Ooty Short Film Festival 2023 (5)

Festival start: 01 December 2023      Festival end: 03 December 2023

The Ooty Short Film Festival is produced and executed by the Nilgiris Film Club (nfc), a pioneering film club in the mountains of the Western Ghats. NFC promises film buffs a rich fare of meaningful and entertaining films from across the world; masterclasses and interactive sessions with directors, producers, and actors; retrospectives; and much more through our weekly screenings and film festivals (Ooty Short Film Festival and John Abraham International Short Film Festival).

The 'Ooty Short Film Festival’ is a platform for high-quality short films made by talented short film filmmakers from around the world.

This short film festival is being instituted with the larger aim of:

# Recognize excellence in contemporary short filmmaking and production around the world.

# Provide opportunities to connect the short film-making community through networking and collaborative projects.

# Provide an opportunity for Indians to experience the best work of international, Indian, and local film-making talent.

# To build an audience for the work of short filmmakers. Increase opportunities for filmmakers and provide a place to meet and share ideas and resources.

The selection will happen in two rounds.

Shortlisting round: In this round, the received entries will be shortlisted by a jury panel, and the entries that have been shortlisted will be notified by phone or email of their selection for the final round.

The shortlisted films would be screened in front of the curator, jury, and chosen audiences in the final round, and the winner would be determined.
All of the selected films will be screened at the festival, which is set to take place on December 1, 2, and 3, 2023.

The festival has instituted the Golden Elephant Awards:
The best film, the best director, and the best performer will get Golden Elephant awards.

The Ooty Short Film Festival Rules and Guidelines

This short film contest is open to everyone around the world.

1. Eligibility and Entry Details

The call for entries is open to short films of all production techniques, including animation, drama, experimental or artist film, and hybrid work, from low to high budgets.

Each applicant is allowed only one submission. Multiple applications from the same director will not be considered.

Films must have a running time of less than 30 minutes, including credits.

Films must have been completed after October 1st, 2021.

The festival does accept works-in-progress.
The participant is responsible for the cost of sending the screening copy to the festival.
The festival covers the cost of returning or forwarding screening copies.

Students must submit a photocopy of their current student ID to receive discounts.

2. Eligible Countries

The Ooty Short Film Festival is open to filmmakers from all over the world.

3. Submission and Selection Process

The arrival of submissions and preview copies cannot be confirmed.

An independent selection committee is appointed by the festival to view all submissions for programming consideration.

All entries are first considered for the competition program but will also be considered for other programs where appropriate. Decisions made by the selection committee are final. The final selection will be announced on our website on November 15, 2023.

Only the submitters of the selected films will be contacted personally.

Participants are not entitled to claim rental or other fees for the screenings of their films at the festival.

4. General Rules

Max. running time: 30 minutes [including credits].

The last date for submissions will be October 31st, 2023.

Final exhibition copies of the film MUST be received by Wednesday, November 25th, 2023.
If selected for exhibition, please send high-quality files in formats such as Mov/avi/mpg/h264/pro res or DVD’s, Blu-ray / DVD, DCP.

Films must have been completed after October 1st, 2020.

ENGLISH SUBTITLES PREFERRED FOR ANY FILM NOT IN ENGLISH.

'Ooty Short Film Festival' occasionally provides short film programs for other film festivals. By submitting your film, the entrant agrees to the inclusion of their film in any such future program.

Excerpts from selected films, trailers, and stills may also be screened or published online to assist in promoting the festival.

The submitter must have the legal authority to submit the film and to have the work screened publicly, including any necessary permissions. By submitting, the submitter confirms they have all the necessary rights for the screening of the film submitted to be exhibited at the festival.

By submitting their film, all entrants are deemed to have read and agreed to the rules and regulations governing the festival. In the event of any disagreement, the interpretation of the festival will take precedence.
These rules and regulations are subject to change without prior notice. The festival reserves the right to withdraw or include selected shorts from the program as necessary.
It is the responsibility of the submitter to ensure the correct contact email address is supplied to the festival.

5. Liability

The sender of the submitted film is responsible for all copyrights. He or she is legally authorized to enter his or her short film into the festival and, if selected for the festival, is authorized to give screening permission.
The applicant has secured all necessary rights for both pictures and sound, and the exhibition will not violate or infringe upon any rights, including but not limited to music, images, and content.

If selected for the festival, the applicant acknowledges and agrees that an exhibition quality digital screening file must be made available for screening by November 25th, 2023.
The film, including all copyrights, remains the property of the author. The films will be handled with the utmost care. However, the contest management will assume no liability for damages or losses.

The applicant has to read and accept the regulations and guidelines for participation.
Failure to comply with these terms and conditions may result in the submission's being disqualified.

In the event of disagreement concerning the interpretation of the terms and conditions, the interpretation of the contest will take precedence.

Ooty Short Film Festival is obliged not to use or dispose of any films for commercial purposes. Any further use of a film will be inquired about if relevant.

The non-profit nature of the Ooty Short Film Festival activities guarantees that the works submitted will be used only to advance the cultural objectives of the Ooty Short Film Festival.

These regulations are subject to change without prior notice.