Teen Indie Film Awards

CALLING FOR SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES FOR TIFA 2026

The Teen Indie Film Awards (TIFA), Bengaluru, is a unique film festival initiative, ‘of the students, by the students and for student filmmakers’, to recognise and celebrate excellence and creativity in film productions by school and university students from across the world.
ELIGIBILITY: Filmmakers have to be within the age group of 13-19 (Teen Indie category) or 21-25 (Emerging young Filmmaker category) at the time of submission.
AWARDS: Trophies, along with cash awards upto Rs 3 Lakh (across select categories), film education scholarships and production opportunities.

4th TIFA 2025 (Media Report)
TEEN AND YOUTH FILMMAKERS SHINE AT TIFA 2025 as Bengaluru emerges as a launchpad for new cinema voices. TIFA’s fourth edition, hosted by RV University, unlocks India’s untapped 13–25 youth creator segment.

The 4th TIFA 2025 Awards Ceremony took place on 14 November, 2025, highlighting and celebrating the talents of student filmmakers across 20+ award categories. With participation from over 40 countries, the festival connected and showcased 200+ student filmmakers, screening over 60 short, essay, and experimental films. This year’s program featured 15 distinguished speakers and jury members from national and international backgrounds, along with four feature film premieres across fiction and documentary categories. The festival marked its most successful edition to date, with participation growing across India and overseas, positioning TIFA firmly as Bengaluru’s third-largest film festival after BIFFES and BISFF. “It was exciting to witness such clarity of vision at such a young age. What I liked most about these films is that they have not been corrupted by technology. The thought is pure. These are pearls that need to be noticed in this competitive world,” said Mr. Amit Behl, a distinguished filmmaker who served as a special guest and jury member at the festival. “Students here are lucky. The Kannada, Hindi, and Tamil film industries are all nearby. When you're at a film festival like this, be a sponge and absorb as much as you can. I hope TIFA grows and becomes the biggest festival of its kind.”
According to Prof. (Dr.) Piyush Roy, Dean, School of Film, Media and Creative Arts at RV University, “TIFA is evolving into a national talent-discovery engine. With every edition, we see more confidence, ambition and agency in young filmmakers who are eager to pursue cinema as a legitimate professional path.” Over five themed days, students explored diverse aspects of contemporary storytelling through screenings, masterclasses, newsroom simulations and a high-energy script pitch challenge. The festival opened with a feature film from North East India, reinforcing TIFA’s commitment to inclusive filmmaking and representation of emerging cultures and voices, and concluded with the animation blockbuster, Mahavatar Narsimha.
A new in-festival filmmaking competition – Talent Hunt for Emerging Filmmakers of Tomorrow (THEFT) was launched this year. The winners were judged and recognised by Hombale Films, India’s largest production house, with showcase opportunity offers on their YouTube and OTT platforms.
Strengthening its role as a springboard for emerging talent in India’s fast-expanding visual media sector, the fifth edition of TIFA (in 2026) is expected to bring even greater international participation and career-shaping opportunities for young filmmakers, along with the launch of a production market for indie filmmakers.
TIFA 2025 WINNERS
Teen Indie Category (13-19) Awards:
● Best Story - Adarsh U Nair for The Last Heist, India
● Best Ensemble - Bhuvan, Chethana Prasad, Abhinandan, Kumuda and Nandish Mahadev for Regret, India
● Best Direction - Qu Bingkun for Summer With Diogenes, China and Amirhossein Bahamani for The Ceiling of Wishes, Iran
● Best Technical Achievement - Akshat Asolkar for Mirror Behind the Bars, India
● Best Film - In the Backstage, Rui Paulo Silva, Portugal

Emerging Young Filmmakers Category (20-25) Awards:
● Best Film Animation - Straight and In A Circle by Palina Ramashka, Belarus
● Best Film Essay/Experimental (Non-Fiction) - Fadalous by Yahya Tamer Zeitar, Egypt
● Best Film Fiction - The Tragic Theft of the Anima Sol by Laxya Pahuja and Devjyoti Ghosh, India and Mari Lewd by Michael Szalcer, UK.

