1. International Competition

1.1. Films entered in the International Competition MUST fulfill the following conditions:

i. Films must be fiction, feature length films not less than 72 minutes in duration in original language sound track with English Subtitles.

ii. They must have been completed between 1st September 2024 and 31st August 2025. Eligibility will be determined by the declaration made by the entrant in the film entry form. For International films where no proof is available, the date of the first theatrical screening will be considered as completion date / self declaration by the applicant.

iii. Except for Indian films, the entries in this section should not have been released / shown virtual / OTT platform / physically in India or presented in any other Indian Film Festivals before. Upto three Indian film entries in International Competition will be identified by the IFFI Film Preview & Recommendation Committee from the films for Indian Panorama 2025.

iv. In the case of co-productions, the entrants must comply with the article 15.3 of the Festival’s regulations and therefore have the right to sanction participation of the film in International Competition and also sanction the authority to receive awards, if the film wins any.

v. Entrants must agree that if their film / films win any of the Golden and / or Silver Peacock Awards, all screenings thereafter will acknowledge the Award(s) on the film itself.

1.2 . Films for International Competition will be selected by the jury. The Festival Director holds the right to consider the films that are not accepted for the International Competition as entries for the ‘World Panorama' Section. However, consent of the entrant shall be sought before selection and inclusion in the festival programme.

1.3. The competition will be held subject to the acceptance of a maximum of fifteen eligible films from different Continents/Countries. If selected for the International Competition, the entrant whose films would be awarded will be requested permission to provide the festival with a region free PAL DVD/Blu-ray of the film for archival purposes.

1.4. The Jury for the International Competition will consist of a Chairman and not less than two and not more than four other members, of which one member will be from India.

1.5. The decisions of the jury will be taken by a simple majority of the members present and voting. The jury can evolve its own rules for assessment of the entries. The Managing Director, NFDC and / or his representative can attend the jury deliberations, but shall neither participate nor vote.

1.6. No person having taken part in the production or having any commercial interest in a competitive entry may be on the jury. All members of the jury will refrain from releasing any articles or reviews to the press concerning the film submitted for their judgment until results of final selection have been formally announced at the closing function.

1.6.i. Once the film has been selected and the right holder confirms her / his agreement, film in the official programme shall not be withdrawn from the festival programme before or during the event.

1.6.ii. The National Film Development Corporation Ltd may organize screenings of the IFFI award winning films in various other festivals held under its responsibility. The right holders of IFFI award winning films will be requested permission for any screening of their film in such a framework.

2 .Non- Competition (World Panorama)

2.1. Films must be fiction, feature length films not less than 70 minutes in duration in original language soundtrack with English Subtitles. Films in English need not be subtitled.

2.2. They must have been completed after 1st September, 2024.

2.3. If selected for the World Panorama Section, the entrant(s) must provide a 35 mm print or a DCP with EST and optical sound track or originally shot on a digital format for festival screenings.

2.4. Films that have been presented in earlier editions of International Film Festival of India, or already screened in India, will be excluded, unless previously agreed to by the Managing Director NFDC, in exceptional cases.

3. Entry Deadlines

The deadline for receiving applications and preview material is 31st August 2025.

4. DVD Screeners for Selection

The Online/ Blu-ray /DVD screeners with English subtitles should reach the National Film Development Corporation Ltd, New Delhi office before the above mentioned date along with a duly completed online Entry Form (available on our website). Inscribe 'No commercial value for Cultural purposes only' on the parcel. The Festival will not bear the cost of transportation of preview material, unless upon entrant’s request and at his / her own expense.

5. Entering films in the festival

5.1. Film producers, distributors, their duly authorized representatives or duly authorized Government organization/agency of the participating countries may enter their films for the International Competition, World Panorama and Retrospectives/Tributes/Country Focus Sections in the Entry Form.

5.2. Indian Films may submit their applications through the Indian Panorama, which will be opened and advertised in all the national dailies. 

