India's AI Film and Ads Awards invites short films and commercial work into the same international competition for a Crystal Brain Award

KM Universe, an Indian organiser operating on the international circuit, has opened submissions for the AI Film & Ads Awards India 2026, an awards programme that runs five competitive categories under one roof. What makes it notable for working filmmakers is that narrative and commercial work sit side by side: a brand spot and a short hybrid drama compete in separate lanes but share the same stage and the same top-tier trophy.

The headline prize is the Crystal Brain Award, awarded to the overall top winner. The competition runs globally, so entrants do not need to be based in India to submit, though the awards are rooted in India's growing AI film scene and carry recognition across that community. A 50% entry fee discount is currently available using the code AIFILMAWARDSMUMBAI at checkout on FilmFreeway.

What you submit

Films must run between 0 and 30 minutes. The five categories are:

- Best Short Hybrid (0–5 minutes)
- Best Feature Hybrid (6–30 minutes)
- Best Impact (0–5 minutes)
- Best Conceptual (0–5 minutes)
- Advertising (length not separately specified; check the FilmFreeway listing for ad-specific runtime guidance)

Any AI tool is permitted in production. The competition explicitly welcomes hybrid work, meaning films that combine AI-generated material with live action or other production methods are eligible alongside fully AI-generated pieces.

Prize structure

The top prize is the Crystal Brain Award. Each of the five categories carries its own category prize, though the page does not detail what those individual category prizes consist of beyond the Crystal Brain for the overall winner. Before submitting, check the FilmFreeway listing for the current fee schedule and any category-specific prize details, as those can be updated between the page being verified and your submission date.

Terms worth reading

Entry is via FilmFreeway, so standard FilmFreeway submission terms apply alongside any KM Universe-specific rules. The page does not publish a detailed rights or licence statement, so review the full terms on the FilmFreeway submission page before entering. Specifically, confirm what screening rights the organiser requests and whether selection results in any public disclosure of your work ahead of your preferred release date. The 50% discount code AIFILMAWARDSMUMBAI is active at the time of writing but is not confirmed to run until the deadline, so apply it early. Entry is not free even with the discount, so budget accordingly.

The page was last verified against the organiser's official listing on 21 July 2026. The deadline shown is 31 December 2026, with no cutoff time published, so submit at least a day in hand to avoid last-minute FilmFreeway technical issues.

The official submission page is at filmfreeway.com/aifilmawardsIndia. The aggregator listing is at aifilmcontests.com.

Source: https://aifilmcontests.com/contests/ai-film-ads-awards-india-2026