RJ Hunt Winners:
● Winner - J. Trishaa
● Runner Up - Mrudula
Pixel Storm Winners:
● Freefire Contest Winner - Nithin M
● BGMI Contest Winners - Shriyansh and Team
● FIFA Contest Winner - Manav N
● Valorant Contest Winner - Rachur Venkata Vijayadithya
● Animation Sprint Winner - Rakshita Rao
● Comix Blitz - Chidattmika Pradan

Talent Hunt for Emerging Filmmakers of Tomorrow (THEFT) Winners:
● First: Satya by G U Prem Kumar, Cast and Crew: Nidhi Srikanth and Anniruddha
● First Runners Up: Kuberaa by Charan Aradhya, Cast and Crew: Mayur Suresh, Sourav Kavinannan, Pavan Kumar and Puneeth
● Second Runner Up: Prema Tantra by Prem HC, Cast and Crew: Suraj Mahesh, Navaneet, Sheshu

The 3rd TIFA 2024 Awards Ceremony took place on March 17, 2024, highlighting and celebrating the talents of student filmmakers across 15 award categories. With participation from over 30 countries, the festival connected and showcased 150 student filmmakers, screening a total of 85 short, essay, and experimental films. This year’s program featured 13 distinguished speakers and jury members from national and international backgrounds, along with three feature film premieres across fiction and documentary categories.

The festival launched with a special screening of The Song Keepers by award-winning Australian filmmaker Naina Sen, marking Australia as the focus country for TIFA 2024, following India’s leading presence in submissions. This four-day event was a vibrant convergence of creative minds and industry leaders, fostering meaningful cultural exchange. Attendees engaged in 20 insightful panels and masterclasses, covering topics from experimental cinema to film journalism, offering a rich educational experience for emerging filmmakers.

The jury for TIFA 2024 featured eminent personalities from the world of filmmaking, writing, and criticism, including Charu Sharma, Festival Director of YathaKatha International Film & Literature Festival, Mumbai; Rupali Gatti, production designer for the Baahubali series; Aishwarya Yadav, filmmaker; Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society of India and Bimal Roy Foundation.

List of Award Winners - TIFA 2024
• Best Film - Supernova - Niamh Collins, Ireland
• Best Director - Stanzin Idzes – Ri, Ladakh, India
• Best Actor in a Leading Role - Abhishek Kalal – LEFT, India
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Prof. V. Krishnappa – Park Sketch, India • Best Essay/Experimental Film - Mosaic – Isabel Park, Australia
• Best Story Award - Fence - Maryam Rezaei, Iran
• Best Technical Achievement Award - Khaali - Biswajyoti Sahoo, India • Best Costume/Styling - Lullaby Blues - Ethan Jeffrey, Canada
• Best Ensemble - LEFT – Rachana N. Jamadagni and Team, India
• Best Film RVU - Park Sketch – Ningrin Andrew Jamang
• Audience Choice Award - LEFT – Rachana N. Jamadagni, India
• Best Emerging Young Filmmaker (Fiction) - Alone , Arthur Casez, France • Best Emerging Young Filmmaker (Essay/Experimental) - Prarambh, Nitin Marskole, India
• Best Emerging Young Filmmaker (Animation) - Crosswalk, Yeji Choi, North Korea • Audience Choice Award - Love Note, Janvi, India

The Fourth edition of the Teen Indie Film Awards (TIFA) will be held in November 2025. Trophies will be awarded to entries by student filmmakers in the age group of 13-19 years, celebrating films that explore personal and universal themes centred around the experience of being a teenager or young adult. Submissions are welcome in a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, documentary, essay, and experimental films, allowing young filmmakers to delve into the issues, ideas, and experiences that define their generation. Filmmakers in the age group of 20-25, can submit films for Audience Choice Award, Student Jury Prize and ‘Emerging Young Filmmaker in World Cinema’ categories.

For Further Details Visit: https://rvu.edu.in/tifa-home 
View show reels of TIFA 2024 Nominees: https://rvu.edu.in/tifa.php 
https://www.apnnews.com/rv-university-announces-a pan-india-filmmaking-competition-for-high-school-students/ 
https://indiaeducationdiary.in/rv university-to-host-teen-indie-film-screening-and-awards-2022/