APPLICATION OF THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS
The following terms and conditions govern the submission of films to the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, through filmfreeway.com (FilmFreeway), for consideration for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026 program. Any questions about these Terms should be directed to programming@iffm.com.au
We advise you to read the rules and regulations carefully before you submit your film.
I. SUBMISSION AGREEMENT
1. By submitting a film for consideration at IFFM, the submitter confirms that all necessary consents have been obtained from owners, creators, writers, producers, and any other authorized representatives required for submission and festival screening, and that they have read, understood, and agreed to the festival’s Terms and Conditions.
2. All submitted films should be the filmmaker’s original work, and all associated rights, including music, footage, and script, must be duly cleared.
3. IFFM may reject or disqualify any submission that, in its sole discretion, is found to be partly or fully not in line with these terms, though it is not obligated to do so.
II. SUBMISSION CATEGORIES AND ELIGIBILITY
Films that do not meet the eligibility requirements for any of the categories below should not be submitted and will not be considered by IFFM.
1. For all listed categories—Animation, Beyond Bollywood, Documentaries, Film India World, Hurray Bollywood, Short Film Competition, and Short Films Made in Melbourne—films are eligible as long as they are directed by:
• An Indian citizen,
• An Australian permanent resident, or
• A member of the Indian diaspora anywhere in the world.
Under these guidelines, there are no country-of-production restrictions. We welcome and accept films from diaspora makers worldwide, regardless of where the film was produced or filmed, as long as your story has a South Asian connect or theme.
2. For the “From the Subcontinent” category, eligible films are those directed by a citizen of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, or the Maldives, or by an Australian permanent resident or Diaspora, and that list one of these countries as a country of production.
3. IFFM prefers that all feature films screened at the festival be, at a minimum, Victorian premieres. While submissions that have previously premiered in India or outside Victoria (Australia) will be accepted, a film’s premiere status will be considered during final programming decisions. Exceptions may be made in certain cases.
4. Definitions:
- Features are films whose runtime is over 59 minutes, including credits.
- Short films are films whose runtime is under 59 minutes, including credits.
5. A film is not eligible for consideration and should not be submitted if:
- It was completed before June 2025; or
- It has previously been submitted to IFFM for festival consideration.
6. All films must be submitted online via a password-protected link (FilmFreeway, Vimeo, YouTube unlisted link, or Google Drive link).
III. PROCESS FOR SUBMISSION
1. All films submitted under these Terms must follow the submission process outlined above. IFFM may reject or disqualify any film that is not submitted in accordance with these procedures.
2. To submit a film for festival consideration, applicants must (a) complete the registration process via FilmFreeway and/or (b) provide a screener for feature films for review by the IFFM programming team. IFFM does not accept submissions through any other method or format, including RW discs, Blu-ray discs, external links, downloadable files, or trailers. The screener must contain one version of the film in the original language of production, with mandatory hardcoded English subtitles. Legal screen watermarks are acceptable.
2. Must be labelled with the following: (i) Original Title in English (English Title), (ii) Production Company, Phone Number and Address, (iii) Director’s Name, (iv) Length in Minutes, and (v) FilmFreeway Tracking Number, (vi) Year of Production, (vii) Language
3. Applicants should test their screener links thoroughly before submitting them. The applicant has sole responsibility for ensuring that the submitted screener plays in its entirety. If IFFM is unable to view the screener link, IFFM may attempt, but is under no obligation, to contact the applicant to obtain an alternate screener link.
4. We shall accept Work-in-progress films, but it has to be clearly mentioned in the application form.
5. A filmmaker can submit more than one film, but each film requires a separate entry and fee.
6. IFFM will not review multiple versions of a submitted film. Only one version of the film may be submitted. If multiple versions are submitted, the submission will be disqualified.
7. For competitions, the jury's decision will be considered final and binding.
8. The festival is not obligated to cover travel or accommodation expenses. An invitation to participate in the festival constitutes an invitation to screen the film at festival theatres and does not extend to an invitation for the filmmaker to attend the festival in person.
