Filmfare Awards to introduce Short Film category this year; Vidya Balan, Gauri Shinde on jury

Size does not matter. That is exactly why Filmfare has introduced a new set of awards this year for short film content. Short films, which were initially confined to niche audiences, have gained traction over the years and are now being viewed even by the masses who traditionally invested their time only in mainstream cinema. [caption id=“attachment_3159220” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Filmfare Award. Representational Image[/caption] The Economic Times reports that in order to encourage more short films, Filmfare invited entries from the aspiring filmmakers who responded in huge numbers. Out of over 1,000 entries received, 43 have been shortlisted by the jury for the nominations. The same report states that the jury of this set of awards will comprise actor Vidya Balan and filmmakers Meghna Gulzar, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Kabir Khan and Gauri Shinde. Mumbai Mirror reports that the five categories in the Short Film set of awards will be the following — Best Movie Fiction, Best Movie Non-Fiction, Best Actor Male, Best Actor Female and the People’s Choice Award. The same report quotes Balan as saying, “I’ve been a jury member for several film festivals across the globe but this is truly unique given its format.” “I think Filmfare has conceived a much needed property,” adds Shinde. “Short films are a different kind of art, and being a filmmaker in this space requires enormous talent, squeezing your story into a few minutes instead of hours, and keep it engaging. It will be a unique experience to see these filmmakers walk home with the Black Lady, something that we are only used to associating with mainstream films,” Gulzar says, according to Mumbai Mirror. These awards will be announced and presented at the 62nd Annual Filmfare Awards which is scheduled to take place on 14 January, 2017. As the icing on the cake, the award show will be hosted by the megastar Shah Rukh Khan.