Over the weekend, MultiConnexions’ good friends and partners, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) won the prestigious 2016 Melbourne Award for Contribution to Multiculturalism by a Corporation. From MultiConnexions to IFFM, a big congratulations!
IFFM was presented the award (a new category this year) during a ceremony held at the Melbourne Town Hall. MultiConnexions wishes IFFM and Mitu Bhowmick Lange a very hearty congratulations on this well-deserved industry recognition, and we will continue to be proud supporters of IFFM.
Now it its fifth year, IFFM is the largest foreign film festival in the southern hemisphere. The inclusive multicultural celebration is unique to Melbourne and Australia, showcasing the best cinema from India and the sub-continent, and providing a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers, dancers and performers to showcase their work. IFFM invites non-Indian Australians to take part in many interactive and free live events, creating bonds of greater understanding and experience between the communities of Australia and India, while celebrating the rich culture of India and the sub-continent in Melbourne. The festival continues to be a success, with growing audience numbers and significant cultural involvement from Melbourne and visitors from interstate and overseas. The 2015 festival drew over 30,000 attendees and showcased more than 50 films in over 17 languages.
In 2015, IFFM added a flag raising ceremony to celebrate Indian Independence Day and in 2016, it included a female empowerment concert and a number of panels to highlight and celebrate the need to address gender inequality within the film industry and in Australian and Indian society.
MultiConnexions (MCX) is very proud of the Telstra Bollywood Dance Competition (TBDC), another flagship event of IFFM created in partnership with IFFM and Telstra.
This new category and win for IFFM is a sure sign of the rising importance of multiculturalism in Australian corporations. We congratulate IFFM Festival Director, Ms Mitu Bhowmick and her team for their amazing contribution.