National Film Award for Best Short Film (Up to 30 Min)

National Film Award for Best Short Film (upto 30 mins)
National award for contributions to non-feature films
Sponsored byNational Film Development Corporation of India
Formerly calledNational Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film (1987–2021)
Reward(s)
  • Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus)
  • ₹2,00,000
First awarded1987
Last awarded2022
Most recent winnerXunyota
Highlights
Total awarded32
First winnerThe Eight Column Affair

The National Film Award for Best Short Film (upto 30 mins) 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 Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus).

The award was instituted in 1987, at 35th National Film Awards and awarded annually for the short films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages. Since the 70th National Film Awards, the name was changed to "Best Short Film (upto 30 mins)".[1]

Awards

Award includes 'Rajat Kamal' (Silver Lotus Award) and cash prize. Cash prize amount varied over the period. Following table illustrates the cash prize amount over the years:

Year (Period) Cash Prize
1987–2005 Producer and Director: Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000 (US$120) Each
2006–2021 Producer and Director: Rajat Kamal and ₹50,000 (US$590) Each
2022–present Producer and Director: Rajat Kamal and ₹2 lakh (US$2,300) Each

Winners

Following are the award winners over the years:

Indicates a joint award for that year
List of films, showing the year, language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation
Year Film(s) Language(s) Producer(s) Director(s) Citation Refs.
1987
(35th) 		The Eight Column Affair English FTII Sriram Raghavan
For its innovative use of cinematic techniques to put together a surrealistic collage of visual that add up to a delightfully brisk narrative, full of whimsical humour.
 [2]
1988
(36th) 		The Story of Tiblu Idu Mishmi Santosh Sivan for Films Division Santosh Sivan
For telling the story of a spirited young tribal girl who comes into her own in the alien environment of an urban school, while retaining the innocence and sensitivity bred of living close to nature; and for capturing the freshness and spontaneity of its tribal actors in real life locations with enduring simplicity.
 [3]
1989
(37th) 		Behula Bengali Raja Mitra Raja Mitra
For a story well told.
 [4]
1990
(38th) 		Aamukh Hindi FTII Rajkumar
For being a forceful statement of the personal rights of a woman through the emotional impact of one incident in which she rises against a social taboo.
 [5]
1991
(39th) 		Punaravritti Hindi FTII Imo Singh
For delicating handling the loneliness and plight of an old woman who is forced to relive emotions because of her overprotective nature.
 [6]
Totanama Hindi Vikas Satwalekar Chandita Mukherjee
For its traditional style, narrative structure and good production values.
1992
(40th) 		Agar Aap Chahein Hindi Shahnaz Rahim for Films Division Mazahir Rahim
For a moving story of a village community which has been saved from migration to a city by timely help from a bank for agricultural development.
 [7]
1993
(41st) 		Sunday Hindi National Center of Films for Children and Young People Pankaj Advani
For taking a total holiday from logic and inhibitions and creating a most entertaining and humorous fantasy which, with all its improbabilities, will succeed in casting a spell on its audiences.
 [8]
1994
(42nd) 		Still Life  • Hindi
 • English 		FTII Subhadro Chowdhary
For its stylistic sophistication in dealing with the chaos of painful experience.
 [9]
1995
(43rd) 		The Rebel Hindi John Shankarmangalam Rajashree
For showing an adolescent's journey to maturity and his coming to terms with his mother.
 [10]
1996
(44th) 		Vidiyalai Nokki Tamil  • F and T
 • V. T. I. N. Chennai 		P. Venkatesh
For making an eloquent statement on the gift of sight.
 [11]
Athmeeyam Malayalam FTII Nandakumar Kavil
For presenting a traditional artist's inner rebellion against the denial of his creative identity.
1997
(45th) 		Hypnothesis Hindi FTII Rajat Kapoor
For a serious look, light heartedly presented, of the travesties of mass cinema.
 [12]
1998
(46th) 		Jee Karta Tha Hindi Mohan Agashe for Films Division Hansa Thapliyal
For its brilliant originality in delineating a small town milieu and in evolving a new cinematic idiom.
 [13]
1999
(47th) 		Blind Folded Tamil A. Sriram S. Sri Ram
For its creative controlled treatment of an emotional and socially relevant theme.
 [14]
2000
(48th) 		Bhor Bengali Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Ritubarna Chudgar
For its multi-layered treatment of a story that sketches the lives of two young people (sibling) caught in the web of their past and yet coping for survival.
 [15]
2001
(49th) 		Chaitra Marathi FTII Kranti Kanade
For beautifully exploring human relations centred around an age-old ritual of Haldi and Kumkum.
 [16]
2002
(50th) 		Sunder Jibon Bengali Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Sandeep Chattopadhyay
For its sensitive and nuanced story about a writer and the sour taste of beauty. The film is notable for its technical excellence and the excellent synergy created by the young director Sandip Chattopadhyay and his colleagues from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Calcutta. This award applauds them all.
 [17]
2003
(51st) 		Sati Radhika Assamese Anjali Das Anjali Das
For a popular tale relating to the great 14th century reformer Shankara Deva who stood against caste inequality. The tale narrates an allegory wherein Sati Radhika a fisherwoman perform a miraculous feat, which others could not, thus bringing out the noble concept of social equality.
 [18]
2004
(52nd) 		Cradle Song  • English
 • Hindi 		Tripurari Sharan for FTII Nimisha Pandey
