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NEW DELHI: For more than a century, cinema has captured the human spirit in all its forms — from love and loss to triumph and transformation. Now, a new initiative seeks to spotlight one of its most powerful yet underrepresented themes: kindness.Yes, Film Federation of India (FFI) and People for Animals (PFA) have joined hands to launch CineKind — India’s first platform dedicated to celebrating compassion in cinema. The pioneering collaboration will be unveiled by Firdausul Hasan, FFI president, and noted animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson of People for Animals in the national capital on Thursday.”Cinema moves hearts like nothing else can. CineKind will ensure that kindness and conscience find their rightful place on screen,” Maneka Gandhi told TOI. “The initiative aims to integrate empathy, ethical storytelling, and humane values into the heart of filmmaking. It also seeks to honour artists, filmmakers, and changemakers who use cinema’s emotional power to inspire compassion, understanding, and social change.”The first CineKind Awards ceremony will be held in Kolkata on December 20, following its annual launch each October 4 on World Animal Day. CineKind Awards will encourage filmmakers to portray empathy, ethical choices, and compassion in their narratives, and recognise creators who advocate for animals, the environment, and humanity through their art.“CineKind will bridge creativity with conscience,” said FFI President Shri Firdausul Hasan. “It’s time Indian cinema led the global conversation on empathy and ethical storytelling,” FFI represents over 50,000 members of India’s film industry.
