BAF 2006: A great experience!
Histroic Moment:Aardman Executive Chairman David Sproxton presents the BAF Special Contribution to Indian animation trophy to Hanuman Director V G Samant.
Wow! What an Awards show!
As much as winning is a great feeling, watching winners go and bag awards is a great experience too. And that’s what the FICCI BAF Awards 2006 show was. A great experience where some of the very best from the Indian animation Industry won!
The Awards have really grown in the three years of their existence both in terms of number of entries and number of categories. As the show was about to commence, FICCI Sr Assistant Director Sumeet Gupta told Animation ‘xpress “In its third year of running, FICCI BAF Awards is hot and far more intense. What began in 2004 with only five categories and eighty five entries has grown in 2006 to sixteen categories encompassing animation, VFX and Gaming. This year we have recieved 312 entries of which 123 are international”
Appreciating FICCI’s thrust in animation and its initiative on the BAF Awards ATBM’s Rajiv Chaudhari who hosted the show as well as helped in organising the BAF Awards thanked FICCI for its initiative,”Thanks to FICCI for creating this wonderful forum for us, please join me in appluasing FICCI’s great initiative”
Awards are always special because every such ceremony brings with it some great unforgettable moments, a few of them described below…
-A Five Hundred plus strong crowd including big wigs from mainstream media and entertainment as well as International dignitaries, giving a standing ovation to Indian animation veterans not once but on two occasions.
-The first standing ovation to the great animation director V G Samant, who with Hanuman has given a guiding light and confirmation to Indian animation that original animated content can bring in profits, awards, recognition and business too. With his characteristic simplicity and in an emotional choked voice, the veteran animation director said,”I want to thank my parents who encouraged me to pursue my artistic interests”
That message holds a lot of depth in a country where art is not considered as a serious career option and where many a great artist curbs his instincts and takes a different path.
The veteran director was presented his Award by none other than Aardman Executive Chairman David Sproxton. Aardman is renowned as the best clay animation studio in the world and boasts of a great library of Oscar Award winning films. It really was a great symbolic moment, the world’s best presenting the Award to India’s leading Animation personality.
– Another standing ovation for the genius Anant ‘Uncle’ Pai. Uncle Pai has enthralled generations of Indians with his compelling story telling through Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha. Dressed in a dashing suit, Uncle Pai recieveing the Award said,”Namaste. Namste means that I bow to you. The media calls me a storyteller and that’s precisely what I love doing. I am very satisfied that many generations have enjoyed my story telling. I thank FICCI for this honor”
Another great set of moments was when the pride of Indian animation, Vaibhav Kumaresh dressed in a pink shirt walked the winning ramp thrice. Yes, Vaibhav won three Awards in the categories of NGO Social Message, Best Promo and Best Professional Short film.
As Vaibhav walked to and fro collecting his Awards, the Indian idiom “Great things get discovered themselves” just rang though one’s head. One of the most talented Indian animation directors, Kumaresh heads Vaibhav Studios which does original animation for leading TV channels like Channel V, Mtv, Disney, Cartoon Network and Hungama. Forget marketing, Vaibhav does not even carry his card. Yet he won three Awards becuase his work speaks for himself. That’s a moment that should inspire Indian animation artists and students to let their heart rule their art!
Saraswati and Prashant making their acceptance speech on stage as Rhythm & Hues won a special Award for Narnia and Saraswati saying “First of all, I’d like to thank my parents. I thank FICCI and I never expected this.”
A positive trend noticed amongst the acceptance speeches this year was the fact that most of the winners including the studio heads made it a point to highlight the fact that Animation was a team sport and did mention the important role the entire team played in creation of the Award winnning entry.
Prime Focus MD Namit Malhotra who won two Awards in the VFX Feature and Best VFX shot categories said that ,”I give all the credit to my team which has worked doubly hard to give their best to this film Namit was accompanied on both occasions by Prime Focus Visual FX producer Merzin Tavaria.
Emphasising on Animation being a team sport, Ashish Kulkarni came accompanied with his two lead members Vikram Vetturi and Bala to collect the Award for best TVC Venita Kuchini.
Simi Nallaseth winning for the best music video ‘In the air’ made special mention of her Art Director Jaswinder Singh who she said had,”Made some amazing backgrounds and with his aesthetics and visual prowess brought the whole video to life”.
Students from MAAC Chandigarh rushing on to stage excitedly as they won for the best students’ short and ToonzWebel’s Rudra going on stage to collect the Award for his academy’s students brought in the students flavor to the Awards ceremony.
There were many winners at the Awards but what was most important was that events like these foster motivation and help cultivate a positive bon homie within the industry and ultimately the victory is for Indian animation.
