MAMI runs out of money, again

It may seem that despite its teething troubles, it ended well for the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Images (MAMI). However the organisers of the Mumbai Film Festival continue being plagued by empty wallets.
Mirror has learnt that MAMI is once again looking for donors and corporate sponsors. Reason: It doesn't have any money left for cash prizes promised to the winners of the festival's competition section, amounting to approximately Rs 65 lakh.Only the winners in the Dimensions Mumbai category, whose prize money was Rs 1 lakh, have gone home happy.
Chaitanya Tamhane's Court which was adjudged the Best Film in the International Competition, followed by Mexican director Alonso Ruiz Palacios' Gueros, have yet to get their prize. Ditto, the winners of the India Gold section ­ Bikas Mishra's Chauranga and Avinash Arun's Killa.
According to a source, all the money was used for hotel and theatre bookings, and print acquisition.“Now, MAMI will have to raise funds to ensure that the winning filmmakers get their prize,“ adds the source.
Confirming this, festival director Srinivasan Narayanan told Mirror, “Yes, the winners are yet to receive their prizes and we are figuring how to raise this money. Hopefully, by February 2015, all the winners will get the cash promised to them.“