The ImagiNation International Student Film Festival is a pioneering platform designed to nurture creativity, storytelling, and media literacy among young minds right from the school level. This unique festival brings together students from across the globe to explore the transformative power of cinema and media as tools of expression, innovation, and social impact.

Through film screenings, competitions, and engaging interactive sessions, the festival provides students with an opportunity to showcase their imagination and talent on an international stage. Participants will not only create and present their own films but also immerse themselves in a rich learning experience through workshops, panel discussions, and masterclasses led by renowned filmmakers and industry professionals.

The festival’s core vision is to inculcate the power of media and storytelling in students at an early age, empowering them to think critically, express creatively, and use filmmaking as a means to engage with the world around them. By blending competition with collaboration, ImagiNation inspires young filmmakers to dream big, learn continuously, and shape the future of storytelling.

Winners will receive Awards, Trophies, Certificates and gift hampers.

Special Jury
Best Short Film- Fiction
Best - Non Fiction
Best Animation
Best Film Beyond Borders
Best Director
Best Editor
Best Actor
Best Narrative School

Eligibility

The festival is open to students from High School to Colleges across the globe.

The festival encourages participation from all disciplines—not just media or film students.

Film Duration
This is a short film festival; submissions must not exceed 25 minutes (including opening and end credits).

Language & Subtitles
Films may be in any Indian or international language, but must have English subtitles for wider accessibility.

Submission Guidelines
Films must be submitted by the Director or Producer of the project.
Each student may submit only one entry.
A submission is considered complete only when all required information is provided in the entry form. Incomplete submissions will be disqualified.
All films must include industry-standard opening and end credits.

Copyright & Permissions

By submitting, the participant certifies that they hold the rights to commit the film to public screenings and festival promotions.

All issues of copyright (including imagery, music, sound, or footage) must be cleared by the filmmaker prior to submission. The festival holds no responsibility for copyright violations.

Screenings & Promotions
By submitting, you grant the festival the right to use excerpts from your film for festival promotions, media coverage, and publicity.

Selected films may be showcased in travelling editions of the festival across India and in partner international festivals/institutions.

The festival reserves the right to screen selected films on its official YouTube channel or partner digital platforms (with proper credit).

Completion Date

All films submitted for the 2026 festival must have been completed between 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2025.

Formats
If selected, filmmakers must provide the final film in the format specified in the selection announcement (i.e., a high-resolution digital file).

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Extremely grateful and humbled to be a part of the festival.

    June 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thank you Ayushman for your feedback.

  • Aakash Kumar

    The best part about this festival was that both the management and the venue were excellent. Thank you, Sir and Ma'am; you both worked together to organize such a wonderful event.

    June 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thank you Aakash for your feedback.