The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremonies in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973 and are presented by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India.  Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards. It holds the distinction of awarding merit to the best of Indian cinema overall, as well as presenting awards for the best films in each region and language of the country. Due to the national scale of the National Film Awards, it is considered the Indian equivalent of the American Academy Awards.