Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 29: The poster for the CINEKIND Awards was unveiled during the 19th Global Film Festival Noida 2026 at Marwah Studios, Film City, before a large gathering of filmmakers, media professionals, and film and media students. Launched last year by the Film Federation of India (FFI) with the support of People for Animals, the awards recognise work in cinema that reflects compassion towards animals.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sandeep Marwah, President of Marwah Studios and Vice President of FFI, said the awards bring an important conversation into the heart of the film industry. “Cinema has the power to shape how society sees and treats animals. Through CINEKIND, we hope to encourage filmmakers to use that power with sensitivity and compassion,” he said.
The initiative is supported by People for Animals, founded by former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. Its poster unveiling at the festival brought the message to established filmmakers and emerging media professionals alike. Former Union Minister and People for Animals founder Maneka Gandhi said, “The way animals are portrayed and treated during filmmaking matters. The CINEKIND Awards encourage filmmakers to bring greater compassion and responsibility to their work, and to tell stories that inspire audiences to care for all living beings.”
Those present included Dr Marwah, who is also President of ICMEI and Chancellor of AAFT University of Media & Arts; Shri Tirath Singh Rawat, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and National Vice President of the BJP; Padma Shri Naresh Bedi, filmmaker and photographer; H.E. Mr Alonso Correa Miguel, Ambassador of Panama; and H.E. Mr Fernando Buchelli, Ambassador of Ecuador.
The gathering also included screenwriter, director and producer Aanand Mahendroo; actor Rakesh Bedi; Maitrey, Vice President of Media at Home and Soul; Veronika Huseynli, President of Beauty Queen of the Universe Company, Dubai; filmmaker Pankuj Parashar; Liberian-American entrepreneur and policy advocate Judson Wendell Andy; photojournalist S. N. Sinha; Alieu M. Massaquoi, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Liberia; sound designer Jagmohan Anand; and film producer and director Shashi Ranjan.
The unveiling marked another step for CINEKIND in bringing animal welfare into the conversation around filmmaking, while inviting the industry’s next generation to consider the impact of the stories they tell.
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