Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (10)

Festival start: 01 May 2025      Festival end: 31 December 2025

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) is India’s only independent international film festival, established to honour and celebrate the legacy of the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke Ji. The festival aims to recognize and celebrate excellence in the global entertainment industry across Film, OTT, and Television platforms.

DPIFF stands as a prestigious platform that not only awards cinematic brilliance but also promotes Indian culture, heritage, and tourism through the lens of cinema. With participation from artists, filmmakers, and creators across the world, the festival fosters cross-cultural dialogues and empowers the voices of independent storytellers.

Every year, DPIFF brings together industry pioneers, celebrities, government dignitaries, and media under one roof to celebrate the art of storytelling and to inspire a new generation of creative talent. The festival also leads various social and environmental initiatives, aligning with the vision of a progressive and culturally unified India.

Best Short Film Award

https://dpiff.in/nomination/

Your Short Film Deserves
Its Moment

Celebrating Excellence in Short Filmmaking | Submit Your Short Film & Shine on a Global Platform!
From storyboard to spotlight, bring your vision to life and captivate audiences worldwide.

Why Submit to DPIFF?
Step into the Spotlight at DPIFF, where visionary stories find their stage. Submit your short film to a global festival celebrating groundbreaking talent and the power of storytelling.

Standards Of Excellence
All submissions must meet the following criteria to be considered for selection:


Original language
Films must be in their original language. If the original language is not Hindi/english, english subtitles are required


Production Dates
Short films produced between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025, are eligible for submission


Runtime
The total runtime of the short film, must be a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 45 minutes.

Submit Your Story to DPIFF
Your journey to global recognition starts here. The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival invites storytellers from around the world to share their unique visions. Ready to make your mark?

Important Dates
Opening date: May 10, 2025

Early Bird deadline: August 01, 2025

Regular deadline: November 30, 2025

Late deadline: December 31, 2025

Official Announcement Date:

Notification Date: February 10, 2026

Event Date: February 18–20, 2026


Turning Your Passion
Into Our Prestige
For the creators who redefine storytelling, DPIFF offers more than awards, it offers a place in cinematic history. Bring your vision, and we’ll bring the honours.

Best Short Film Winner
Honoured with Award

₹ 1,00,000
(One Lakh Rupees)
Cash Prize

1st Runner up
Honoured with a Memento

₹ 15,000
(Fifteen Thousand Rupees)
Cash Prize

2nd Runner up
Honoured with a Memento

₹ 10,000
(Ten Thousand Rupees)
Cash Prize

3rd Runner up
Honoured with a Memento

₹ 5,000
(Five Thousand Rupees)
Cash Prize


Celebrating Excellence in Cinema
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF), known for honouring outstanding contributions to cinema and celebrating visionary filmmakers, has a special award category for Short Film recognition through its festival’s endeavour. Filmmakers from around the globe are invited to showcase their work on this prestigious platform, created in tribute to Dadasaheb Phalke Ji, the father of Indian cinema. Offering filmmakers a chance to gain international exposure, DPIFF provides an esteemed platform to amplify their creative vision, connect with industry leaders and compete for the coveted Best Short Film Award along with a cash prize of INR 1,00,000/-. Short films of all genres and themes, from social issues and drama to experimental and comedy, to take part in this esteemed competition.

The festival takes a special interest in fostering talent within the realm of short films and documentaries. In acknowledgement of the vast reservoir of creativity among short filmmakers, it has instituted a dedicated award category for short films and special consideration for documentaries. This initiative is designed to celebrate the exceptional creative prowess of short film-makers, meticulously evaluating, showcasing, and honouring their work at the festival. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival streams live on ZEE5 and Telecasts on ZEE TV in 90+ Countries, reaching millions of viewers globally.

The short films have been meticulously selected and ranked among the Top 100, Top 50, Top 21, Top 10 and lastly the Top 5 entries by the esteemed panel of jurors at the festival. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival recognizes and rewards excellence in short filmmaking with the above awards and prizes.

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival was founded to carry forward the legacy of Late Shri Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, lovingly known as Dadasaheb Phalke – The Father of Indian Cinema. The festival celebrates and recognizes the brilliance of the Indian Film Industry and the ever-evolving cultural impact that India is making on a global scale, primarily through the medium of cinema. DPIFF is a unique initiative intended to honour the Entertainment Industry and to appreciate creativity in the spectacular world of cinema. It honours all three prodigious segments – the Indian Film Industry, Indian Television Industry and International Film Fraternity – under the same roof.