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The competition is open to all Indian citizens and NRIs aged 18 and above. This includes short-film makers, reel creators, YouTubers, Instagram creators, film students, mass communication students, journalism students, animation students, video editors, photographers, theatre artists, script writers, digital storytellers, wedding filmmakers, documentary makers, college students, senior citizens' organisations, NGOs, family communities, cultural organisations, Marathi cultural groups, and NRI communities. If you have a story to tell, you belong here.

We accept three formats: Short Reels (vertical 9:16, up to 90 seconds, MP4/MOV), Short Films (horizontal 16:9, 90 seconds to 10 minutes, 1080p/4K), and Documentary Segments (horizontal 16:9, 10 to 20 minutes, 1080p/4K). All entries must be original works.

Entries are accepted in all 22 recognised Indian languages and English. Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Odia, Assamese, and more are all welcome. If your entry is in a language other than Hindi, Marathi, or English, subtitles in English or Hindi are strongly encouraged to assist national jury evaluation.

Register using the fast online registration form on our website. Enter your name, mobile, email, select your theme and format, and pay the single ₹500 registration fee. You will instantly receive your unique Creator ID, official registration confirmation, payment receipt, and digital access to the 12-part Family Story Creator Kit.

Payment is made securely through our RBI-authorized payment gateway (Cashfree Payments). You can pay via UPI (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM), debit card, credit card, or net banking. All transactions are protected with 256-bit encryption. You will receive an instant payment confirmation and GST-compliant receipt.

Submissions are made through your secure Creator Dashboard using your unique Creator ID. Upload your video file (MP4 or MOV, up to 2 GB) or provide a Google Drive / Vimeo link with open viewing permissions. Fill in your film title, synopsis, language, and key cast/crew details before submitting.

You can edit your submission as many times as needed until the final deadline on November 30, 2026. You can update your video file, synopsis, title, and metadata through your Creator Dashboard. Once the final deadline passes, all submissions are locked for jury review.

Your complete 12-part Family Story Creator Kit is unlocked instantly upon successful registration and payment. You can download the PDF guides, templates, and checklists directly from your Creator Dashboard. Your verifiable digital Creator ID is generated immediately and remains accessible 24/7.

You retain 100% full ownership and copyright of your film. By submitting, you grant National Reels & Short Film Competition 2026 and its co-organisers a non-exclusive license to screen, promote, and showcase your entry across festival channels, ceremonies, and archive platforms with full creator attribution.

Select nominated entries may be featured on our official Instagram, YouTube, and partner channels for promotional and community showcase purposes, with full credit to the creator and team. You will be notified whenever your work is featured.

Each eligible submission undergoes blind evaluation by our panel of veteran filmmakers, film scholars, and industry professionals. Entries are scored across narrative originality, emotional resonance, technical execution, cultural preservation value, and storytelling effectiveness.

All critical announcements, shortlisting updates, jury notifications, and screening invitations will be sent directly via WhatsApp to your registered mobile number and via email to your registered email address. You can also view real-time status in your Creator Dashboard.

Anyone clearly identifiable in your film should give verbal or written consent to appear. For documentary subjects and elders, a simple signed or recorded consent acknowledging participation is sufficient. We provide standard consent templates inside the Creator Kit for your convenience.