Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (17)

This section is officially accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for Oscar consideration.

Any narrative work of Fiction & Non-Animation with a running time of 30 minutes shot outside Indian, will qualify in the International competition section.

The film has to be produced after 1 January 2026 and not submitted to previous BISFF edition.

If the film is found to be produced before this term, it will lead to disqualification.

This section is officially accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for Oscar consideration.

Any narrative work of fiction and Non-Animation with a running time of 30 minutes shot inside and produced and shot in India, will qualify in the Indian competition section.

The film has to be produced after January 1, 2026 and not submitted to previous BISFF edition.

If the film is found to be produced before this term, it will lead to disqualification.

Any narrative work of fiction and Non-Animation with a running time of 30 minutes or less, shot inside and produced in Karnataka, India and has the below-mentioned languages will qualify in the Karnataka competition section.

The languages considered for this are Kannada, Urdu, Tulu, Konkani and Kodava.

The film has to be produced after January 1, 2026 and not submitted to previous BISFF edition.

If the film is found to be produced before this term, it will lead to disqualification.

This section is officially accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for Oscar consideration.

Any narrative work of Animation fiction with a running time less than 30 minutes, will qualify in the Animation competition section.

The film has to be produced after January 1, 2026 and not submitted to previous BISFF edition.

If the film is found to be produced before this term, it will lead to disqualification.

This Section invites filmmakers to share their stories of disability through a short film. We welcome submissions from all filmmakers, ranging from the professional to the independent, student, or amateur. The filmmaker needs to be above 18 years of age to adult.
We welcome entries from filmmakers who have a disability.

This does not mean that the filmmakers are required to have a disability to submit.

Any narrative work of fiction & Non-Animation with a running time of 30 minutes.

The film has to be produced after 1 January 2026 and not submitted to previous BISFF edition.

If the film is found to be produced before this term, it will lead to disqualification.

Genre: Fiction (only on disability)

BISFF is proud to announce its dedicated QUEER section, a platform celebrating diverse voices and stories from the LGBTQ+ community. This section aims to provide a space for filmmakers to explore themes of identity, love, struggle, and triumph through the medium of short films.

We invite filmmakers to submit their works that reflect the rich tapestry of queer experiences, fostering dialogue and understanding.
Genre: Only Fiction short films are accepted.
Theme: Films should explore themes relevant to the LGBTQ+ community, including but not limited to identity, relationships, social issues, and personal journeys.
Production Year: The film must have been produced after January 1, 2026 for all.

The Ai Film Festival is open to individuals who are 18 years of age or older.

CATEGORY AWARD Best AI Short Film FILM ELIGIBILITY To be eligible for submission, your film must adhere to the following conditions:

1. Must be based on an original script

2. Must use AI Generated Shots in each Scene

3. Must own all copyrights or license agreements for usage

4. Must be 10 minutes or less in duration, including credits

5. Must have English subtitles if your film has dialogue or text in a language other than English

Selected curated short films from South and South East Asia.

For the sections “Asian Eye” and “Womens’ Cinema Collective”, films must first be submitted either to the International or Indian competition section, depending on the country of production.

After submission, the programming team will review all eligible films and then decide if any of them fit into the Asian Eye or Womens’ Cinema Collective sections.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Film Requirements:

• Production Date: Films must have been completed after January 1, 2026
• Duration: Maximum 20 minutes (including credits)
• Previous Submissions: Films previously submitted to BISFF in any category are NOT eligible
• Public Availability: Films may have screened at other festivals or online platforms
• Language: All films with dialogue must include English subtitles by the time of screening (if selected) Content Definition -

What is Screendance? Films must be screendance works where:
• Movement, body, dance, or choreography plays a defining role
• The work is conceived specifically for the screen (not documentation of live performance)
• Cinematography and choreography are interdependent and inseparable
• All dance forms welcome: contemporary, classical Indian, ballet, hip-hop, experimental movement, pedestrian choreography, etc.

Womens' cinema collective recognizes women's contributions as a filmmaker, Selected curated short films from Women filmmakers.

For the sections “Asian Eye” and “Womens’ Cinema Collective”, films must first be submitted either to the International or Indian competition section, depending on the country of production.

After submission, the programming team will review all eligible films and then decide if any of them fit into the Asian Eye or Womens’ Cinema Collective sections.

Closed for now

Selected curated short films which were not selected in the Competition Section

Student