The announcement of 65th National Film Awards came out this morning in New Delhi which was conducted by director Shekhar Kapur. The award ceremony will be held on May 3, 2018.

Actress Sridevi, who passed away in February 2018, won the Best Actress award for MOM (posthumously) which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna, while Pankaj Tripathi wins the Special Mention Award for his role in NEWTON which stars Rajkummar Rao in the lead role. NEWTON has also won the Best Hindi film award.

"I am absolutely delighted. I had no idea I was even in the running. It feels amazing to know that the whole country thought my role in NEWTON was one of my best and to win the Special Mention Award at the highest film award in India is just exhilarating. My director and co-actors made it so easy for me to act in this film, " said Pankaj Tripathi.

Late actor Vinod Khanna has been awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Bollywood actress Divya Dutta has been awarded for the Best Supporting Actor (female) for IRADA while Taapsee Pannu’s GHAZI which also stars Rana Daggubatti wins the best Telugu Film Honour.

“I am overjoyed with the news. First my film MANTO going to Cannes and now the National award, I am overwhelmed. The actor in me feels alive again and grateful that there is appreciation pouring in. After a 100 odd films, this is my first national award and I am going to treasure this moment. It means the world.”, said Divya Dutta.

Elated with the news about GHAZI winning the Best Telugu film Taapsee Pannu said, “This is the third time I have had the opportunity to be a part of a National Award Winning film. Even though I had a special appearance in the film, it was personally a very satisfying part for me as an actor. I’m ecstatic with the news about the film winning the National Award Honour. “

Prabhas-Rana Daggubatti starrer BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION wins Best Special Effects, Best Popular film and Best Action while Ganesh Acharya wins best choreography for the song ‘Gori Tu Laath Maar’ from TOILET: EK PREM KATHA starring Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar.

A R Rahman wins Best Music Direction for director Mani Ratnam's KAATRU VELIYIDAI and Best Background Score for MOM.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Non Feature Film: WATER BABY

Best Educational Film: THE GIRLS WE WERE AND THE WOMEN WE ARE

Special Jury Award: A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS

Best Director: Nagraj Manjule

Best Animation: THE FISH CURRY AND TOKRI: THE BASKET

Best Film On Art And Culture: Girija: A life of music

Best Film On Social Issues (Non-Feature): I AM BONNIE AND WHALE DONE

Best Short Film (Fiction): MAYYAT

Special Mention Awards: MORKIYA, Oriya film – Hella Aarsi and Malayalam film- TAKE OFF got the Special Mention Awards. Commenting on HELLO AARSI, Shekhar Kapur said, "If I try to make that film I will fail." Pankaj Tripathi got a special mention for his performance in NEWTON.

Best Film In Jasari: SINJAR

Best Oriya Film: HELLO AARSI

Best Marathi Film: KACCHA LIMBU

Best Malayalam Film: THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM

Best Ladakhi Film: WALKING WITH THE WIND

Best Tulu Film: PADDAYI

Best Kannada Film: HEBBETTU RAMAKKA

Best Bengali Film: MAYURAKSHI

Best Assamee Film: ISHU

Best Tamil Film: To-LET

Best Gujarati Film: DHH

Best Makeup Artist: Ram Rajjak (NAGARKIRTAN – Bengali)

Best Production Design: Santhosh Raman (TAKE OFF – Malayalam)

Best Sound Design and Best Recordist: WALKING WITH THE WIND

Best Audiography: VILLAGE ROCKSTARS (Assamese)

Best Original Screenplay: Sajeev Pazhoor (THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM – Malayalam)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jayaraj (BHAYANAKAM – Malayalam Film)

Best Cinematography: BHAYANAKAM (Malayalam)

Best Lyrics: Muthu Ratnada Pyate (MARCH 22)

Best Female Playback Singer: Shashaa Tirupati (‘Vaan’ -KAATRU VELIYIDAI)

Best Supporting Actor: Fahad Fazil (THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM)

Nargis Dutt Award for best film on National Integration: DHAPPA (Marathi Film)

Best Film: VILLAGE ROCKSTARS (Assemee Film)

Best Actor (Male): Riddhi Sen for Bengali film NAGARKIRTAN

Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film of a Director: Pampally for film SINJAR

Best Child Artist: Bhanita Das (VILLAGE ROCKSTARS)

Best Direction: Jayaraj (Malayalam film BHAYANAKAM)

Best Children’s film: (MHORKYA by Amar Bharat Deokar)

Best Male Playback Singer: K.J Yesudas for his song ‘Poy Maranja Kalam’ (VISWASAPOORVAM MANSOOR)

Actor Arunoday Singh says his BLACKMAIL co-star Irrfan Khan, who is currently in treatment for a rare disease, is a strong man. He has urged people to stop speculating about his health.

