WAVES International Short Film Festival Goa India (2)

Festival start: 25 July 2025      Festival end: 30 July 2025

About WAVES DEHRADUN 2025
As the sea comes closer to the mountains, WAVES spreads its wings to bring together filmmakers, professionals, and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. Known for showcasing the best in independent mini-cinema, this festival is designed to inspire creativity, expression, and innovation in short filmmaking.

With a mission to celebrate diversity in storytelling, WAVES offers a vibrant platform for both seasoned professionals and emerging filmmakers to showcase their work. Join us in this extraordinary celebration of cinematic excellence, where exceptional talent is recognized and awarded across exclusive categories. Let your stories flow from the waves to the peaks!

Screenings!
Curated Screenings: Experience exclusive, thoughtfully curated screenings of the latest independent and international short films in competition for WAVES’s DEHRADUN 2025 prestigious awards. The lineup features work from both emerging and established filmmakers, along with a special segment presenting the best award-winning films from around the globe, including music videos, documentaries, and animated shorts.



Awards! goes to...
We are honored to announce the awards for our upcoming Film Festival, designed to recognize the outstanding work of participating filmmakers. These awards aim to highlight the most innovative and exceptional films in our lineup. Winners will receive awards worth a total of Rs 2,30,000/- along with trophies. for the Following Categories

Best Film / Second Best Film / Third Best Film

Best Short Documentary

Best Music Video


Best Director / Best Story / Best Screenplay / Best Cinematographer / Best Editor / Best Sound / Best Actor Male / Best Actor Female / Best Actor Child

Two Special Recognition Awards

Awards & Awards Ceremony

Representation: Participants must have at least one representative present at the awards function if their film is nominated. If unable to attend, arrangements should be made for a close acquaintance based in Dehradun to attend on their behalf.

Trophy Charges: Winners will be responsible for courier and customs charges (if applicable) to receive their trophy if they cannot collect it on the event date.

Award Payment: The award cash amount will take a minimum of 90 working days after the event, or as soon as the sponsorship funds are released by the sponsors, whichever is earlier.

Award Payment to Beneficiaries:The award amount will be credited directly to the beneficiary’s bank account. If the beneficiary has an existing agreement with the producer or director to transfer the amount to a different account, a signed copy of the agreement or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the beneficiary must be submitted to the organizers beforehand.
Please note that certain awards or prizes may not be awarded if we do not receive an appropriate candidate or Quality Entries or participant in the specific category/ Sections mentioned in the award listing.

RULES AND REGULATIONS WAVES DEHRADUN 2025

Film enthusiast/film-makers, professionals, Non Professionals from across the globe can submit their entries in the following categories
Short Films Open Category (Any language any Genre)
Short Documentary (Any Language Any Topics)
Music Videos Originals (Any Language any Genre) Limited to India Only

We kindly ask all participants to adhere to the following rules and regulations to ensure a smooth and fair experience for everyone involved. Thank you for your understanding and commitment to these guidelines.

WAVES – OPEN SECTION (Open Worldwide)
SHORT FILMS / DOCUMENTARIES

Film enthusiast/film-makers, professionals, Non Professionals from across the globe can submit their entries in the following categories:
Short Films: Film can Silent or in any Global language (mandatory English subtitles). Duration must be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 40 minutes.

Short Documentaries: Any language (Indian or Global) (mandatory English subtitles). Maximum duration is 30 minutes.

All films produced from January 1, 2021, to the present date are eligible for entry. The short film can be in any Language; however, all non-English films must include English subtitles.

MUSIC VIDEOS (ORIGINALS) Limited to India Only
Original Content: Music videos must feature original content authored and composed by the applicant/participant. Remakes, covers, or adaptations of other music videos or movie songs will not be accepted.

Language and Subtitles: Music videos can be in any Indian language, but English subtitles are mandatory.

Duration: The duration of the music video should not exceed 10 minutes.

Copyrights: Participants must hold all copyrights and have obtained necessary permissions regarding music, sound, video, and images. The organizers of WAVES DEHRADUN 2025 will not be liable for any copyright violations.


