It's India's one of the prestigious film festivals. aims to support and encourage budding Indie-filmmakers & low-budget filmmakers. This section will showcase short films, feature films, Indie-web projects, documentaries, etc. Specially designed to help Indie-filmmakers/Documentary filmmakers. It also helps to place projects to the audience by providing sales support & distribution support.

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2025- Season 5, Dates: 5-7th December
Guests: Kamal Swaroop, Anurag Basu, Manoj Bajpayee,Sudipto Sen,Rima Das, Raaj Shandilya, Arati Kadav, Akshat Ajay Sharma, Neeraj Kabi,Deepak Dobriyal, Gopal Dutt, Sharib Hasmi, Faisal Malik

2024- Season IV,High Lights
#Update Dated:28-10-2024
The Festival was completed successfully in Mumbai with Eniwas (Known for Manoj Bajpai starer Shool) & Kamal Swaroop (Known for Om Darbadar, Battle of Benaras, Samudra Manthan). Supported by Pratik Gandhi, Gopal Dutt, Gagan Dev Riar etc.
Thank you,

2023- Season III, High Lights
#Update Dated:11-10-2023
The Festival was completed successfully in Mumbai with Sanjay Khanduri (Known for Ek Chalis ki last local ) & Kamal Swaroop (Known for Om Darbadar, Battle of Benaras, Samudra Manthan). Supported by Akshat Ajay Sharma (Known for Haddi, Sacred games),Amit joshi (Trapped, Bubbly Bouncer) and many celebrities visited the festival like Kumud Mishra, Vinay Pathak, Piyush Mishra etc.
Thank you,

2022- Season II, High Lights
#Update Dated:14-11-2022
The Festival was completed successfully in Mumbai with Navdeep Singh (Known for Lal Kaptaan, NH10, 6 Feet under Manorama) & Kamal Swaroop (Known for Om Darbadar, Battle of Benaras, Samudra Manthan). Supported by Sriram Raghvan (Known for Andhadhun, Badlapur, Agent Vinod etc) & Anand Gandhi ( Known for Ship of Theseus).
Thank you,
2021- Season-I, High Lights
#Update Dated:31/08/21
Invited all participants, for our online festival
at 3:00 pm, today,
Anand Gandhi & Kamal Swaroop will be there.
Thank you,

#Update Dated: 29/08/21
3rd Round Selected Projects Announced (Semi-Finalists)
@ BreathlessfilmBlog
https://breathlessblog.online/index.php/2021/08/29/semi-finalists-at-mumbai-indie-film-festival-declared
Thank you,

#Update Dated: 26/08/21
Second round selected projects announced
The list you can find on #Breathlessblog #IndieFilmBlog
http://breathlessblog.online/index.php/2021/08/26/mumbai-indie-film-fest-announced-their-2nd-stage-selection-list/#comment-3
Thank you

#update Dated: 21/08/21
First-round selected announced

#Update Dated:20/08/21
Please stay tuned to our Operation rule book.
Thank you.

#Update Dated:20/08/21
Hello Indie-filmmakers,
Today is the last day of our late deadline submission. We'll close our window of submission today. It will be open till midnight.
Submit your film before.
Thank you...

#Update Dated:19/08/21
(*Film submission notification)
Hello, world,
If you did not get a confirmation email in a day or two, please raise your ticket through email. We already sent emails.
info@mumbaiindiefilmfest.in or
dustbinideas@gmail.com

#Update Dated: 18/08/21
Meet our corporate jury panelist #SoniaParasnis. #HungamaDigital
Sonia heads content programming for Hungama across its music and video verticals. Her creative expertise has led the company to launch several original shows and properties, in addition to reinventing its day-to-day programming for enhanced consumer engagement.

#Update Dated: 16/08/21
We appointed Mr. Deepak Mahaan & Mr. Deepak Dua as our Internal content assessment team (Internal Jury member) & advisory members.
They both deserve a lot. Cause they served the industry for more than 3 decades.
Soon we'll announce our corporate jury members.
Thank you.

#Update Dated:14/08/21
Here we are announcing the names of our special guests. Kamal Swaroop sir is known for his films #OmDarbadar #KhashiramKotwal & documentaries like #Samudramanthan & #BattleofBenaras. And Anand Gandhi for his film #Shipoftheseus & written #Tumbbad, #OkComputer.
Soon will announce our Jury panel. Stay tuned.

