DIRECTORATE OF FILM FESTIVALS Vs. GAURAV ASHWIN JAIN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) The judgment dated 27.7.2006 of the Bombay High Court in W.P. No.1448 of 2006 is under challenge in this appeal.

(3.) The Directorate of Film Festivals under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organizes National Film Awards ( NFA for short) every year, on behalf of the Government of India. The awards are given to feature films as also non-feature films. The respondents who are documentary film makers, intended to enter their Non-Feature Films for the 53rd National film Awards for the year 2005. Respondents were aggrieved by the following two eligibility requirements prescribed by the Directorate, for non-feature films, in clause (e) of Regulation 10 of the 53rd NFA Regulations : (i) that the films should have been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification ( Board for short); and (ii) that the films should have been released only on a film (celluloid) format, even if they were shot in digital format. Clause (d) of Regulation 10 stipulated similar requirements in regard to feature films. The Respondents, therefore, filed WP No.1448/2006, seeking a declaration that Regulations 10(d) and (e) of the 53rd National Film Award Regulations were violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. They also sought a consequential declaration that films made and released on either film format or digital format are eligible for entry, without any certification by the Board.