Panjim  — The fifth edition of Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) concluded in Panaji under the aegis of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), with a grand celebration of India’s emerging cinematic talent. The event  including opening and closing award ceremonies, as well as master-classes  was hosted and moderated by noted film critic Murtaza Ali Khan, lending the proceedings a polished, insightful, and celebratory ambience.

Murtaza Ali Khan hosting the closing awards ceremony of CMOT 2025;

In a first for CMOT, all formal ceremonies  from the inaugural welcome to the finale  were anchored by Murtaza Ali Khan, whose deep understanding of global and Indian cinema helped set the tone for the entire festival. He also moderated master-class sessions conducted during the programme by acclaimed mentors Kiran Deohans, Supriya Nayak, Bharat Bala, GK Tirunavukarasu, and Stefano Casertano  giving young participants rare direct access to cinematic luminaries.

The CMOT 2025 finale at the Marriott resort featured film screenings for the Grand Jury and Great Grand Jury, followed by jury deliberations and an award function attended by participants, mentors, jury members, and senior officials from the film fraternity.

Senior dignitaries, including the Joint Secretaries of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting  Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan and Dr. K. K. Nirala  along with NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum and ShortsTV CEO Carter Pilcher, felicitated the juries and paid tribute to the young filmmakers.

Certificates were also presented to all participating teams at the ceremony, in the presence of ministry officials, NFDC leadership, IFFI representatives and ShortsTV dignitaries. The ceremony concluded with a Vote of Thanks by NFDC General Manager Sh. Ajay Dhoke.