Nilotpal Majumdar, founder of the DocedgeKolkata program, has been awarded the 2017 EDN Award from the European Documentary Network (EDN).

The award recognizes Majumdar’s contribution to documentary culture. Through his continuous engagement for DocedgeKolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary, he successfully established and developed an important hub for documentary professionals from all over the world.

As founder of DocedgeKolkata, Majumdar created a unique platform for co-production and training in the Asia-Pacific region, including a pitching forum that attracts documentary talents, financiers and sales agents from all across the globe.

Majumdar has more than 20 years of film teaching experience and frequently contributes to a number of activities related to the documentary sector, including acting as a jury member of documentary festivals and as a tutor and expert at events such as the Sundance Film Festival and the ITVS International Fund.

His track record in directing and producing includes 18 documentaries, fiction and short films including award-winning titles such as Dhatujhar’96, which earned him the National Awards in 1997 for his directing performance.

“Nilotpal’s work has been instrumental in bringing Asian and international documentary professionals together and contributed considerably to the development of the documentary genre across borders,” said EDN Director Paul Pauwels, in a statement. “His pioneering efforts also helped to open up a brand new market for both young and established documentary filmmakers in India who would otherwise not have entered the international arena to deliver topics of global relevance.”