International Kolkata Short Film Festival

1. Festival Overview
1.1 Festival Mission & Objective

The International Kolkata Short Film Festival (IKSFF) proudly returns for its 7th edition, taking place from 18 January to 24 January 2027.

IKSFF is committed to celebrating the global art of short filmmaking by presenting inspiring, thought-provoking, innovative, and culturally diverse cinematic works.

The festival welcomes submissions from professional and non-professional filmmakers worldwide. All competitive screenings, jury evaluations, and award decisions will be conducted in Kolkata, India.

⦿ IKSFF aims to:

> Encourage emerging and established filmmakers
> Promote cross-cultural cinematic collaboration
> Provide a global platform for unique voices and bold storytelling
> Celebrate the short film as a powerful and expressive art form

2. Key Dates

⦿ Call for Entry Opens: 15 March 2026
⦿ Early Bird Deadline: 30 April 2026
⦿ Regular Deadline: 30 June 2026
⦿ Extended Regular Deadline: 31 August 2026
⦿ Late Deadline: 30 September 2026
⦿ Final Deadline: 31 October 2026
⦿ Extended Final Deadline: 30 November 2026

Note:

> Entry fees are non-refundable.
> Submission does not guarantee selection.

3. About Eventizer

Eventizer is the official digital platform supporting IKSFF. It facilitates promotion, ticketing, and online/hybrid event hosting.
Filmmakers may also use Eventizer to showcase their films with ticketed access.

4. Festival Schedule

⦿ Online & Offline Festival: 18 January 2027 – 24 January 2027
⦿ Award Ceremony: Sunday, 24 January 2027 (Kolkata)

5. Eligibility Criteria

⦿ Open to Short Films, Long Short Films, Short Documentaries, Music Videos, Advertisements/Commercials, and Public Service Announcements (PSA).

⦿ All submissions must be completed on or after 1 January 2015 for competition.

⦿ Films completed before 2015 are eligible only for the Non-Competitive category.

⦿ Films may be in any language or genre, but non-English films must include English subtitles.

⦿ Songs taken directly from feature films/short films are not accepted as standalone music videos.
 — If submitted, they must be presented in an independent music video format with original visual storytelling.
 — Title songs or promotional music videos with independent visuals are accepted.

6. Entry Guidelines

⦿ Multiple submissions are allowed across all categories.

Categories:

⦿ Short Film: Up to 30 minutes
⦿ Short Documentary Film: Up to 30 minutes
⦿ Long Short Film: Up to 45 minutes
⦿ Animation Short Film: Up to 30 minutes
⦿ Enviromental Short Film: Up to 30 minutes
⦿ AI Short Film: Up to 10 minutes
⦿ Music Video: Up to 8 minutes
⦿ Advertisement/Commercial: Up to 6 minutes
⦿ Public Service Announcement (PSA): Up to 6 minutes

⦿ Nomination and award eligibility require a minimum of 5 valid entries per category.

6.1 Entry Fee

IKSFF charges a non-refundable entry fee.
Please refer to the Categories & Fees section for detailed information.

6.2 Screening

An Official Selection does not guarantee screening.
Only a curated list—determined by the Festival Selection Committee—will be screened.
All committee decisions are final and binding.

7. Participation Terms

⦿ Submission implies full acceptance of all IKSFF rules and regulations.
⦿ No screening fees or travel reimbursements will be provided.
⦿ IKSFF reserves the right to make all final decisions regarding selections and awards.

8. Individual Screenings

Filmmakers may screen their films independently under the Non-Competitive category.
Contact: +91 9748762007

9. Submission Materials

Submit the following high-resolution items (JPEG, TIFF, EPS):

⦿ 4 Production stills
⦿ 2 Director photographs
⦿ Film poster
⦿ 2 Movie stills
⦿ Press clippings, brochures, or pamphlets
⦿ 20-second trailer

Note: Submission materials will not be returned.

10. Selection & Notification

⦿ Selected films will be announced on the festival’s official website and Facebook page before the festival.
⦿ Selected filmmakers will be notified via email or available contact details.

11. For Selected Films
11.1 Obligations

⦿ Participation requires unconditional acceptance of all festival terms.
⦿ Selected competitive films must permit one-time exhibition on a Partnering Satellite Channel.
⦿ Catalog materials must be submitted promptly upon request.
⦿ IKSFF is not responsible for inaccuracies in submitted materials.

11.2 Catalog Information Requirements

⦿ Film title (original & English)
⦿ Country, year, premiere status, duration
⦿ Director, producer, screenplay, cinematography, editing, sound, music
⦿ Principal cast
⦿ Production company, sales company, print source
⦿ Production design details

12. Publicity & Promotion

⦿ IKSFF may use excerpts (up to 3 minutes or 10%) of a film for promotional purposes.
⦿ Photos and clips may be used globally across digital platforms without compensation.
⦿ A 20-second trailer is mandatory for all promotional activity.

13. Subtitling

⦿ Films will be screened in their original version.
⦿ English subtitles are mandatory for all non-English dialogue.
⦿ Electronic subtitling is not permitted.

14. Usage of Submission Materials

⦿ Promotion: IKSFF/Eventizer may showcase excerpts from submissions across radio, television, and digital media worldwide.

⦿ Screening: Films may be screened online or offline, during or after the festival, for commercial, non-commercial, or social purposes for an unlimited period.

⦿ Archiving: All submissions become part of the IKSFF World Film Library for educational and archival use.

⦿ Editing Rights: IKSFF may edit materials for use in festival publications.

15. Judging & Awards

The judging process consists of three rounds:

⦿ Round A – Preliminary Screening

The IKSFF Jury conducts an initial screening to ensure guideline adherence.
Following this, the Screening Committee reviews the shortlisted entries and finalizes the Official Selections.

⦿ Round B – Nomination Selection

From the Official Selections, the Screening Committee and Hon'ble Jury conduct detailed evaluations and finalize official nominations.

⦿ Round C – Award Selection

The Final Jury Panel—comprising the Festival Chairman, Festival Director, and Chief Advisor—conducts the final evaluation and selects the award-winning films.

Important Note:

>> The festival is not bound to provide individual reasons for non-selection.
>> The judging involves multiple jury members and several evaluation criteria.
>> Scores, internal remarks, and jury opinions are confidential.
>> To maintain fairness and transparency, no detailed reasons will be disclosed to participants.
>> All decisions of the committee and jury are final and binding as per IKSFF Rules & Regulations.