📌 About the Event

The Cinema Today Short Film Contest 2026 is a premier cinematic tournament hosted by Cinema Factory as a marquee track of the Broadcast Media Expo. Spanning three full days, this platform is specifically designed to unearth and showcase the next generation of visual storytellers, independent directors, and multi-format creators in India.

The contest brings indie films out of the bedroom studio and onto the massive trade center screens, offering direct access to prominent industry veterans, distributing agencies, and premium equipment sponsors.

---

📅 Critical Phase Timeline

• Hard Submission Closing Window: June 20, 2026 @ 11:59 PM IST
• Main Expo & Screening Dates: July 17, 18 & 19, 2026
• Physical Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

---

🛠️ Technical Submission Guidelines

To bypass instant disqualification filters, all digital film files must strictly comply with these distribution standards:

• ⏱️ Running Time Limit: Maximum 10 minutes total runtime (this rule explicitly includes your intro/outro credit rolls).
• 🖥️ Quality Benchmarks: Rendered in Full HD (1920×1080) resolution or higher inside an MP4 or MOV wrapper container utilizing stable H.264 or H.265 compression codecs.
• 📱 Vertical Format Explicit Target: Submissions aiming for the Vertical Category must be framed strictly in a 9:16 aspect ratio.
• 🔤 Localization: English subtitles are completely mandatory for all entries, except for films natively tracked in Tamil or English.
• 📁 Standardized File Naming Template: Must read exactly as: FilmTitle_DirectorName_Category_2026

---

📩 The 4-Step Submission Protocol:

• Upload your finalized film asset to your secure Google Drive or Vimeo cloud network.
• Format the filename according to the standard naming syntax listed above.
• Verify that your cloud link permissions are configured to “Anyone with the link can view/download”.
• Email the shareable link directly to the ingestion desk at: filmfest26@cinemafactory.co.in before the June 20th deadline.

---

🏆 The Award, Cash, & Equipment Matrix

The selection panel will distribute cash bounties alongside professional production hardware kits sponsored by Prathiksha Cameras:

Prize Category	Target Discipline	Reward Package
🥇 Grand Prize	Best Short Film (All Genres)	₹50,000 Cash + Elite Distribution Perks
📱 Vertical Format Prize	Best Vertical Short Film (9:16 Only)	₹25,000 Cash
🎬 Direction Laurels	Best Director	₹10,000 Cash
🎥 Cinematography Laurels	Best Cinematography	₹10,000 Cash
🎭 Performance Laurels	Best Actor	₹10,000 Cash
🎧 Post Production Laurels	Best Editor & Sound Design	₹10,000 Cash
⭐ Special Jury Choice	Special Jury Prize	Amaran Lighting Kit (Worth ₹20,000)
📱 Vertical Mention	Special Mention – Vertical Film	Amaran Lighting Kit (Worth ₹12,000)
🤖 AI Category Innovator	Special Mention – AI Film	Wireless Microphone Kit (Worth ₹8,000)