President's Gold Medal for the Best Documentary Film (1953–1966) Best Information Film (1967–1983)
Reward(s)
Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus)
₹3,00,000
First awarded
1953
Last awarded
2022
Most recent winner
Ayena
Highlights
Total awarded
87
First winner
Mahabalipuram
The National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for non-feature films and awarded with Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus).
The award was instituted in 1953, at 1st National Film Awards and awarded annually for short films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages.
Winners
Award includes 'Swarna Kamal' (Golden Lotus) and cash prize. Following are the award winners over the years:
Awards legends
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President's Silver Medal for Best Non-Feature Film
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Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Non-Feature Film
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Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Non-Feature Film
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Certificate of Merit for the Best Non-Feature Film
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Indicates a joint award for that year
List of films, showing the year (award ceremony), language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation
For an objective account of the national struggle for Independence as reflected in the personal life of India first President. The film is an excellent example of historical documentation, while it portrays with much sensitivity Rajendra Prasad as a human being.
For an outstanding film in which all the elements are so perfectly blended to create an evocative and informative picture of the continuity of life at this beautiful monastery.
For a hard-hitting comment on a social problem capturing the anguish and horror of communal violence, made without compromise but with humanism and sincerity.
For an outstanding investigate report into a subject of national concern and for its moving, graphic and sensitive treatment of a controversial subject.
For its sincere, conscientious study of a very important socio-technological issue of recent times, which explores its subject with a multi-faceted and humanistic approach.
For communicating, through the lives of Kanakadas and Purandaradas, the many facets of Bhakti, transcending all barriers of caste and creed, encompassing the love of man for man and man for God, using an [sic] unique fusion of different elements of cinema of the documentary genre.
For combining the intimate portrayal of a sculptor in terms of biographical detail, bringing in the nuances of his art, summing up to an excellent portrait of a person, an artist, a period, and achieing this with high cinematic values.
For effectively portraying the life of tribe which lives on the banks of river Bramhaputra and its struggle to survive. The film is marked by its lyrical quality, serenity, sculpted sound and imaginative music.
Dui Paatan Ke Beech Mein (Between the Devil and the Deep River)
Hindi
Arvind Sinha
Arvind Sinha
For its in-depth portrayal of an environmental disaster in North Bihar, of lives uprooted and rendered 'amphibian' due to the blind imposition of the development model of embankment of rivers.
For its sensitive treatment of Hindustani art music, tracing its evolution and cultural confluence to the present times, rendered with an exceptional collage of visuals and sounds.
For the innovative telling of the story of the life of the great Marathi poet juxtaposed with the evocative visualization of his poems. The film makes brilliant use of image and metaphor as it evolves a complex and powerful narrative.
For setting out to search for the roots of violence manifest in many forms in the current times- from communal forces to nuclear race, Shot in India, Pakistan, Japan and USA, the film achieves a multi-layered understanding of these deep rooted tensions- at the same time recording the aspirations for peace, harmony and secularism, in the backdrop of Gandhian thought.
For a probing, thoughtful, intense, yet a non-judgmental record of the myriad faces of humanity floating around the Howrah Station that lies by the side of the river Ganga. The director with just his keen eye and an unpredictable symmetry of images, gains an inner eye into the mystery called people. It is as though an entire civilization is reconstructed through images of floating faces, people and sounds.
Made in the best tradition of Cinema verity, personal, vivid and natural. The film leads the viewer from revelation to revelation giving us an opportunity to come to love and know the "Changpas" and their unique lifestyle.
For its sensitive albeit searching exploration of those in prisons in alien countries; a complex polyphony of variegated voices, the film is an endeavour to find hope in the midst of a struggle against despair.
For a courageous depiction of the non-violent resistance of the people of Manipur to protest against a legislation, which undermines the values of self respect and the fundamentals of democracy. The documentation process by various crews and the way it is chronicled offers multiple perspectives.
Through abstract visualization and endearing black and white tones, the film depicts the human existence, afflicted by cancer, in a very sublime and somber tone. Along with the perception and growth, from child to youth and by the curious collection of thrown passport photographs, the film maker presents the changing perspective of the vision of the modern growing world in a very engaging manner.
For creating a moving and compelling narrative of life and loss of a celebrated Olympian from a dedicated sports family. With simple yet emotive cinematic idiom, the film transcends the game of hockey and captures the aspirations of youth in small town India.
For portraying the life of a nomadic shepherd family of Kashmir with an energy that goes far beyond empathy, creating a moving and compelling narrative that is vividly committed to its subject, illuminating extreme difficulties that are furtherdeepened by a politically vitiated social context.
For an innovative and artistic exploration of the themes and concerns of the celebrated pioneer of Indian cinema, during a relatively unknown phase of his life, which leaves the viewer moved and shaken.
For its sensitive and lyrical portrayal of ten-year-old Hassirbullah, who, though visually challenged, creates a symphony of sounds. The film captures his universe, his life and his talent, softly and gently.
For its powerful portrayal of the mindset and effects of female infanticide, one of the country’s most heinous mass crimes, and for portraying the courage of those who stand to fight against it where it is most prevalent.
^"62nd National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
^"63rd National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
^"64th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.