Awards & Prizes

Award and Certificate Announcement:
Best film :50,000/- Rupees
Best Documentary: 50,000/- Rupees
Best Short Film:25,000/- Rupees
As part of the festival’s grand celebration of cinema and creative expression, the Award Ceremony will honor the winning film with a Trophy and Certificate of Excellence, recognizing outstanding storytelling, artistic vision, and cinematic achievement. This moment stands as a tribute to the dedication and creativity of filmmakers who push the boundaries of imagination.
Every filmmaker who participated in the festival will be presented with a Certificate of Participation, as a gesture of appreciation for their contribution to the world of independent cinema. Each participant’s effort forms an integral part of our vibrant creative community, enriching the festival with unique voices and diverse perspectives.
Films that have been Officially Selected for screening will receive an Official Selection Certificate and Honour, marking their place among the distinguished works chosen by our selection committee. The Official Selection designation represents the festival’s recognition of creative excellence and serves as an emblem of distinction that filmmakers may proudly feature in their promotional materials and press kits.
We extend heartfelt congratulations to all participants and selected filmmakers. Your stories continue to inspire, challenge, and connect audiences worldwide — and it is our privilege to celebrate your cinematic journeys at this festival.

*Prize money is only given if it hits minimum 125 submissions, if not then it will be cancelled.

Rules & Terms

It's India's one of the most prestigious film festivals. Specially designed to help Indie-filmmakers/Documentary filmmakers. It's an anthropological effort to support Indie filmmakers by Badrinaath Sabat.

Eligibility
Film Types: We accept feature films, short films and documentaries.

Completion Date: All films must have been completed after 10 Oct/2023] or first time submitting.
Language: Non-English films must include English subtitles.
Screening Rights: The submitter must have full rights to the film and grant permission for its screening during the festival.

Selection Process
Films will be evaluated by a jury based on originality, storytelling, technical quality, and artistic impact.
Submission does not guarantee selection.
The festival reserves the right to determine the category under which a selected film will be screened.

Terms and Conditions
Publicity: By submitting, you grant the festival permission to use stills, posters, and excerpts (up to 30 seconds) of the film for promotional purposes.
Screening Rights: Selected films will be screened during the festival without any additional compensation.
Withdrawal: Films cannot be withdrawn once selected for the festival.
Liability: The festival is not responsible for any copyright infringement or disputes arising from your submission.

All rights reserved to take decisions & not answerable for questions regarding the selection of winners. Though it's an asset of interest, it'll be taken by our judges, jury & viewers collectively. We are not liable for all these & not even disclose our Judges and jury's views on your film.
21 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Indira Baikerikar

    Very well organised. .Really felt very organic. Great effort by the entire team. Look forward.

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Raakesh Rawat

    My experience with Mumbai Indie Film Festival was unfortunately disappointing and confusing.

    The festival was originally scheduled for August but was postponed multiple times and eventually took place in December, with very little clear communication. Early on, the festival released a shortlist that included my film. However, as the festival approached in December, I was asked again at very short notice of just two to three days, to resubmit a screener, with the film being re-shortlisted for screening. This repetitive and last-minute process created unnecessary confusion and uncertainty.

    Communication throughout was poor. Despite several attempts to seek clarity via email, responses were either extremely delayed or absent altogether, making it difficult to plan or understand the selection stages.

    While delays can happen, transparent communication and clear processes are essential when working with filmmakers. Unfortunately, this was lacking, and I hope future editions address these issues.

    January 2026
    Helpful
  • Naveen Gupta

    Dear filmmaker, don't waste your money on these kind of festivals. worst film festival

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Kiran Pote

    my film was selected for a screening. My Film Nazariya won the Best Social Film award at this festival in 2022. This is my second year at this festival as a filmmaker.
    thanks the all festival team & respected jury for the selection.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Raj Sisodiaa

    “Papa Aur Smartphone” is a heartfelt and beautifully observed short film that captures the quiet distances and unspoken love within a modern Indian family. The storytelling is simple yet deeply moving, portraying how technology shapes — and sometimes complicates — our closest relationships. The performances feel real, the emotions linger, and the film leaves you thinking long after it ends.

    I truly appreciate Mumbai Indie-Film Festival for selecting this film and giving it a platform. It’s encouraging for filmmakers like us when stories rooted in everyday life find a place and audience. Thank you for the opportunity and for supporting independent cinema.

    November 2025
    Helpful