Ace actor Amitabh Bachchan is all set to be honoured with an award by the prestigious International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). He will be the first Indian cinema personality to be bestowed with the FIAF Award for his contribution to the preservation of the world's film heritage. The award will be presented to him by Hollywood filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan during a virtual showcase scheduled to take place on March 19.
The FIAF is a worldwide organisation comprising film archives and museums from across the world. Bachchan was nominated by the FIAF affiliate Film Heritage Foundation. FIAF President Frederic Maire released a statement saying, “This year FIAF celebrates the twentieth anniversary of its annual Award. To mark this momentous occasion, there could be no better recipient than one of the world's greatest movie stars, and one who has understood, embraced, and publicised the cause of film preservation for years.”
Bachchan said he is honoured to receive the award for a cause he is “deeply committed.” “It was when I became the ambassador of Film Heritage Foundation in 2015, that I realised the extent of the neglect and colossal loss of our precious film heritage and how we continue to lose more of our legacy every day.” He stressed on the importance of film archiving. “I do hope that we are able to garner further support for this most essential cause from my colleagues in the film industry and the government, to enable us to realise our dream for building a centre that will preserve and showcase our magnificent film heritage.”