For exploring the mental agony of a couple, that has given birth to a crippled child in a very ethereal and stimulating cinematic style.
 [19]
2005
(53rd) 		Thackkayin Meedha Naangu Kangal Tamil  • Doordarshan
 • Ray Cinema 		Vasanth
For its moving and realistic depiction of pride, deprivation and emotion in a small coastal village of Tamil Nadu.
 [20]
2006
(54th) 		Ek Aadesh: Command For Choti Hindi Children's Film Society Ramesh Asher
For sensitively bringing out the moral dilemma created by existence at a subsistence level in a hostile environment.
 [21]
2007
(55th) 		Udedh Bun Bhojpuri FTII Siddharth Sinha
For creatively portraying a young boy's dilemma as he comes face to face with the temptations of life. The film evocatively explores the erotic under‐currents in this coming of age tale.
 [22]
2008
(56th) 		Stations  • Hindi
 • Marathi
 • English 		FTII Emmanuel Palo
For weaving a complex contemporary form of expression, through fragmented stories of a few sparsely connected lives in transit, over an omnipresent dark urban reality of economic disparity, alienation, and bad faith.
 [23]
2009
(57th) 		Boond Hindi Kumar Mangat Abhishek Pathak
For "Wars will be fought for water", a story of the future set in a village starved of water, food and love.
 [24]
2010
(58th) 		Kal 15 August Dukan Band Rahegi Hindi FTII Prateek Vats
With energy and vigour, the documentary records very interesting images of a group of young students, who are trying to relate, with ideology of freedom and the stifling authoritarian reality. In the process, the life is entangled with intrigues and doubts.
 [25]
2011
(59th) 		Panchakki Hindi Sanjeev Rattan Sanjeev Rattan
For creating a misty and magical world through simple and available cinematic tools. The film is an engrossing lyrical fantasy.
 [26]
2012
(60th) 		Kaatal Marathi FTII Vikrant Pawar
Rigorously crafted, the film explores an evolving relationship between two young people with rare maturity and restraint. Even while dealing with the very nebulous and the almost ephemeral, the film is meticulous in its expressions.
 [27]
2013
(61st) 		Mandrake ! Mandrake ! Hindi FTII Ruchir Arun
For the deftly crafted story of a young man who transforms a rundown warehouse into an Aladdin's Cave through the fun and frolic of the moving image where magic, mystery and adventure become possible.
 [28]
2014
(62nd) 		Mitraa Marathi Athaansh Communications Ravindra Jadhav
For its empathetic portrayal of its pivotal character’s sexual orientation, and the question of freedom around it. Shot in monochrome, the film adds to the antiquity for the era it is set in.
 [29]
2015
(63rd) 		Aushadh Marathi Amol Deshmukh Amol Deshmukh
An untiring effort to stay humane.
 [30]
2016
(64th) 		Aaba English Raj Kumar Gupta Amar Kaushik
Cinematic excellence comes to life in this intimate story where the filmmaker shows that silence can also be used as a powerful language of expression.
 [31]
2017
(65th) 		Mayat Marathi Suyash Shinde Suyash Shinde
A layered film that presents morality and ethics as choices available to us even in our most desperate and needy moments.
2018
(66th) 		Kharvas Marathi Aditya Suhas Jambhale Aditya Suhas Jambhale
2019
(67th) 		Custody Hindi Ambiecka Pandit Ambiecka Pandit
'Custody' is a story that is set over a few hours, but has infinite ramifications. At a new year's eve celebration at home, a group of old friends spiral into a nerve wracking whodunit when the baby of the host chokes in a fire. Struggling to save their bond of years while the baby's life hangs in the balance, the film questions the subjective barometer of morality.

References

  1. ^ Under Secretary to the Government of India (14 December 2023). "Report on Rationalization of Awards Conferred by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Government of India". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  2. ^ "35th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ^ "36th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  4. ^ "37th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  5. ^ "38th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  6. ^ "39th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  7. ^ "40th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  8. ^ "41st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  9. ^ "42nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  10. ^ "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  11. ^ "44th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  12. ^ "45th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  13. ^ "46th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  14. ^ "47th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  15. ^ "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  16. ^ "49th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  17. ^ "50th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  18. ^ "51st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  19. ^ "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  20. ^ "53rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  21. ^ "54th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  22. ^ "55th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  23. ^ "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  24. ^ "57th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  25. ^ "58th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  26. ^ "59th National Film Awards for the Year 2011 Announced". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  27. ^ "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  28. ^ "61st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  29. ^ "62nd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  30. ^ "63rd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  31. ^ "64th National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.