National Film Awards to Be Held at India's Best Tourist Destinations

The National Film Awards will no longer be confined to a conference hall in Delhi. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said on 22 September 2026 that the awards are being taken to the country's best tourist destinations, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach of holding national events beyond conventional venues.

What was announced

• The Minister invited all States to submit proposals naming their best tourism destination to host the National Film Awards. Proposals must describe the facilities on offer and a plan for 360-degree development of the destination.
• The State whose proposal is selected will host the subsequent National Film Awards at that destination.
• He cited Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, home to the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as the kind of destination that gains when the President and the film industry gather there.

The thinking behind it

Vaishnaw recalled that G20 meetings under India's presidency were spread across States rather than held only in the capital. Taking the film awards to tourist destinations, he said, brings film and tourism together: the destination gets national attention and the awards move "beyond a conference room" to real places and people.

What happens next

States will now compete to host the ceremony. Their proposals will be judged on the facilities the destination can offer to the President's office, the jury and the film industry, and on the development plan that comes with the bid. For the destination chosen, a national ceremony means hotels, transport and local businesses gain from the visitors and the coverage, which is the tourism dividend the Ministry is counting on.

Background

The National Film Awards are India's most prestigious film honours, presented by the President of India and administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through the National Film Development Corporation. They recognise the best of Indian cinema across languages, with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime contribution as the highest honour.