Motion Content Group & Film Critics Guild celebrate talent at the 5th edition of Critics Choice Awards

Motion Content Group, GroupM’s content investment, production, and distribution business in collaboration with Film Critics Guild, India’s first registered association of film critics, and Vistas Media Capital, announced the 5th edition of the prestigious Critics’ Choice Awards. The awards recognize and honour the best of talent in feature films, short films, and web series since 2018. Neena Gupta: The Critics’ Choice Awards is an esteemed body of reputed and credible critics from India that rewards talent and storytelling across languages, categories, and formats that determine the most pathbreaking work done in cinema and OTT in the year. This year, the awards received a massive response for the number of short film entries and currently the curation of short films, feature films and web series are underway. The Awards boast of 23 diverse categories across feature films, short films, and web series this year including 2 special awards for Gender Sensitivity & Extraordinary Contribution to Cinema. Categories in feature films include Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. Short film includes Best Film (Fiction), Best Director (Fiction), Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Writing, Best Cinematography and for Web Series there are Best Series, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Writing. Some of the notable names that took home the Critics’ Choice Awards in 2022 are Samantha Ruth Prabhu for Best Actress (Web-Series – The Family Man S2), Konkona Sen Sharma for Best Supporting Actress (Web-Series – Mumbai Diaries 26/11) & Best Actress (Feature Film – Ajeeb Daastaans), Chaitanya Tamhane for Best Director, Best Writing (Feature Film – The Disciple) and Pratik Gandhi for Best Actor (Short Film – Shimmy).

Anupama Chopra, Chairperson Film Critics Guild commented, “The Critics’ Choice Awards celebrate their 5th anniversary this year. It is a momentous occasion for the Film Critics Guild. Once again, we are thrilled to celebrate the best in features, shows, and shorts. These awards have been meticulously curated by the 45 critics who comprise the Guild. It is our hope that our effort will bolster quality storytelling.” Ashwin Padmanabhan, President – Trading, Investment and Partnerships at GroupM said, “We live in strange times today, a creative environment on one side that seems to be losing its ability to tell stories that entertain and inspire audiences, and, on the flip, we have an explosion of storytelling and talent that is crossing the boundaries of culture, geography and languages to universally connect with audiences across the world, I would say a ripe time for creativity and expression. The Critics’ Choice Awards over the years have been unique in recognizing content and talent with no boundaries and I am sure the Critics’ Choice Awards 2023 is going to be no different. On behalf of Motion Content Group, I would like to thank all the creators who have brought to us some amazing stories and performances across Feature Films, Web Series and Short Films in 2022 and I wish you the best for the 5th edition of Critics’ Choice Awards.” Abhayanand Singh, Co-Founder and Group CEO for Vistas Media Capital said, “Vistas Media is extremely happy to announce the 5th edition of Critics’ Choice Awards. In a very short span of time, the awards have become a leading platform for recognising the best talent from all over the country in multiple languages. We are looking forward to honouring them as they continue to entertain us with quality content.” The Film Critics Guild, India’s first registered association of film critics, is a geographically diverse cross-section of professionals who have come together to streamline the ethical and quality standards for film criticism in the country. With India’s most credible critics — representing print, radio, broadcast, and the web — at its helm, the Guild is dedicated to maintaining the highest level of integrity amongst its members and evaluating works of cinema that stand apart in their storytelling.

About Vistas Media Capital Vistas Media Capital is a media content and technology company, headquartered in Singapore, that operates and invests in ventures across the ecosystem of the global media and entertainment industry. The businesses and venture investments are diversified across Global Content Production and Distribution, Streaming Platforms across video and music, Animation & VFX Studio, Blockchain Technology and NFT (Non-Fungible Token), Gaming, Digital Media Marketing, Events and Award IPs. About Motion Content Group: Motion Content Group is a global content investment and rights management company that meets the market demand for new economic models for premium content across the entertainment and media marketplace. This is achieved by investing and partnering with the world’s leading talent, producers, and distributors to fund, develop, produce, and distribute premium content to help drive and support editorially and commercially vibrant, premium content networks and platforms for the global benefit of our content partners and advertisers. Motion Content Group India’s IP includes the YAARI Series, Critics’ Choice Awards, Hello Sago, and others. Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, the business currently operates in 26 countries worldwide with Motion’s broad range of award-winning programming distributed globally. Motion Content Group is part of GroupM, the world’s leading full-service media investment management operation, a WPP company.