The country’s oldest and prominent National Film Awards were first handed out in the year 1954. The prestigious awards were first presented in the year 1954. Since 1973 the award ceremonies are administrated by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals. The National awards are presented by the Government to encourage and honor movies directed across the borders of India featuring Indian art and culture. The government appoints a national panel every year to select the winning entry and all the ceremonies are generally held in New Delhi. The awards are handed out by the President of India to the winners for the year. The ‘Best Arts/Cultural Film’ awards were introduced in 1987 and were first presented to Prakash Jha for the film ‘Kudiattam’. The movie is a 1986 documentary film which features the greatest Kutiyattam maestro of modern times Guru Natyacharya Mani Madhava Chakyar.
National Award Winners For Best Arts/Cultural Film Are:
|
Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
Language
|
|
2005
|
Naina Jogin - The Ascetic eye
|
Praveen Kumar
|
Hindi and Maithili
|
|
2004
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2003
|
The Eye of the Fish – The Kalaries of Kerala
|
Priya Krishna Swamy
|
English
|
|
2002
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2001
|
Tribal Women Artist
|
Brij Bhushan
|
English
|
|
2000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1999
|
A Painter of eloquent Silence: Ganesh Pyne
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
English
|
|
1993
|
Suchitra Mitra
|
Raja Sen
|
-
|
|
1987
|
Kudiattam
|
Prakash Jha
|
Hindi
|