street,
directed and produced by Bhuvanesh M. Kumar alias Bunz. The jury praised the film for its daring
depiction of a distant future, its sharp social commentary on tradition and change, and its use of
animation as a powerful cinematic language rather than merely a visual form.
The Silver Conch for Best Indian Short Fiction Film Award for the FTII-produced film 'Small Clouds'
was received by Vice Chancellor of FTII Shri Dhiraj Singh and film director Shri Shubham Sumit.
The Silver Conch for Best Indian Short Fiction Film was awarded to Small Clouds, directed by
Shubham Sumit and produced by Dhiraj Singh. The jury citation celebrated the film’s evocative
coming-of-age narrative set against misty seascapes and rain-soaked backyards, applauding itssensitivity in portraying childhood, separation and the passage of time.
The Silver Conch for Best Indian Documentary Film went to Waai, directed by Sainath S. Uskaikar and
produced by Bharatbala Ganapathy. The jury recognised the film for its visually striking portrait of a
fading nomadic musical tradition and its compassionate exploration of memory, inheritance and
cultural continuity. Uskaikar accepted the award along with Jawahar Sharma on behalf of producer
Bharatbala Ganapathy.
International Competition: Global cinema takes centre stage
The International Competition honoured films that pushed artistic and thematic boundaries across
continents.
The Silver Conch for Best Animation Film was awarded to Germany’s Maya’s Song, directed and
produced by Franziska Schönenberger and Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The jury hailed the film for its
imaginative and emotionally resonant storytelling, portraying a profound journey of identity, belonging
and self-discovery with universal appeal. The award was received by lead animator and studio
representative Sanika Kulkarni on behalf of the filmmakers.
The Silver Conch for Best International Short Fiction Film went to the Iranian film 'Under The Snow.'
Shri Deepankar Prakash, one of the Producer of the film, received the award on behalf of Director of
the film Nafiseh Zare and the other producer Kottukathira Prakash.The Silver Conch for Best Short Fiction Film in the International Competition went to Iran’s Under The
Snow, directed by Nafiseh Zare. The jury praised the film’s courageous and nuanced portrayal of a
young woman negotiating personal truth and societal constraints through a subtle yet deeply affecting
cinematic language. Producer Deepankar Prakash accepted the award on behalf of the director and
producers Kottukathira Prakash and Pouya Saeedi.
The evening culminated with the presentation of the Golden Conch to Silver, a film that emerged as
the standout work of MIFF 2026, earning the festival’s highest recognition for its powerful humanistic
vision and global relevance.
Other honours at MIFF 2026
Apart from the Conch awards, filmmaker Pradeep Kenchanuru won the FIPRESCI International Critics
Prize for The Hug of Emptiness, while Milan Kumar received the IDPA Award for Best Student Film for
The Old Bull Knows, or Once Knew.
Pooja Tolani was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut Director for
Razaa. The Last Shelter won the Special Award for Best Short Film on Viksit Bharat / 150 Years of
Vande Mataram / Bharat@2026, and Taiwanese filmmaker Chuan-Ying Liao received the Pramod Pati
Special Jury Award for Most Innovative/Experimental Film for The Hoarders.
In the National Competition’s technical categories, Bigyna Dahal won Best Sound Design for Kovarty,
Akhil Krishnan won Best Editing for MAYDAY, and Ranadhir Biswas was awarded Best Cinematography
for Small Clouds.
Among the International Competition technical awards, Abhay Rumde won Best Sound Design for
Deva Aaj Pan Vhay, Evgeny Smirnov and Maksim Smirnov won Best Editing for Russia’s About the
Cow, and Krish Makhija was honoured for Best Cinematography for Turtle Walker.
The event was attended by Maharashtra Governor Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, Principal Director General of
PIB Shri Dhirendra Ojha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prabhat,
acclaimed filmmaker Shri Ashutosh Gowarikar, NFDC Managing Director and Festival Director Shri
Prakash Magdum, and guests from the film fraternity and film enthusiasts, celebrating a week of
powerful storytelling from India and around the world.
The festival concluded with a screening of the Golden Conch-winning documentary Silver, offering
audiences one final cinematic experience before MIFF signed off until its next edition in 2028.
* * *
PIB Team MIFF | Mahesh Kumar/Riyas Babu/Darshana Rane
Great films resonate through passionate voices. Share your love
for cinema with #MIFF2026. Tag us @pibmumbai on X, and we'll
help spread your passion! For journalists, bloggers, and vloggers
wanting to connect with filmmakers for interviews/interactions,
reach out to us at miff.mediadesk@pib.gov.in with the subject
line: Take One with PIB.
रलीज़ आईडी: 2276323 | Visitor Counter: 280इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Marathi , Gujarati
/PIBMumbai /pibmumbai /PIBMumbai /pib_mumbai
/miff.mediadesk@pib.gov.in
More MIFF Stories View on PIB Website