MIIF to honour North-Eastern film maker for the first time

It is the first time in Mumbai International film festival history as MIIF has chosen any person from North-East region of the country for honouring an award. MIIF has chosen renowned Manipuri documentary film maker Aribam Syam Sharma for ‘V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement award’ for his undisputed contribution in documentary movies.

The Chief Guest of the inaugurating day of festival and Chief Minister of the state Vilasrao Deshmukh on Sunday announced the name of Sharma for this lifetime achievement honour. Maharastra CM was inaugurating the function of the 10th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films on February 03.

Twelve times National Award winner as the best film director, Aribam will get a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh, a citation and a shawl, on Saturday, the concluding day of the festival.

“It was a big surprise for me. I never thought of such a grand honour,” said syam while Maharastra CM announced his name. Though Sharma has already won several global prestigious prizes including Nantes, Cannes, London, Toronto, Locarno, and Montreal. He became the first Indian to receive the prestigious Grand Prix award at Nantes International Film Festival for his superb feature film Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My Precious) in 1982.

Besides this, his unique movie Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur had been honoured as the ‘Outstanding film of the year’ by British Film Institute, London in 1989.

Biography

Aribam was born in February 02, 1939 in Imphal, the capital of Manipur and began his cinematic journey as a music director and actor with Manipuri feature film Matamgi Manipur (Modern Manipur) in 1972. Lamia Parshuram was his first movie as a director in 1974 while he made his first documentary movie in 1984 named Sana Leibak.

Aribam has also written his autobiography ‘Living Shadow.’

On responding over future plans, Sharma said, “I am planning to make documentaries on Mr Manipur Pradip Kumar, the HIV-positive bodybuilder, and on Manipuri classical dance forms.”

He also informed the audience that he loved to make Manipuri feature films but money was the major hurdle in his passion as it takes massive investment. He has directed nine Manipuri feature film and 26 non-feature films so far.