Submission Rules

We welcome films that come from different places, languages, budgets and ways of seeing the world. Before submitting, please read the guidelines below so that the process remains fair and transparent for everyone.

Important dates

• Film(s) should have got completed by: 6th October, 2026
• Film(s) should be submitted by: 21st October, 2026
• Announcement of the selection: 31st October, 2026

1. Who can submit

Submissions are open to independent filmmakers, students, film collectives and production teams.

The person submitting the film should be the filmmaker, producer, rights holder, or someone authorised to submit it on their behalf.

2. Film duration

Short films must have a maximum runtime between 5 minutes and 25 minutes, including credits.

Films exceeding this duration may only be considered in exceptional cases or by invitation.

3. What kind of films are welcome?

We welcome:

• Fiction
• Fiction — animated
• Fiction — experimental

We are interested in films with a distinct voice, perspective or way of looking at the world.

A large budget, professional equipment or an established name is not a requirement.

4. Completion date

Films should have been completed on or after [insert eligibility date/year].

5. Language and subtitles

Films may be submitted in any language.

Films containing dialogue in languages other than English should include clear and readable English subtitles, so that the film can be experienced by our selection team and a wider audience.

6. Previous screenings and premiere status

We do not require world, India, state or city premiere status, unless specifically mentioned for a particular programme.

Films previously screened at other festivals may be submitted.

Films already available online may also be considered.

For us, discovering a meaningful film is more important than being the first place to screen it.

7. How to submit

Please submit your film(s) using the link given at the end of the page.

8. Multiple films

Filmmakers are welcome to submit more than one film.

Each film should be submitted separately.

9. Tell us about your film

Please provide accurate basic information about the film, including:

• Title
• Director
• Runtime
• Year of completion
• Country/region
• Language
• Synopsis
• Director’s biography
• Relevant cast and crew information

We encourage filmmakers to keep their synopsis simple and let the film speak for itself.

10. Rights and permissions

The filmmaker or submitter must hold the necessary rights and permissions for everything included in the film. This may include:

• Music
• Photographs and images
• Archival material
• Artwork
• Performances
• Written material
• Third-party audio or video

Responsibility for securing these rights remains with the filmmaker.

11. Generative AI

If generative AI has played a substantial creative role in the film, please mention this during submission.

This may include AI-generated images, animation, voices, music, scripts or visual elements.

The use of AI does not automatically make a film more or less suitable for the festival.

We simply believe that understanding how a work was created is part of understanding the work itself.

12. How films are selected

Every eligible film will be viewed and considered by our programming or selection team.

We may respond to different qualities in different films, including:

• Originality
• Storytelling
• Cinematic language
• Emotional resonance
• Creative risk
• Perspective
• Ability to provoke thought or conversation
• Mainly highlighting at least one of the nine emotions (any of the Nav Rasas as per the Natyashastra)

We are not looking for technical perfection alone.

Sometimes a small, imperfect film can say something far more memorable than a technically polished one.

13. Selection decisions

Submitting a film does not guarantee selection.

Programming decisions made by the festival will be final.

Because of the number of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual feedback to films that are not selected.

Please know that non-selection does not necessarily mean that we consider a film unsuccessful. Programming also depends on the character, balance and conversation of each festival edition.

14. If your film is selected

If selected, the filmmaker grants the festival permission to screen the film as part of the edition for which it was submitted.

The filmmaker continues to retain full ownership and copyright of the film.

Any screening outside the agreed festival context will require separate permission.

15. Screening copy

Selected filmmakers will be asked to provide a high-quality screening copy within the specified deadline.

Technical Submission Specifications

• File format: .MOV
• Video codec: Apple ProRes 422 / ProRes 422 HQ preferred, or H.264 if necessary
• Resolution: Minimum 1920 × 1080 (Full HD); 4K accepted
• Frame rate: Native/original frame rate preferred (for example 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 fps)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 preferred; other aspect ratios accepted
• Audio: Stereo or 5.1, 48 kHz, 24-bit preferred
• Audio levels: No clipping; properly mixed/mastered
• Subtitles: English subtitles required for films not primarily in English
  • Please hardcode into the video
• No DCP required.
• No watermarks, logos, timecodes, or festival-specific overlays.
• Please submit the final screening version of the film.

We want audiences to experience every film as closely as possible to the way its filmmaker intended.

16. Promotional material

Selected filmmakers may be asked to provide:

• Film poster
• Film stills
• Synopsis
• Director’s photograph and biography
• Trailer or teaser
• Cast and crew details

The festival may use these materials to promote the selected film and the festival through its website, social media, press communication and programme material.

17. Film clips

Short excerpts, trailers or clips from selected films may be used for festival-related promotion.

The complete film will not be commercially distributed, sold or used outside the agreed festival context without the filmmaker’s permission.

18. Withdrawal

If circumstances require you to withdraw your film, please inform us as early as possible.

Once the official programme has been announced, we request filmmakers not to withdraw their films except in exceptional circumstances.

A festival programme involves audiences, venues, schedules and many people working together, and every selected film becomes part of that larger commitment.

19. By submitting

By submitting your film, you confirm that you have read and accepted these guidelines.

The festival may make reasonable changes to screening schedules, venues or programme arrangements where circumstances require it.

Why we do this

At the heart of this festival is a simple idea: cinema becomes richer when it is shared.

We want to create a space where filmmakers can encounter audiences, audiences can encounter unfamiliar stories, and conversations can continue after the screen goes dark.

We welcome emerging filmmakers alongside experienced ones, local stories alongside distant ones, and films that challenge us alongside films that simply make us feel something deeply.

If your film has something it genuinely wants to communicate, we would like to see it.

Submission Link