IIFFCA · 2026

Film Festival

A curated cinematic celebration of India's emerging and established filmmaking voices.

IIFFCA Film Festival 2026

The Event

Witness the Stories of Tomorrow

The IIFFCA Film Festival is the culminating event of the AVA programme — a multi-day celebration of cinema that brings together emerging student filmmakers, established industry professionals, critics, and audiences.

Screenings are held across multiple venues, followed by Q&As, panel discussions, and the prestigious IIFFCA Film Awards ceremony.

Multi-Venue Screenings

Industry Panel Discussions

Award Ceremony

Networking Events

Submission Categories

Nine Film Categories

◈

Feature Films

Narrative features above 60 minutes exploring the full spectrum of human experience.

◆

Short Films

Films up to 30 minutes — the ideal canvas for debut voices and experimental storytelling.

▶

Student Films

Films up to 30 minutes, made exclusively by students within the workshop period.

◉

Micro Series

Short episodic content, up to 1 minute per episode for a maximum of 5 episodes.

▣

Web Series

Engaging episodic storytelling, up to 40 minutes per episode.

◎

Social Message Films

Films dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring positive change in society.

◈

Women Empowerment Films

Narratives focusing on the strength, resilience, and empowerment of women.

📱

Mobile Short Films

Vertical short films (9:16) shot entirely on mobile phones.

◆

Ad Films

Commercials for specific brand categories (Fashion, Garments, F&B, Footwear). Competitive brands not accepted.

Guidelines

Rules & Requirements

Language Criteria

Films can be submitted in any language.
English subtitles are mandatory for all non-Hindi dialogues.
Subtitles must be accurate, properly timed and legible.
Avoid hardcoded subtitles that obstruct key visuals (keep safe margins).
Offensive, defamatory, or plagiarized content will lead to direct disqualification.

Submission Format

Video: MP4 (H.264 codec recommended).
Resolution: Minimum 1920 × 1080 (Full HD). Recommended 4K (3840 × 2160).
Frame Rate: 24 fps / 25 fps / 30 fps (consistent throughout).
Audio: Stereo, 48 kHz, AAC.
Aspect Ratios: 16:9 (Horizontal) for Short, Ad, Music, AI-VFX. 9:16 (Vertical) strictly enforced for Mobile.
File limits: Maximum 2 GB. Name format: Category_FilmTitle_DirectorName_Year.
Method: Google Drive / WeTransfer / Official Portal (ensure download access is enabled).

Judging Parameters

Concept & Originality (20%): Freshness of idea, year of production, storytelling uniqueness, avoidance of clichés.
Screenplay & Narrative (20%): Story progression, character development, engagement and pacing.
Direction & Execution (20%): Vision, scene construction, performance extraction.
Technical Quality (20%): Cinematography, sound design & clarity, editing, VFX.
Impact & Audience Engagement (20%): Emotional/intellectual impact, message clarity, memorability.

Disqualification Criteria

Copyright Violations: Unauthorized music, footage, or IP.
Poor Audio Quality: Unclear, distorted, or unintelligible dialogue.
Incorrect Aspect Ratio: Failure to adhere to 16:9 or 9:16 formatting.
Exceeding Limits: Crossing the maximum allowed runtime.
Plagiarism: Direct copying or heavily inspired replication.
Incomplete: Missing video, inaccessible links, incorrect formats.
Missing Subtitles: Non-Hindi films without English subtitles.
Offensive Content: Promoting hate, discrimination, or violating public decency.

Special Jury Mention

Note: Jury reserves the right to introduce or withhold awards based on the quality of submissions.

Best ActorBest DirectorBest CinematographyBest EditingBest ScreenplayBest Sound DesignBest MusicBest ConceptBest VFX/AI

Submissions