IFFI 2026 Best Web Series (OTT) Award
National Film Development Corporation (NFDC)
📌About the Event
The IFFI 2026 Best Web Series (OTT) Award is a national-level award presented as part of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Introduced in 2023, the award recognises outstanding original Indian web series released on OTT platforms, with emphasis on artistic merit, storytelling, technical excellence and overall impact. The 57th IFFI will be held in Goa from 20–28 November 2026.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Festival: 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
- Mode of Conduct: Hybrid submission and offline award event.
- Applications were submitted online, followed by submission of a signed hard copy and supporting documents to NFDC in Mumbai.
- The web series must also be provided through a private online screener link for the selection process.
- Screeners must have English subtitles and should not require judges to register, subscribe or make a payment to view them.
- The final IFFI festival and award ceremony will be conducted offline in Goa, India.
- Festival Dates: 20–28 November 2026.
📅 Important Dates
- Call for entries announced: 21 July 2026.
- Eligibility period for OTT release: 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026.
- Hard-copy submission deadline: 31 August 2026, 6:00 PM.
- 57th IFFI: 20–28 November 2026, Goa.
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibilty:
- Producers normally working and residing in India.
- Production houses incorporated or registered in India.
- OTT platforms for their original or co-produced content.
- The majority rights holder in case of a co-production.
- Participating OTT platforms must comply with Part III of the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
- The web series must be originally created/shot and available in an Indian language.
- The content must have been commissioned, produced, co-produced, licensed or acquired specifically for release on an OTT platform.
- All episodes of the submitted series or season must have been released between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026.
- All episodes must be publicly available on an OTT platform.
- For a multi-season web series, only one season can be entered.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- Cash Prize: ₹10 lakh.
- The ₹10 lakh prize is shared equally among the eligible Director(s), Creator(s), and Producer/Production House/OTT Platform, depending on the production structure.
- Certificates are awarded to the Director(s)/Creator(s) and Producer(s)/Production House/eligible OTT Platform.
- The OTT platform streaming the winning web series also receives a certificate.
- The winning series receives national recognition at the 57th International Film Festival of India.