IFFI Introduces Best Web Series Award to Celebrate Indian Language OTT Gems

New Delhi: The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), scheduled to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, will introduce a new award category for the Best Web Series. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, announced the award on Twitter. The accolade aims to recognize exceptional Indian language web series on OTT platforms, celebrating their artistic merit, storytelling excellence, technical prowess, and overall impact.

Delighted to announce the BEST WEB SERIES AWARD @IFFIGoa to be presented to an exceptional web series for its artistic merit, storytelling excellence, technical prowess and overall impact.

India is filled with exceptional talent; I encourage you to tell the story of a rising and… pic.twitter.com/aOBdIwKmHa

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) July 18, 2023

The award comes with a generous cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and is set to be presented annually, starting from this year’s festival. The move is expected to incentivize and encourage investment in India’s growing OTT sector, promoting content in regional languages and fostering innovation within the industry.

A distinguished jury of film experts, led by director Shekhar Kapur, will be responsible for selecting the winner. The jury panel also includes prominent personalities like actress Vidya Balan, filmmaker R. Balki, and actor-producer Siddharth Roy Kapur.

With India witnessing the production of 3,000 hours of fresh OTT content last year, the government’s focus on promoting content in regional languages aims to further boost the OTT industry in the country. This new award at IFFI is a significant step in that direction.