On the speculations being made on Irrfan's health, Arunoday told IANS over phone from Mumbai: "Just give the man some time to face it. It is his life. Let him just face it. He is a strong man and just pray for him. We do not need to speculate. You just need to send him good wishes. Whatever happened to that?"

Irrfan had last month announced he has been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and that he was going out of the country for treatment. Speculations on his health have continued ever since.

Arunoday says Irrfan, with whom he also worked with in YEH SAALI ZINDAGI in 2011, has not changed over the years.

"I did 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' with him a couple of years ago. He is exactly the same. He is much more successful, but he is exactly the same. He is as wonderful and as down to earth as a man," he added.

Arunoday's latest release BLACKMAIL, a dark comedy, collected Rs 2.81 crore on its opening day.

Ecstatic over the film's response, Arunoday said: "It is lovely. It is very humbling but lovely. I am glad that a lot of people like the film and everyone worked very hard on it and it's nice to see. It's really nice to be a part of that."

Actor Arunoday Singh says his BLACKMAIL co-star Irrfan Khan, who is currently in treatment for a rare disease, is a strong man. He has urged people to stop speculating about his health.

On the speculations being made on Irrfan's health, Arunoday told IANS over phone from Mumbai: "Just give the man some time to face it. It is his life. Let him just face it. He is a strong man and just pray for him. We do not need to speculate. You just need to send him good wishes. Whatever happened to that?"

Irrfan had last month announced he has been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and that he was going out of the country for treatment. Speculations on his health have continued ever since.

Arunoday says Irrfan, with whom he also worked with in YEH SAALI ZINDAGI in 2011, has not changed over the years.

"I did 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' with him a couple of years ago. He is exactly the same. He is much more successful, but he is exactly the same. He is as wonderful and as down to earth as a man," he added.

Arunoday's latest release BLACKMAIL, a dark comedy, collected Rs 2.81 crore on its opening day.

Ecstatic over the film's response, Arunoday said: "It is lovely. It is very humbling but lovely. I am glad that a lot of people like the film and everyone worked very hard on it and it's nice to see. It's really nice to be a part of that."

70 years of refinement in the art of organizing an International Film Festival. That is what Cannes Film Festival is.

The appointment of Jury Presidents, selection of films in official sections and sidebar events, the events surrounding the festival, like master classes – the very announcements have an unfailing rhythm that the long time participants of the festival never miss. They all know with certainty what to expect when till it leads to the opening of the Festival itself.

Official selections, read, for the all-important Competition, out of Competition and Uncertain Regard, will be announced tomorrow at 11 A.M. Paris time. But, like a trailer, Cannes unveiled today the list of short films which will compete for Palm d’Or in that category.

Eight films from France, Philippines, USA, Iran, Poland, Japan, China and Australia have been selected from out of 3943 entries. So, that is the scale of selection. The award winner from these eight films will be announced on the 19th of May, 2018 by the Jury headed by the French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello. This Jury will also select the award winners from the Cinefondation Selections, a selection from films submitted by film schools from all over the world.

“The Cinéfondation Selection has chosen 17 films this year (14 live-action and 3 animated films), from among the 2,426 submitted by film schools all over the world. Fourteen countries on four continents will be represented. Twelve of the twenty-two directors selected for this program are women.

“The jury will hand over the three Cinéfondation prizes at a ceremony preceding the screening of the awarded films on Thursday 17th May, in the Buñuel Theatre”.

What do we expect from these young, unknown film makers of the future? Bertrand Bonello beautifully observed, “Let them shake us up, let them make us look at what we are unable to see, let them enjoy the freedom, the sharpness, the recklessness and the daring that we sometimes no longer possess…”

Neither look for any Indian connection in these selections nor fret over its non-presence.