5.3. Enquires for Film Bazaar may be addressed to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

The contact address:
Director, Film Bazaar
National Film Development Corporation Discovery of India Building

5.4. National Film Development Corporation Ltd may also invite films which it considers of interest.

5.5. The Form, duly filled in, separately for each film proposed to be entered, should reach the National Film Development Corporation Ltd office by August 31st, 2023/ online entry at Sfilmmaker. In case of the day being a holiday, the next working day will be considered as the deadline.

6. Final Screening Materials

6.1. 35mm prints / DCPs / final screening material along with a Blu-ray / DVD of the selected films for exhibition in the festival must reach the festival Office in Goa on or before 15th October, 2025. It should only be sent through the official freight handlers of the festival, as per the instructions given by the festival print unit.

6.2. Arrangements have been made for special express clearance of film consignments addressed to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Government of India. National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not be responsible for any repercussions arising from deviation of the print dispatch instructions issued by the print unit.

6.3. After conclusion of the festival, the final screening materials shall be returned through air-freight or diplomatic channels, as per specific written instructions received from the film right holder. The festival would bear only one-way freight. Wherever previously agreed upon by the festival, the festival will also be undertaking the actual cost of return freight charges (both ways) but will not be liable for payment of customs, duties, freight handler's fees etc., outside India. It will be borne solely by the film recipient.

7. Insurance

The Insurance of prints in transit from the country of origin to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd and from the National Film Development Corporation Ltd to the country of origin will be the responsibility of the entrant. The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will insure the prints against damage, partial and total, by fire, theft or any other unnatural causes from the moment it takes delivery of the prints to the moment it hands them back to the concerned airline / agency for dispatch, in conformity with Addendum 1 of the FIAPF Regulations for International Film Festivals. Technical complaints regarding the returned screening copy must be reported to the festival in writing with in 5days after being received.

8. Freight and Other Charges

8.1. The prints and DVD's should be sent "freight pre-paid" i.e. at senders cost. After the Festival, the prints will be returned to the senders by air freight at the cost of the National Film Development Corporation Ltd

8.2. The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not pay any charges other than the air- freight charges. It may also be noted that the National Film Development Corporation Ltd cannot reimburse any freight or other charges in foreign currency, unless previously agreed to in writing.

8.3. The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not bear freight or any other charges for unsolicited films, Videos, DVDs sent to it, if these are not selected for screening in the Festival.

9. Subtitling

Films will only be screened in their original language/version with English Subtitles. Non English films without English subtitles will not be screened at the festival and they will also not be electronically subtitled by the Festival.

10. Screening

10.1. All film screening at IFFI would either be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification, India or have obtained exemption under Section 9 of Cinematograph Act, 1952.

10.2. The accepted film will not be shown outside the Festival city by the National Film Development Corporation Ltd, without written consent of the right holder.

10.3. The Festival proposes to have a maximum of five screenings per selected films as per FIAPF Regulations for International Film festivals and for the competitive specialized festivals which allow for a maximum of five screenings per film.

10.4. Excerpts for Television

For promotion of films entered in the Festival on television, producers/authorized entrants are requested to supply four excerpts of the film(s) entered, each of a maximum of three minutes, to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd. High Resolution uncompressed video of the same may be sent in a DVD format.

11. General

11.1. Classroom and advertising films are not eligible for participation in any section.

11.2. Final screening material must comply with technical standards specified by SMPTE for screening at International Film Festivals. National Film Development Corporation Ltd reserves the right to refuse screening if found otherwise.

11.3. The participants must ensure that they have the right to participate in the International Film Festival of India with regard to parties connected with the production /distribution of the participating film and /or other right holders/licenses.

11.4. Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of these Regulations.

11.5. According to the FIAPF Regulations for International Film Festivals applicable in 2025, the Festival acknowledges that each film will be screened no more than 5 times. Additional screening(s) are agreed by the producer or his / her duly empowered representative in the form of a written authorization in line with the Addendum 3 of the FIAPF Regulations.

11.6. The Managing Director, National Film Development Corporation Ltd will decide all matters not expressly provided for in these regulations but in conformity with the provisions of the International Regulations for film festivals and his decisions shall be final and binding on all Parties.