Terms & Conditions

1. Organiser Identity & Official Records

The Competition is organized and administered by:

• Organiser (Lead Technology & Platform Entity):
  Humanity First Software Tech Pvt Ltd
  DPIIT Recognised Technology Startup
  Registered Office: Corporate Towers, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051, India.
  Support Email: support@nationalreelsfilm.com | Helpline: +91 7558220888
• Co-Organiser (Cultural & Evaluation Partner):
  Bharat Family Legacy Preservation Foundation
  Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to heritage, oral histories, and family cultural preservation.

2. Participant Eligibility

• Age Requirement: Open to individuals aged 18 years and older as of the date of registration. Minors (under 18) may participate exclusively through the Campus Challenge with verified faculty or institutional coordinator sponsorship.
• Citizenship & Residency: Open to Indian citizens and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) worldwide celebrating Indian family heritage.
• Team Submissions: Groups, collegiate film clubs, or family co-creators may produce entries jointly. However, one designated primary participant must register and hold legal accountability.
• Exclusions: Employees, directors, immediate family members of the Organisers, and designated competition jury members are excluded from competing for cash prizes.

3. Registration & Exact ₹500 Entry Price

Registration requires completion of the official online enrollment process at nationalreelsfilm.com.

Payment is processed securely through Cashfree Payments India Pvt Ltd. Payment confirmation is recognized only when verified server-side through cryptographically signed gateway webhooks.

4. Submission Rules & Technical Formats

• Permitted Formats:
  1. Short Reel: Up to 90 seconds (9:16 vertical or 16:9 widescreen format).
  2. Short Film: 90 seconds to 10 minutes (narrative drama, family slice-of-life).
  3. Documentary Segment: 10 to 20 minutes (biographical, oral history, family legacy archive).
• Official Competition Themes: Submissions must address one of the 5 official themes: (1) Grandparents' Untold Stories, (2) Family Recipes & Kitchen Legacies, (3) The Journey of Migration & Roots, (4) Unsung Sacrifices, or (5) Festivals Across Generations.
• Originality & AI Policy: Submissions must be original creative works filmed or directed by the registered participant. Generative AI cannot substitute for authentic human filming; AI tools may only be utilized for post-production assistive tasks (e.g., color grading, noise reduction, subtitles).
• Content Standards: Submissions must not contain unlawful, defamatory, sexually explicit, politically partisan, or infringing content. Any violation will result in immediate disqualification.

5. Informed Consent & Family Releases

• Participants represent and warrant that every individual appearing in their submitted video has given informed verbal or written consent for their likeness, voice, and personal stories to be filmed and screened.
• For minors appearing in any submission, consent of a parent or legal guardian is strictly mandatory.
• Participants indemnify the Organisers against any third-party privacy, defamation, or likeness claims arising from submitted films.

6. Intellectual Property (IP) Ownership & Licensing Permissions

• 100% Creator Ownership: The Participant retains 100% full copyright and ownership of their submitted video, script, and creative materials. The Organisers claim no proprietary ownership over your creative IP.
• Non-Exclusive Promotional License: By submitting an entry, the Participant grants the Organiser and Co-Organiser a royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive license to:
  • Screen the film during official Festival screening days, physical showcase sessions, and the Grand Finale;
  • Feature excerpts, stills, trailers, or creator interviews across official social media, website galleries, festival dockets, and cultural archival platforms;
  • Provide creator credit (name and handle) in all promotional and screening broadcasts.
• No Commercial Resale: The Organisers will not license, sell, or commercially distribute your creative work to third-party streaming platforms or commercial broadcasters without a separate, written mutual agreement.

7. Judging Process & Prize Terms

• Independent Merit Evaluation: All verified submissions submitted within the timeline will be reviewed by the National Family Story Jury. Evaluation criteria include storytelling depth, emotional authenticity, cultural preservation value, cinematography, and creative direction.
• No Guarantee of Winning: Registration, payment of the entry fee, or video submission does not guarantee any prize, award, screening slot, or shortlist selection. All accolades are decided strictly on creative merit.
• Jury Decision Finality: All decisions of the jury and judging committee are final, conclusive, and non-contestable. Scores and private jury deliberations remain confidential.
• Prize Pool: Cash awards from the ₹2,50,000 total prize pool, trophies, and commemorative citations will be awarded to confirmed winners following identity verification and tax deduction (TDS) compliance under Indian law.

8. Content Creator Registration, Refund & Cancellation Policy

Registration, fees, cancellations, and refunds are governed by our official Content Creator Registration, Refund & Cancellation Policy:

• Registration Fee: The registration fee for the competition shall be as displayed on the official registration portal at the time of registration. Registration will be confirmed upon successful receipt of payment and completion of the registration process. The fee covers participation in the competition and explicitly stated benefits.
• Refund Terms: The registration fee is generally non-refundable, as it covers registration, administration, digital resources, and related services. Refunds may be considered in cases of duplicate payment, verified payment-processing errors, or cancellation of the competition by the organiser. Any approved refund will be processed through the original payment method.
• Cancellation & Withdrawal: Participants may withdraw by notifying the organiser through the official contact channel. Withdrawal, non-submission, or disqualification for rules/IP/consent violations does not ordinarily entitle a participant to a refund.
• Acceptance: By completing registration and making payment, the participant acknowledges and agrees to the Registration, Refund & Cancellation Policy and the published terms and conditions.

9. Legal Declarations & Supabase Audit Recording

During the registration process, participants must execute the formal declaration:

• The Participant affirmatively accepts these Terms & Conditions and privacy standards.
• The application securely records the accepted terms version (NRSFC-LEGAL-v2026.1), participant IP address, user identifier, and ISO timestamp directly in the Supabase database.

10. Dispute Resolution & Jurisdiction

• Informal Resolution: In the event of any query, dispute, or claim, the Participant agrees to first notify the Organiser at support@nationalreelsfilm.com to seek an amicable resolution within 30 days.
• Exclusive Jurisdiction: These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Competition shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of India. All disputes, claims, or legal proceedings arising out of or in connection with the National Reels & Short Film Competition 2026 shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Sangli, Maharashtra, India. All participants, upon registration, agree to submit to the jurisdiction of these courts.

11. Contact & Legal Notices

All legal notices, regulatory requests, or queries regarding these Terms must be directed to: