Competition Rules

These Competition Rules apply to all participants in the National Reels & Short Film Competition 2026. Please read these rules carefully before registering. Participation constitutes acceptance of all rules.

A. Entry & Eligibility Rules

1. Each registered participant may submit one (1) entry per registration.
2. Entries must be original works created by the registered participant(s), or for which all necessary permissions have been obtained. As set forth in the Participant Declaration, submitted content must not be AI generated.
3. Entries must address one of the five approved theme groups: Family, Memory, Legacy, Life Story, or Future.
4. Entries previously submitted to another competition or previously broadcast/published in a public competition context are not eligible.
5. Languages: Entries are evaluated natively in 11 core Indian languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Odia. In addition, entries in any of the 22 Eighth Schedule Indian languages or regional dialects are welcomed when submitted with English or Hindi subtitles for national jury screening.
6. Age Eligibility: Open to all creators aged 18 years and older. Students and youth under 18 years of age are warmly welcomed to participate with parent/guardian consent or through verified faculty/campus coordinator sponsorship.

B. Format Rules

1. Short Reel: Maximum 90 seconds. Vertical (9:16) or square (1:1) format preferred. Suitable for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts.
2. Short Film: Minimum 90 seconds, maximum 10 minutes. Standard cinematic formats accepted (16:9, 4:3, 2.35:1).
3. Documentary Segment: Minimum 10 minutes, maximum 20 minutes. Must maintain documentary authenticity. Dramatisation should be minimal and clearly disclosed.
4. Minimum resolution: 720p HD. 4K preferred where available.
5. Audio must be clear and comprehensible. Subtitles in English or Hindi are recommended for regional entries.

C. Content Rules

1. Content must be suitable for general audiences of all ages.
2. If your entry depicts historical injustice, trauma, or difficult experiences, it should be handled with sensitivity and respect.
3. Entries must not contain political propaganda or content that could be reasonably interpreted as targeting specific political parties, candidates, or ideologies.
4. Entries depicting religious practices must do so respectfully and authentically.

D. Rights and Consent Rules

1. All people who appear in your entry must have given their informed consent to be filmed and included in a competition submission.
2. Written consent is strongly recommended. Where written consent is not possible, documented verbal consent (recorded) is acceptable.
3. If your entry features footage of locations or archives not owned by you, you must hold the appropriate licence or permission to use such material.
4. Music used must be original, licensed, or royalty-free. The Organiser recommends sources such as YouTube Audio Library, Free Music Archive, or Artlist.

E. Submission Rules & Official Deadlines

1. All submissions must be made through the official Creator Dashboard before the published submission deadline: November 30, 2026, 23:59 IST.
2. Late submissions will not be considered.
3. Submissions must include: title, description (max 150 words), theme, sub-theme, language, video URL or file, credits, and completed consent declarations.
4. Video links must remain active and accessible (public or "anyone with link") throughout the entire judging period.
5. Once finalised, submissions cannot be edited. The Admin may reopen a submission in exceptional circumstances at their sole discretion.

F. Judging Timeline & Shortlisting

1. All eligible entries will be reviewed by the National Family Story Jury.
2. Entries will be assessed on: storytelling quality, emotional impact, visual and audio quality, authenticity, and relevance to the chosen theme.
3. Evaluation Standard: All eligible entries are assessed in a two-stage blind evaluation process against the published Official 100-Point Scoring Rubric across 50 Parameters and 6 Impartial Safeguards. Budgets, expensive cinema cameras, or social media follower counts do not determine outcomes; honest human emotion and storytelling integrity govern selection.
4. Timeline:
   • Submission Window Closes: November 30, 2026 (23:59 IST)
   • Jury Review & Top 100 Announcement: December 15, 2026
   • Grand Finale Gala & Awards Ceremony (Mumbai): January 2027
5. Jury decisions are final and binding. No appeal or review is available.
6. The Organiser reserves the right to add, remove, or modify jury members at any time without notice. Private jury scoring is never made public.

G. Official Awards & Prize Structure

The competition awards a total verified prize pool of ₹2,50,000 (₹2.5 Lakh INR) across approved categories:

H. Registration Fee & Value Transparency

1. The registration fee is a single flat fee of ₹500.00 (INR) (all taxes included, zero hidden charges, zero convenience fees).
2. The 12-part Filmmaker Creator Kit (50 prompts, 20 questionnaires, LUTs, audio SFX pack, shooting guides) is included completely free of cost with every verified entry pass.
3. Payment is processed securely through Cashfree Payments with immediate automated issuance of the Registration ID and receipt.

I. Disqualification

An entry may be disqualified without refund for any of the following:

• Providing false information during registration
• Submitting content that violates these rules
• Attempting to influence or manipulate the judging process
• Harassment or abusive behaviour toward competition staff, jury members, or other participants
• Submitting a video link that becomes inaccessible during the judging period

J. Communication

1. All official competition communications will be sent to your registered email and, where opted in, your WhatsApp number.
2. It is your responsibility to ensure your contact details are correct and your inbox is accessible.
3. The Organiser is not responsible for communications missed due to incorrect contact details, spam filters, or network issues.