Entrants must agree to all entry terms and conditions, which also include deadline and entry material requirements. Please read all Entry Terms and Conditions in their entirety as submission fees are non-refundable.
1) ALL entries must be:
a. a short (running time of less than 40 minutes including all credits) OR
b. a feature film (running time of more than 40 minutes including all credits)
2) ALL entries must be:
b. made in India OR
c. made in US/Canada by Directors of Indian Diaspora (subcontinent of India) OR
d. made in US/Canada by Producers of Indian Diaspora (subcontinent of India) with Indian origin actor (s) in lead role OR
e. made in US/Canada having lead actors of Indian Diaspora (subcontinent of India)
3) Release dates of movies must be:
a. Short films must be completed in 2025 or later
b. Feature films must be completed in 2023 or later.
4) Submission Deadlines
Following deadlines must be met without exception:
Early Submission Deadline: May 5, 2026
Regular Submission Deadline: May 25, 2026
Late Submission Deadline: June 16, 2026
Extended Submission Deadline: July 8, 2026
Notification Date: August 8, 2026
Late submissions can only be made with the express approval of festival directors.
5) Submission fees are as follows:
a. Short films:
- Earlybird Deadline: $35
- Regular Deadline: $40
- Late Deadline: $45
- Extended Deadline: $50
b. Feature films
- Earlybird Deadline: $80
- Regular Deadline: $85
- Late Deadline: $90
- Extended Deadline: $100
c. Screen Plays:
- Earlybird Deadline: $35
- Regular Deadline: $40
- Late Deadline: $45
- Extended Deadline: $50
6) ALL entries must be completed and considered a ‘final release’ before submission into the competition.
7) ALL entries are allowed to screen publicly and to be distributed to other film festivals worldwide.
8) No premiere status required.
9) Please follow the details below in order to submit your Film:
a. ALL projects must be submitted via FilmFreeway as a secure digital downloadable link. By submitting your Film on FilmFreeway, you accept that this document has been read and understood.
b. You must provide a link with a download option. It is the sole responsibility of the Film’s applicant to provide ALL information asked during the registration process via https://filmfreeway.com/AtlantaIndianFilmFestival
c. All of the included fields must be completed, your submission will not be considered complete until they are. If there are any setbacks in your application, AIFF will notify you by email.
10) Each submission is carefully considered solely on its own merit by the AIFF's independent jury.
11) Applicants submitting Films that contain non-English spoken dialogue, please provide on-screen English subtitles. Films without subtitles will be rejected.
12) AIFF will not be liable in any manner for the failure of notification. AIFF will not refund submission fees.
13) It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to secure clearance from the copyright holders of any copyrighted materials included within the submitted Film. AIFF or AIFF sponsors will not be held responsible for the unauthorized inclusion of any copyrighted materials within or relating to the submitted Film.
14) AIFF does NOT provide comments or feedback regarding the submitted Film to the Applicant or any other representative of the submitted Film.
15) Upon submission, withdrawal of the Film is not permissible.
16) AIFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission if it does not meet the stated requirements.
17) AIFF holds the right to determine the eligibility of any new or previously submitted film. In the event the film is deemed ineligible, AIFF is under no obligation to refund any or all submission fees previously collected from the Applicant.
18) Applicants are responsible for all insurance and submission costs.
19) It is the Applicant’s responsibility to read and understand the Rules and Terms, which are in place to protect both the Festival and the Filmmaker. By submitting your film on FilmFreeway, you are stating that you have read the Rules and Terms.
20) The AIFF is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition for promotional purposes.
21) Electronic press kits (which should include film stills, director(s) photos, brief director bio, producer(s) photos, brief producer bio, synopsis and production credits) are encouraged and must be submitted by the applicable deadline. In the event they are not, AIFF reserves the right to secure substitute materials from other sources for festival marketing.
22) Filmmaker shall indemnify and hold harmless the AIFF from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the submission materials entered. Selected films and their respective filmmakers agree to participate in the publicity for the festival as well as other promotional opportunities. Festival staff may require a high resolution Quicktime trailer (or 30 second clip) and social media info (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, etc). This media will be used to promote the individual films at the festival.
21) All of the above submission eligibility guidelines and general rules are subject to change by the AIFF without notice.
RULES AND TERMS FOR Atlanta Indian Film Bazaar (AIFB)
1. The filmmaker must identify as a person of Indian descent and be based in North America.
2. The film should take place in North America.
3. At least one primary character must identify as a person of Indian descent.
4. The project must be in the script stage, with no production having started.
5. The script must be anywhere from 90-120 pages in length.
6. Only original FEATURE PROJECTS or original adaptations of literary works with clear options can apply. Plagiarized work or lack of relevant paperwork in the case of adaptations or original projects will be immediately disqualified.
-Submission materials must include bios for the key creative team, artistic statement, artist
career development, logline, synopsis, script, budget, and project timeline.
7. Submission Fees will not be refunded.
8. Decision of the Jury is final.
USE OF SUBMITTED MATERIALS
1. All submitted materials will be used for pre-selection and selection purposes and stored in the AIFB archives. The materials will not be returned.
2. In case a project is selected, the submitted information may be published on AIFB’s website.
3. They will also be used to advertise the 2026 edition of AIFB Open Pitch and subsequent editions.
4. The submission of the form and materials indicates that the participant agrees to all terms and conditions of the AIFB and takes complete responsibility for the materials submitted and the information provided for the market and project guides.
The submission of a project implies the unconditional acceptance of the AIFB Rules and Procedures as well as the acceptance of all decisions taken by the selection committee and/or the Director, which are final.
