The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. For Asian cinema, which has grown exponentially and won more awards than ever before, this period is marked by a sense of achievement and pride.

NETPAC has been actively engaged in this eventful journey: a NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film has been established at major international film festivals; Cinemaya, the official journal of NETPAC, has promoted Asian cinema far and wide; dedicated Asian Film Festivals have sprung up all over the world - Fukuoka in Japan, 3rd Eye Asian Film Festival in Mumbai, Vesoul in France, Barcelona in Spain, NETPAC’s own Festival – Cinefan in New Delhi, and the Jogja-NETPAC festival in Jogjakarta, among them; an APSA-NETPAC Development Prize has been instituted at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane.

Awards for Asian films at international festivals have helped in bringing widespread recognition to Asian films and filmmakers in a world dominated by western definitions of what constitutes cinematic quality. Books on Asian cinema have been published under the Network’s aegis, and a host of other activities and events have also been held over the years.
Having reached such milestones, NETPAC is now poised to further broaden the scope and vision of its pioneering work.

This year, to mark its twenty years, NETPAC India holds Imaging Asia which includes under its aegis - an International conference, a thirty film festival, pre cinema performances and story tellers' art coupled with an exhibition brought to life by the Asian Heritage Foundation. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will also bring in international performers from China, Thailand and Indonesia among others.

To be held across venues including the Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Instituto Cervantes, Alliance Francaise, India International Centre and India Habitat Centre - the multi-discplinary event will be held between 19-22 August.