In response to the thriving video streaming industry in India, the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa from later this month, has added a new category for recognising creative work and creators — the OTT Awards.

The government has received 32 entries in 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms for Best Web Series Award, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur told reporters in New Delhi yesterday while briefing them about the newly-introduced awards, which is part of the IFFI.

This initiative recognizes the significant growth of the OTT sector that has shown an annual growth rate of 28 percent, the Minister said. The winner will be awarded an amount of Rs. 10 lakh (10,00,000).

Speaking about the OTT awards, Thakur said that since COVID19 pandemic, the streaming industry has seen a boom in India and original content created here is employing thousands of people. The introduction of the award was in response to the dynamic landscape of this sector, he added.

Meanwhile, the 10-day 54^th IFFI, to be held in Goa from November 20, will feature a line-up of over 270 films.

Highlighting the global reach of Indian cinema, Thakur stated, “The movies made in India have covered every corner of the country and are now reaching the distant corners of the world.” He emphasized the rapid growth of India’s media and entertainment industry, ranking as the fifth largest market globally, with an average annual growth rate of 20 percent over the last three years.

The festival’s opening film will be the UK thriller, ‘Catching Dust‘, while the concluding film  will be the 2023 American biographical sports drama, ‘The Featherweight’.

Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas will be conferred the prestigious Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award. Douglas, along with his actress-wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, will personally accept the award.

The International section alone will showcase 198 films, including 13 World premieres, 18 International premieres, 62 Asia premieres and 89 Indian premieres. IFFI received a record number of 2,926 entries from 105 countries, marking a threefold increase in international submissions compared to the previous year.

The festival also features the ‘Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ initiative to nurture talent in the film sector, with over 600 entries received this year. The festival’s commitment to inclusivity is reflected in providing facilities and access for differently-abled attendees, including audio descriptions for the visually impaired, sign language for the hearing impaired and content dubbing in multiple languages.

The International Jury is led by acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.