| 17th National Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best of Indian cinema in 1969 |
| Awarded by | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting |
| Announced on | 30 August 1970 |
| Presented on | 21 November 1970 |
| Site | University Centenary Auditorium, Madras |
| Official website | dff.nic.in |
| Highlights | |
| Best Feature Film | Bhuvan Shome |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Devika Rani |
| Most awards | Bhuvan Shome (3) |
The 17th National Film Awards were presented by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India to facilitate the best of Indian cinema released in 1969.[1] The ceremony took place at University Centenary Auditorium, Madras on 21 November 1970.
At the 17th National Film Awards, a new award was introduced to honour the father of Indian cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, better known as Dadasaheb Phalke. Named the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, it was introduced to recognise the contribution of film personalities towards the development of Indian cinema. Starting with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Phalke in 1870, the award was awarded annually for this distinguished contribution.