1956
Pather Panchali wins
President's Gold Medal as Best Film of 1955. It also wins
an award at Cannes as Best Human Document. Silver Jubilee
of the Indian Talkie (1931-56) celebrated in Bombay. The Government
refuses to make its 'approved' compulsory propaganda films
available free of charge to exhibitors. The freeze on construction
of new cinemas in Bombay is lifted. The Kerala Film Chamber
is started in Cochin. The Andhra Film Journal is launched
in Vijaywada. Hindi journal Film Sangeet published.
Rossellini starts work on India 57. Despite major Government
support and funds, his visa is allowed to expire after a variety
of controversies including allegations that he infringed local
moral codes.
1957
Satyajit Ray's
Aparajito (1956)
wins the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival.
K.A. Abbas makes the first Indo-Soviet co-production
Pardesi. RK Films' Jagte
Raho wins Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary Festival.
Kabuliwala
receives a special mention for music in Berlin.
Raw stock is declared an essential commodity and
its import is centrally controlled. The Cinematograph
Bill intended to start a National Film Board,
Production Bureau and Film Institute is withdrawn.
Chidananda Das Gupta, Satyajit Ray and others
start the Indian Film Quarterly.
1958
Mother India wins
an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film and loses to Fellini's
Nights of Caberia by a solitary vote. Nargis wins Best
Actress for the film at Karlovy Vary Festival. Do Aankhen
Barah Haath wins the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature
of 1957. It also wins a Silver Bear at Berlin and the Samuel
Goldwyn Award for Best foreign film. Ajantrik is shown
in Cannes, out of competition. Death of D.N. Sampath, founder
of Kohinoor Talkies.
1959
Pather Panchali
runs for over seven months at the Fifth Avenue Playhouse,
New York and sets a record for foreign films released in the
United States. Federation of Film Societies formed with Satyajit
Ray as President. India's first film in cinemascope, Kaagaz ke Phool.
1960
Film Finance Corporation (FFC) formed with
authorized capital of Rs 1 crore. The Government
of India acquires Prabhat Studios to set up The
Film Institute of India. The Institute for Film
Technology is started in Madras. The Hindustan
Photo Film manufacturing Co. starts making B&W
X-ray film. Ranadheera Kanteerava is the
first big Kannada hit establishing its star, Rajkumar.
K.Asif's Mughal-e-Azam
hits the screen after almost 10 years in the making
and is a resounding success. Gandhian Sarvodaya
workers start a series of protests against indecent
film posters and hoardings. The weekly tabloid
Movieland is launched in Madras.
1961
Mrinal
Sen's Baishey Sravan shown at National
Film Theatre in London draws great critical acclaim.
First Rajasthani film, Babasa Ri Laadi.
1962
Second
International Film Festival is held in New Delhi. Ray makes
his first film in colour, Kanchenjunga. Pakistan bans
Indian films in East Pakistan hitting the Bengali Cinema pretty
hard. Indian Film Culture, the journal of the Federation
of Film Societies of India is launched in Calcutta.
1963
Indian
Film Industry celebrates its golden jubilee. The Indian Motion
Picture Export Corporation (IMPEC) is formed. The first Indian
Merchant-Ivory Film, The Householder. Barnouw and Krishnaswamy's
Indian Film is published. The Journal of the CTA
of South India, a Madras based monthly is started. It
is probably the first technical film journal in India and
reports on the work of major technicians in the South.
1964
National
Film Archive of India set up in Pune. The Film Institute at
Adyar, Madras starts. First Indian film shot extensively abroad
- Raj Kapoor's
Sangam. Report on Indian Cinema for UNESCO by
Jerzy Toeplitz, President of FIAF. First Kashmiri Film Naizraat.
Death of Guru
Dutt.
1965
Dev Anand's Company
Navketan produces jointly with Pearl Buck an American
version of Guide
based on R.K. Narayan's novel and directed by
Ted Danielowski. The International Film Festival
of India turns competitive
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