Your Short Film is complete. Now give it a serious festival destination.
Submitting a Short Film to DPIFF is an opportunity to place your work before an international festival jury and build a stronger path toward official selection, nomination and recognition. The current DPIFF nomination programme welcomes filmmakers worldwide across five dedicated short-film award categories.
Why submit your Short Film to DPIFF?
A festival submission is more than a form and a payment. It is a professional presentation of your film, your creative choices and the story you want audiences to discover.
The current DPIFF programme lists international recognition, expert jury evaluation, official festival laurels, certificates, media exposure and the opportunity to be honoured through the festival’s awards process. Every entry should therefore be prepared with the same care you gave the film itself.
Give your finished film the chance to be seen, judged and remembered.
Choose the category that fits your film
Selecting the most accurate category helps your application communicate the film clearly from the first review.
Best Short Film
For narrative and independent short-form cinema that is not better represented by a specialised category.
Documentary Short Film
For nonfiction stories shaped around real people, places, ideas, communities or events.
Animated Short Film
For animation-led films using any suitable technique, visual language or creative approach.
Student Short Film
For eligible student filmmakers and film-school creators, with category-specific information prepared where requested.
AI Short Film
For short films where artificial intelligence forms part of the creative or production process and is disclosed in the form.
Short Film eligibility check
Run this quick check before opening the form.
Confirm the completion period
For the current DPIFF 2027 cycle, eligible films are listed as completed between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2026.
Check the runtime
Your total runtime must be between 1 and 40 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
Prepare subtitles where required
Films in languages other than English or Hindi must include accurate English subtitles.
Confirm international eligibility
DPIFF accepts submissions from filmmakers worldwide, subject to the current published requirements.
Review your rights
Confirm that you own or have secured the rights and permissions for music, footage, artwork, performances and other third-party material.
Prepare your application package
A smooth Short Film nomination starts with organised materials. Keep the film title, director details, applicant contact information, short synopsis, poster and private screening link ready. Add a password when the screener is protected, and test the link from a device or browser where you are not already signed in.
The current form also requests additional information for relevant Student and AI entries. Check your poster and synopsis files against the live upload limits, proofread every name and make sure the category, synopsis and film itself describe the same creative work.
Frequently asked questions
Who can submit a Short Film to DPIFF?
What Short Film categories are available?
What is the current Short Film runtime requirement?
Does submitting guarantee selection or an award?
Can I submit more than one Short Film?
Ready to nominate your Short Film?
Check the current eligibility, choose the category that fits your work, prepare your screening package and submit through the official DPIFF nomination form before the applicable deadline.
Submit Your Short Film
