ELIGIBILITY
Common Guidelines
1. The Critics’ Choice Awards is open ONLY to citizens of India and eligible participants. In cases where multiple parties (residing within and outside of India) are stakeholders in the films, either the Director or the Partner or Producer must be a citizen and a current resident of India.
2. The minimum age of the Participant(s) must be 18 years.
3. All films that are submitted must be shared in their original language with English subtitles. The cost of inclusion of subtitles is the sole responsibility of the Participant(s).
4. In case your film has still not been screened publicly at a film festival and is awaiting a world premiere, kindly do not apply this year. You may check for eligibility and apply next year, once the film gets screened publicly.
5. If you have already submitted your film last year, then it is ineligible for consideration this year.
6. A film excludes from consideration such works as:
a. Previews and advertising films
b. Sequences from feature-length films, such as credit sequences
c. Unaired/single episodes of established web and TV series
d. Unsold Web and TV series pilots
e. Public Service Announcements
f. Pornography
7. Submission Deadline is 31st October 2024.
For Short Films
1. A short film is defined as an original motion picture that has a running time of minimum 3 minutes and maximum 40 minutes, including all credits.
2. Short films that have been uploaded to public digital platforms/OTT and Television platforms during the twelve months preceding the ‘call for entries’ shall alone be considered for the Awards (i.e. Calendar year of 1st October 2023 – 30th November 2024).
3. A short film that had its world premiere, i.e. the film was screened at any film festival for the first time, during the calendar year (1st October 2023 – 30th November 2024) is eligible to apply. The film festival screening could be on-site in India or abroad as well as online, on any official online platform that the festival has a tie-up with. This does not include private screenings or market screenings. If shortlisted, the filmmaker will have to submit supporting proof that the film was screened at the festival.
For Documentary Films
1. A feature-length documentary film should be above 50 minutes.
2. A feature-length documentary film that had its world premiere, i.e. the film was screened at any film festival for the first time, during the calendar year (1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024) is eligible to apply. The film festival screening could be on-site in India or abroad as well as online, on any official online platform that the festival has a tie-up with. This does not include private screenings or market screenings.
3. Documentary films that are available for viewing on public digital platforms/OTT and Television platforms within the calendar year of 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024 are eligible for consideration by the curators.