by Satinder Mohan
The first edition of Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) was held in 52nd IFFI, held in 2021 in Goa. It started as 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow during “Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav”. It was the brainchild of then I&B minister Anurag Singh Thakur.
In the first edition, only the certificates signed by the I&B Minister himself were given during the felicitation function held on 21st November in INOX Audi1, when I also happened to be there. The second edition was held in IFFI 2022 when 53 hrs ” Film Challenge “was introduced. The total batch of 75 was divided into 5 groups and each group was asked to make short film of 5 to 7-minute duration and a cash prize of Rs. 2.25 lakhs was given to best film.
In the third edition in IFFI 2023, the competition was made more tough by reducing the total duration of the film Challenge to 48 hours, but an employment opportunity was provided to CMOT by organising a talent camp. However, the award money remained the same.
In the 4th edition, a number of changes were made. The number of candidates was increased from 75 to 100 and it was called “Creative Minds of Tomorrow” only. The CMOT hub where the film challenge was earlier held, was shifted to Grand Ball Room of Marriot. The challenge started at 10.30 on 21st November with the FILM challenge clapper by Sanjay Jaju, Special Secretary Ministry of I&B.
In the 4th edition, the total number of categories were increased from 10 to 13, the new category being, Sound Recording, Voice Over/ Dubbing and Hair and makeup. 225 alumni+ 100 CMOT were considered for employment by 10 companies in the talent camp. The award ceremony was held on 24th November 2024 at 11 am in Maquinez Palace1.
The awards were decided by the jury consisting of Jerome Paillaid , Apurva Chandra IAS, ex-secretary Ministry of I&B and Carter Pilcher, CEO of Sorts TV London. The number of awards were also increased from 1 to 6. The awards were Best script, Best Actress, Best actor, Best Director, 2nd Best (Runners-Up) Film, (cash prize Rs. 3 Lakh), and Best Film (cash Prize 5 lakh).
This year CMOT contest was held in a newly created CMOT hub outside Kala Academy. The contest was kick started by Minister of State, Dr. L. Murugan at 10AM in the presence of Sanjay Jaju, IAS, Secretary/Ministry of I&B, Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan NM, IAS, Joint Secretary (Films)/Ministry of I&B, Parkash Magdum, IIS, MD/NFDC, Gautam Bhanot GM(IFFI)/NFDC, Ajay Dhoke, GM(CMOT)/NFDC, and Carter Pilcher, CEO/Shorts TV London. This year the number CMOT has increased from 100 to, 128 which were divided into 5 groups each group having 25/26 CMOT. These teams were allotted different colours like, beige, orange, blue red and green.
“Viral for the wrong reason” was the theme chosen for the CMOT contest. Pilcher CEO of Shorts TV , informed me that 4 alumni have been hired to help contesting teams in making films. 3 alumni are from 2022 batch and one from 2023 batch. He further informed me that green screen has been used this time. Pilcher was accompanied by Tarun Sawhney, president of Shorts TV.
It is for the first time that the Jury of the 5th edition had 28 members including the chairman , Dharmendra,IAS. The award ceremony was held in Ball Room of Hotel Marriot ,Goa on 24th November 2025 at around 8PM when KK Nirala, IAS , Additional Secretary/Ministry of I&B, Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan NM, IAS, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of I&B , Prakash Magdum, IIS, MD/NFDC were present.
Before the award ceremony started, a short film produced by Shorts TV was screened. It was an excellent film showing the clippings of the various activities of the contest. Carter Pilcher announced the results of the awards . The jury has introduced three new awards ; Special Mention award for, Editing, Animation, and Back up singing. Carter also announced that IICT (Indian institute of Creative Technology) will give a scholarship of Rs. 10,000 per member of Runners up team and Rs. 15,000 to winner team, in addition to Rs.3 lakh and 5 lakh to the runners-up team and winner team by NFDC respectively. A cash prize of Rs. 20,000 for the best cinematography has been introduced by Shorts TV.
Jury Special Mention Prize for Editing -The Paper Sky
Jury Special Mention Prize for Animation-The Spit Show
Jury Special Mention Prize for Back up Singing- -The Spit Show
Jury Special Mention Prize for Screen Play -The Spit Show
Jury Special Mention Prize for DOP- Ramiz Naveeth (cash prize of Rs. 20,000)
Best Actor- Arpit Raj
Best Actress -Sajuni Harmalkar
Best Director- Raghu Arav
Runners Up- The Spit Show (Cash prize of RS. 3 lakh by NFDC and IICT scholarship of Rs. 10,000 to each member)
Winner -The Paper Sky (Cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh by NFDC and IICT scholarship of Rs 15000 to each member). Award ceremony ended with lot of enthusiasm and exitment.
(The writer is a retired Additional Director General from Ministry of Defence; and he has attended 42 editions of IFFI as a delegate, where the first IFFI attended by him was the 9th edition of IFFI and held at Siri Fort, New Delhi.
He has been a Jury member of Indian Panorama, feature film Jury at the 47th IFFI at Goa in 2016 and again in IFFI 2020 held in 2021)
