The International Catholic Film Festival that began in Poland May 27 honored Indian Salesian Father C.M. Paul with an award recognizing his multimedia works in spreading the gospel.

Father Paul was presented the St. Maxmillain Kolbe statuette with the inscription, “Fr C.M. Paul, Multimedia in the Service of the Gospel, honorary prize of Julian Kluenty, Catholic Film association (CFA), Poland 2010.”

The priest of Calcutta Salesian province is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Social Communications at the Salesian University, Rome.

Two prizes are offered in this category “for outstanding achievements both in Poland and abroad in the area of evangelization through multimedia.”

This is the seventh year of the award dedicated to Polish film director, cameraman, author of over 100 films, as well as president for the Warsaw Branch of Polish Association of Scientific Film, Julian Kulenty (1922–2000).

The earlier winners of the award include Mel Gibson of the Passion of Christ fame, Mother Angelica of the EWTN and Sr Angela Ann Zukowski president of Unda-World and founder director of the Centre for Religious Telecommunications, university of Dayton, Ohio.

“I am totally floored with this award,” says 56 year old Fr Paul in his brief presentation on receiving the award.

He was president of Indian unit of Signis, the Church forum for audio-visual people, and the first priest to be appointed to the Indian government’s Central Board of Film Certification.

The May 27-30 festival, holding its 25th uninterrupted screening, is held at Niepokalanow some 45 kilometers west of Polish capital Warsaw.

The Niepokalanow (City of the Immaculate) film festival had its genesis in the heydays of “Solidarnosc” (Solidarity) the national resistance movement against the Polish Communist Regime, in 1985. A group of activists formed the Catholic Film Association of Poland as a cultural forum.

Source: cathnewsindia.com

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