Dayawati Modi Foundation for Art, Culture and Education has announced that this year’s Dayawati Modi Art, Culture & Education Award will be conferred on Mr. Kent Walwin, Film Producer, UK, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the creative moving arts and the cultural ties between countries, India and UK in particular.
Kent entered the film business in Canada in 1970. At the same time, he established a number of UK companies, including an independent theatrical distribution group as well as a number of independent production vehicles. He produced a significant number of successful dramas with both the BBC and ITV in the UK.
Kent has always had an interest in historical dramas and as an independent producer he has worked extensively throughout the world. His considerable feature film and television credits range from classics such as Hotel New Hampshire starring Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster and Nastassja Kinski, to A Handful Of Dust with Kristin Scott-Thomas, Alec Guinness and Anjelica Huston, as well as Where Angels Fear To Tread with Helen Mirren, Judy Davis and Helena Bonham-Carter.
More recently he has extended his historical interests to include Arabia, with such films as Young Alexander and in China, Young Flying Tigers.
However it is in India that Kent seeks to make his most important contribution to film-making to date. He is embarking on a most ambitious and prestigious film on the missing years of Jesus Christ – believed to have been spent in India. This interfaith film, inspired by Mr. Satish Kumar Modi's book "In Love with Death", sets out to explore the mystery of Jesus Christ’s journey to enlightenment and the influence Eastern religions, in particular Buddhism had on his thinking and teachings.
The Award, carrying a cash prize of Rs. two lakh and one thousand, the scroll of honour and a silver shield which will be presented to Mr. Kent Walwin on 17th November 2009 at Kamani Auditorium, 1 Copernicus Marg, New Delhi at 6.30 pm.
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About the award:
Dayawati Modi Award is among the highest cash awards in the country in the field of Art, Culture and Education. The award has been instituted by the Dayawati Modi Foundation for Art, Culture and Education of the Modi group in the memory of Late Smt. Dayawati Modi, wife of Late Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi, founder of the Modi Group. Late Smt Dayawati Modi was a great philanthropist and an educationist. The Foundation has established schools and colleges, libraries and hostels for students. It also seeks to spread the knowledge of Indian art and culture through cultural shows, exhibitions and seminars. The annual Dayawati Modi Award is a step in this direction and awards a person of eminence in the field of art, culture and education.
