Indian Salesian gets international Catholic media award

(May 28, 2010) The International Catholic Film Festival that began in Poland on Thursday honoured Indian Salesian priest, Father C.M. Paul with an award recognizing his multimedia service in spreading the Gospel. Father Paul who belongs to the Salesian province of Calcutta, now Kolkata, was presented the St. Maxmillain Kolbe statuette. “I am totally floored with this award,” said 56 year old Fr Paul who is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Social Communications at the Salesian University in Rome. The May 27-30 festival, in its 25th edition this year is being held at Niepokalanow, some 45 kilometres west of the Polish capital, Warsaw. This is the seventh year of the award dedicated to Polish film director, cameraman, author of over 100 films, as well as president for the Warsaw Branch of Polish Association of Scientific Film, Julian Kulenty who died in 2000. Among the previous winners of the award is Mel Gibson of the “Passion of the Christ” fame. Fr. Paul is a former president of the Indian unit of Signis, the Church forum for audio-visual people, and the first priest to be appointed to the Indian government’s Central Board of Film Certification.