Ganatra, a renowned filmmaker and editor from Gujarat, who now lives in Mumbai, was honored with the prestigious award at the ongoing 7th Nelson Mandela Children's Film Festival for his immense contribution to the world of cinema for children.
Ganatra has already received 36 national and international awards, including Doordarshan's 'Janakinath Gaur Award' for his children's program 'Baingan Raja'.
He became the only Indian filmmaker to receive the 'Liv Ullman Peace Prize' in Chicago for his Gujarati film 'Harun-Arun'.
Ganatra has been invited to serve on the juries of over 100 national, regional and international film festivals across the world over the past three decades.
He has edited/directed over 400 documentaries and news reels, produced 25 multilingual television programs for children and youth.
Acting in the children's film movement, he was the founder-director of the 'Ahmedabad International Children's Film Festival' and the jury of the Sanskriti Cinema Film Festival (C2F2) and KidzCinema, an international children's film festival, both in Mumbai.
Ganatra rose to world fame and won a flurry of awards for his debut film 'Heda-Hoda (Blind Camel)', which was followed by 'Lukka-Chuppi (Hide-n-Seek)', which won the first Made a record of being bar. The children's film was shot entirely at the highest altitude in Ladakh.
After this he made another Gujarati film 'Harun-Arun' based on the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat, which premiered at the 26th Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
For 12 consecutive years, Ganatra has served on the board of UNESCO's International Film Center for Children and Youth, established in 1995, and is currently an honorary member there.
Ganatra has already received 36 national and international awards, including Doordarshan's 'Janakinath Gaur Award' for his children's program 'Baingan Raja'.
He became the only Indian filmmaker to receive the 'Liv Ullman Peace Prize' in Chicago for his Gujarati film 'Harun-Arun'.
Ganatra has been invited to serve on the juries of over 100 national, regional and international film festivals across the world over the past three decades.
He has edited/directed over 400 documentaries and news reels, produced 25 multilingual television programs for children and youth.
Acting in the children's film movement, he was the founder-director of the 'Ahmedabad International Children's Film Festival' and the jury of the Sanskriti Cinema Film Festival (C2F2) and KidzCinema, an international children's film festival, both in Mumbai.
Ganatra rose to world fame and won a flurry of awards for his debut film 'Heda-Hoda (Blind Camel)', which was followed by 'Lukka-Chuppi (Hide-n-Seek)', which won the first Made a record of being bar. The children's film was shot entirely at the highest altitude in Ladakh.
After this he made another Gujarati film 'Harun-Arun' based on the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat, which premiered at the 26th Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
For 12 consecutive years, Ganatra has served on the board of UNESCO's International Film Center for Children and Youth, established in 1995, and is currently an honorary member there.
