The first technical awards for excellence in digital technology for films and television in India were given away as part of the Broadcast India exhibition and symposium in Mumbai on Friday.

Rajtaru Videotronics won the award for best visual effects for ads / promos / commercials for Kaante. Its competitors were Aquaguard, created by Western Outdoor Media Technologies Ltd, ADD Gel 2K by Shadow Films Pvt.Ltd. and Kinetic Style created by Eagle3D.

Pentamedia Graphics walked away with the award for best video digital effects for ads / promos / commercials for Pandavas - The Five Warriors, beating Western Outdoor Media Technologies for Lagaan and Rajtaru Videotronics for Asoka.

Grafiti Multimedia won the award for best 3D animation serial / ad / promo / short film for Parachute hair oil, beating 2NZ Animation for Tuzo Butter, Eagle 3D for Schoolnet India, Western Outdoor Media Technologies for Mosquito Fixit, B R Graphics for Ma Shakti and Akash Digital Graphics for Sairadhe. Pentamedia Graphics bagged the award for best 2D animation feature film for The Load, scoring over Rajtaru Videosonic for Paagalpan. Famous Cine Labs and Studios won the award for The

Ma Shakti

2NZ animation won the award for best animated 3D / 2D Logo / Channel ID for its company, winning over Famous Cine Labs and Studios‘ Simpu1, Famous Cine Labs and Studios for Pagal MTV and Digital Canvas India for DC1.

There was a special certificate awarded for Claymation Animation to Atash Holding Pvt. Ltd. for special effects created using clay for animation for Heaven‘s Recipe.

The event was jointly hosted by Seagate Technology International and Saicom Trade Fairs and Exhibitions. The awards ceremony, first of its kind in India, was a quiet affair, bereft of much of the pomp associated with the film industry. The awards function was part of the Broadcast India Exhibition and Symposium, which was being held for the eleventh year in a row. The awards were judged by professional technicians from the industry.

French fashion channel FTV‘s plans to switch to an encrypted feed appear to have gone awry and it has now set 1 December as the new date for this to happen.

As per the original plan, 1 November was to see the channel becoming an encrypted feed. When contacted Rajan Kaaicker, CEO Distribution Group, Modi Entertainment Network, the channel‘s current distributor in India, said 1 December was the new date fixed for the channel‘s‘ encryption but gave no reasons for the delay.

The rollout of set top boxes was continuing he said, adding that he expected the rollout to be more or less complete before the end of November.

Queried as to why FTV had been knocked off TV screens in Kolkata, Kaaicker played down the issue and said the matter was being sorted out. Kaaicker said he expected FTV to be back on air in Kolkata within a week.

RPG Netcom, the leading signal provider in Calcutta, reportedly dropped FTV in response to the imminent switch to a pay channel, saying it did not see any demand from viewers.