IV. DCP Screening
1. All films are screened exclusively in DCP format. If a film does not have an existing DCP, the cost of creating the DCP will need to be covered by the film team.
2. All DCPs must be delivered online through the partner lab closer to the festival dates. Physical delivery of DCPs is also accepted via prepaid shipping. IFFM does not accept collect or cash-on-delivery shipments.
2. IFFM is not responsible for and will not accept shipments incurring expenses for terminal charges, duties, taxes or customs brokerage. Applicants should clearly indicate on all waybills that transportation and customs charges are to be billed to the sender. Any shipping charges incurred by IFFM will be billed back to the Applicant.
3. Films should not be shipped in excessive packaging or with any materials other than those requested by IFFM.
4. IFFM is not responsible and bears no liability with respect to the clearance of shipments through Australian customs. However, IFFM recommends that Applicants sending submissions from outside of Australia take the following steps to increase the chance of successful review by Australian customs:
1. Include three copies of a commercial invoice (declaration of contents) containing the following
information:
- Sender’s name, address and telephone number
- Recipient’s address
- Title of film and format
- Length of film
- Fair market value (standard is cost AUD $20)
- Country of manufacture
- Declaration “Goods on loan for Film Festival purposes only. No commercial value. Non‐ pornographic.”
- Sender’s signature
2. The commercial invoice should be included with the courier waybill. Applicants shipping via international post should affix a customs declaration label to the outside of the package.
3. IFFM does not confirm receipt of shipment and is not responsible for lost or misdirected packages. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the submission procedure is complete and that the DCP is received by IFFM.
V. SELECTION
1. IFFM will consider for inclusion in the festival all eligible films that have been submitted by the above deadline and in accordance with these terms.
2. Once the film lineup is officially announced and published on the website and other places, it cannot be withdrawn from the lineup.
3. All selection decisions are made solely by IFFM and are final. IFFM is not obliged to provide feedback, comments, or reasons for the selection or non-selection of any film. IFFM is not responsible or liable for its selection decisions, any internal comments or feedback about the film, communications from IFFM representatives, how the film was reviewed, or any failure to provide information about the film’s consideration.
4. IFFM will contact applicants using the contact information provided in the FilmFreeway registration form. Applicants are responsible for providing correct and functional contact information. IFFM is not responsible for any failed attempts to contact applicants using the contact information provided.
VI. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LEGAL CLAIMS AND INDEMNITIES
1. The festival reserves the right to screen the selected films during the festival dates and use excerpts for promotion.
2. By submitting a film to IFFM, the Applicant and Film Owners confirm and agree that:
Originality and Rights:
The film is entirely original and does not copy or include any work protected by copyright or other rights unless it is in the public domain or all necessary permissions, releases, licenses, or authorizations have been obtained. The film does not defame anyone or violate any legal rights, including privacy, publicity, or other personal rights. The film is not involved in any legal dispute or litigation. There are no agreements, nor will there be any future agreements, that would prevent the submission of the film or conflict with these Terms.
Authority to Submit:
The submitting parties have the full right and authority to submit the film to IFFM and grant all rights as outlined in these Terms and the FilmFreeway registration form. Nothing prevents or restricts the submitting parties from fully fulfilling their obligations under this submission.
Indemnity:
The submitting parties agree to protect and hold harmless IFFM, its licensees, staff, volunteers, affiliates, and representatives from any claims, losses, costs, damages, or legal fees arising directly or indirectly from the use or screening of the submitted film, or from any breach of these Terms or the FilmFreeway registration form.
Film Security:
IFFM takes reasonable precautions to protect films from piracy. All films are securely stored, and access is limited to staff who need it to screen and review submissions. By submitting a film, the submitting parties release IFFM and its representatives from any liability in case of theft, unauthorized access, copying, or copyright infringement while the film is in IFFM’s possession.
VII. OTHER
IFFM reserves the right to rule, in its sole discretion, on cases and situations not foreseen by these Terms.