WAVES – SUBMISSIONS

Submission Deadline: The film submission deadline is June 14th 2025.

Submission Format: Films should be submitted via a private downloadable link from Via Vimeo, Festhome or similar platforms, or through WeTransfer, Google Drive, or other file transfer platforms. The films should be in 1080p Full HD or higher resolution (MOV/MP4 format).

Promotional Use: WAVES DEHRADUN 2025 reserves the right to use the film or excerpts from any submitted film for promotional purposes.

Withdrawal Policy: Once submitted, projects/short films cannot be withdrawn from the festival. WAVES DEHRADUN 2025 retains the authority to reject any project/short film that violates festival rules and regulations.

Participant Agreement: By entering the contest, participants agree to allow the organizers to use their name, image, or other promotional materials for publicity without additional payment or compensation.

Trailer and Poster: Participants must submit a film trailer (maximum 40 seconds) and a high-resolution film poster (12 x 18 inches, vertical only) bundled together and share the link in the submission form.


ENTRY / REGISTRATION / SUBMISSION FEES

Short Films: Rs 500.00

Music Video / Documentaries Produced in India: Rs 500.00

Short Films Produced Outside India: US $10.00
ACCOUNT DETAILS

Account Name: Shree Mudra
Account Number: 06681100000884
IFSC: PSIB0000668
Bank Name: Punjab & Sind Bank
Bank Address: Aquarius Building, S. V. Road, Panaji, Goa 403001

Online Payment:
UPI ID: shreemudragoa@okaxis
GPAY Number: +91 80806 96872


Screening

Directors whose films are selected for WAVES DEHRADUN 2025 will receive mementos during the screening, provided they are present at the event.
The organizers reserve the right to reschedule, change, or cancel the screening schedule and masterclass timings, time, and venue due to technical issues. No changes to the screening schedule will be entertained requested by directors or filmmakers. The organizers cannot be held responsible for any low-resolution files.

Screening Rights

Screening & Promotional Rights: WAVES (Shree Mudra) retains the rights to screen submitted short films (projects) and to use excerpts from any film submitted for the WAVES Festival 2025. Selected films may also be screened before or after the festival for awareness and promotional purposes, without any additional payment or compensation to the producer or director.
WAVES (Shree Mudra) confirms and assures that no films or projects submitted as festival entries will be uploaded, shared, or distributed to any third-party platform, channel, or source.

Disqualification and Judging

Judging Criteria: Films may explore creative and artistic themes; however, those targeting government, caste, religion, or other sensitive subjects may face disqualification.

The judges' decisions are final, and any attempt to influence jury members will result in automatic disqualification.

Awards & Awards Ceremony

Representation: Participants must have at least one representative present at the awards function if their film is nominated. If unable to attend, arrangements should be made for a close acquaintance based in Dehradun to attend on their behalf.

Trophy Charges: Winners will be responsible for courier and customs charges (if applicable) to receive their trophy if they cannot collect it on the event date.

Award Payment: The award cash amount will take a minimum of 90 working days after the event, or as soon as the sponsorship funds are released by the sponsors, whichever is earlier.

Award Payment to Beneficiaries:The award amount will be credited directly to the beneficiary’s bank account. If the beneficiary has an existing agreement with the producer or director to transfer the amount to a different account, a signed copy of the agreement or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the beneficiary must be submitted to the organizers beforehand.

Please note that certain awards or prizes may not be awarded if we do not receive an appropriate candidate or Quality Entries or participant in the specific category/ Sections mentioned in the award listing.

Financial Responsibility

Costs: WAVES DEHRADUN 2025 does not assume any financial responsibility for participant correspondence expenses. Participants are fully responsible for covering all costs related to Film production and attending the Short Film festival or the award function


Legal and Refund Policy

Jurisdiction: All legal issues if any shall fall under the jurisdiction of Goa Courts only.
Refund Policy: Entry / Submission Fees once paid are non-refundable under any circumstances.

By entering the WAVES DEHRADUN 2025, all participants agree to accept and be bound by the decisions of the festival, indicating their willingness to follow these rules and regulations. Thank you for your participation, and we look forward to your creative contributions!