Following is a complete list with nominees and the winners accompanied with the piece of work that they won for. *winners in Blue
FICCI BAF Awards 2006
LIST OF NOMINEES & Winners
SI.NO
Category Entrant Entry Name / Title Country
1 Animated Feature Film
DQ Entertainment Ltd Choose Your Own Adventure India
Percept Picture Company Hanuman India
Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd Vikram Betal India
2 Short Film – Professional
Anirights Infomedia Pvt Ltd The Bad Egg India
Flickerprix Horn Ok Please UK
Eqlipse PCSL Home Delivery Spain
3 Short Film – Student
Vancouver Film School The Sunshine Canada
India Heritage Foundations The Killing of the Aghasura Demon India
Vancouver Film School A Tale For -Two Canada
Toonz Webel Academy Dried Up India
Gobelins l’ecole de l’image The Building France
Anthony Cheung,Queensland College of Arts,Griffith University Between Heaven & Earth Australia
4 TV Episode
DQ Entertainment Pvt Ltd Skyland India
Alphanim Zombie Hotel France
Cromosoma, SA Tom in the Amazon Spain
5 Promos
The Walt Disney Company (India)Pvt Ltd Birthday Bhoot ( 4 Examples ) India
Vaibhav Studios Simpu Kumar India
Paradox Studios The Lost Astra India
The Walt Disney Company (India)Pvt Ltd Bhoot Dragon Booster India
Turner International India Pvt Ltd Cartoon Network Best Place Campaign India
6 AD films
Anirights Infomedia Pvt Ltd Veneta Cucine India
Television Eighteen India Ltd Solaris India
Television Eighteen India Ltd IDEA ( Gravity ) India
7 PC Games
Electronic Arts Need For Speed Most Wanted Hong kong
Electronic Arts EA Sports Cricket 05 Hong kong
Electronic Arts Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hong kong
8 Console Games RedOctane Guitar Hero India
Electronic Arts Need For Speed Most Wanted Hong Kong
Electronic Arts NBA Live 06 Hong Kong
9 Mobile Games
Dhruva Interactive Slyder india
Electronic Arts EA Sports Tigerwoods PGA Tour 06 Hong kong
Electronic Arts EA Sports FIFA 06 Hong kong
10 Best VFX in a Motion Picture
Visual Computing Labs Bose – The Forgotten Hero India
Prime Focus / MAYA ENT Mangal Pandey – The Rising India
Prime Focus Vah! Life ho toh Aisi India
11 Best VFX in a Commercial
Prime Focus Toyota Innova India
United Entertainment Solutions Pvt Ltd Bajaj Avenger DTS – I India
United Entertainment Solutions Pvt Ltd Nokia Ngage India
12 Best VFX in a Music Video
Simi Nallaseth In the Air India
Spirit Nipuna BB Boys Chak De Saturday India
Soumitra Ranade Chanke Jahan Payal Teri India
13 Best VFX in a Shot of the Year
Prime Focus Ghazani India
Spirit – DI Lakshmi ( Dancing Car ) India
Prime Focus Vah!Life ho toh Aisi India
14 Social Welfare – Professional
Anirights Infomedia Pvt Ltd The Bad Egg India
Vaibhav Studios Drunk Couple India
Vaibhav Studios Horny Lovers India
Leoarts Communication Save the Girl Child India
15 Social Welfare – Students
Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics Takes you higher India
MayaAcademy for Advanced Cinematics Just the Last Puff India
Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics Fusion India
16 SPECIAL JURY AWARD 1
Rhythm & Hues Studios India Pvt Ltd The Chronicles of Narnia:The Lion ,The Witch & The Wardrobe India
17 SPECIAL JURY AWARD 2 Toonz Webel Academy Dried Up India
18 Special Contribution to Indian Animation Industry V G Samant, Director of � Hanuman �
19 Special Contribution to Indian Animation Industry
Creative Story Telling in Visual Form Award
Uncle Pai , Creator of �Amar Chitra katha� & Editor of � Twinkle �
And here’s what some of the winners told Animation ‘xpress on how they felt!
V G Samant: “I thank my parents, because since my childhood they have supported my art and later my fine arts and animation. I dont forget, I cannot forget. Thank you FICCI and thank you all the people who recommended my Name for the Award”
Dhruva’s Rajesh Rao : Wow! 2 years in row… we are really elated by this, especially considering that we had really stiff competition from the global biggies this time. To us this endorses our commitment to offering high quality, fun and ‘paisa wasool’ experiences to our Indian audience. We renew this commitment and we will continue in our endeavour to making and delivering innovative, cutting edge gaming content”
Vaibhav Kumaresh
“Bhaot Acha Laga, Bhaot Acha Laga, Bahot Acha Laga”
Anirights’ Ashish Kulkarni: The Italian client wanted clay animation and I couldn’t get Viabhav or Dhimant under the tight deadlines. My team led by Bala and Vikram told me that they’d give the client that look in 3D and we succeeded.
Prime Focus’ Namit Malhotra & Merzin Tavaria: “Great to be acknowledged for FX which you can’t actually see easily. The FX for The Rising were not flashy in your face kinds. We feel greatly encouraged by winning Awards. The entire team at Prime Focus is very dedicated and such awards motivate them further”
DQE’s Sumedha Sarogi & Biswanath: “We thank the organisers for such a well organised and evidently happening event. We are delighted to get the Award it is a very special show an interactive film, different from all the other animated films”
Red Octane’s Swaminathan: “I think FICCI Frames and the jury panel who believed in us that we have done good work. I hope to come back in 2007 with many nominations”
UTV Toons’ Moy: “I thank the Academy. It was my lifelong dream to win an Oscar. Thank you”
Simi Nallaseth- “Thank you FICCI especially my team which was amazing and made this happen. It was a tremebndous challenge and I want to thank my partners Ashu & Dhruv, my parents and God”
Rajesh Turakhia
“Lot of hardwork was put in by the team and this reward is a great validation of that effort”
R&H India’s Saraswati: “We are having a lot of fun, and look forward to a lot of good work in animation”
ToonzWebel’s Rudra: “In order to bridge the gap of demand and supply of artists, it is essential for the government to come up with an academy. The Govt of West Bengal is very proud to have such an academy in Toonzwebel and we are very happt to have won”
MAAC Students Deepti, Satbir & Gaurav: “We have worked very hard for three months and are now getting the fruits. We thank our faculty which has worked really hard on gearing us up for this”
EA’s Mike Mc Cabe: “I am glad to recieve another Award from FICCI