India's only Oscar-qualifying short film festival opens a dedicated AI film competition with selection credentials on the line

The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival has spent seventeen editions building one of South Asia's most respected short film platforms, and its Oscar-qualifying status sets it apart from most regional festivals. For its 17th edition, BISFF runs a dedicated competition strand called Machine Made Movies alongside its established International and Indian programs, giving AI filmmakers a formal route into a festival that carries genuine industry recognition.

There is no cash prize attached to this category. What the festival offers instead is something that functions differently in a filmmaker's career: official selection at an Oscar-qualifying festival, which for short films can open doors with distributors, broadcasters, and grant bodies. If your primary goal is a pay-out, this is not the right contest. If you are building a body of work and want a credible festival credit on an AI-made film, BISFF is one of very few places offering that at this level.

What to submit

Entries must be short films of 30 minutes or fewer, including credits. Every scene must contain AI-generated shots, so hybrid productions are explicitly welcome provided AI is a genuine component rather than a cosmetic one. The script must be original. English subtitles are required regardless of the language of the film. Filmmakers must be 18 or older. Any AI tools are permitted, covering image generation, video synthesis, voice cloning, scoring, or any combination thereof.

Prize structure

The prize is festival recognition and Oscar-qualifying selection. No cash purse has been published by the organisers. The festival screens in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 5 August 2027. Being selected means your film screens in-person at a credentialed international festival, which is the primary tangible benefit on offer.

Deadlines and entry fees

Submissions open on 1 February 2027. There are three deadline tiers, each likely carrying different FilmFreeway submission fees:

- Regular deadline: 28 February 2027
- First paid (extended) deadline: 31 March 2027
- Late deadline: 30 April 2027

Entry is via FilmFreeway at filmfreeway.com/bisffblr. Fees are listed on FilmFreeway and vary by deadline tier. Earlier tiers typically cost less, so submitting by 28 February is likely the most economical route.

Terms worth reading

The page does not reproduce full terms, so you should review BISFF's submission agreement on FilmFreeway before entering. Points to check include: what rights the festival requests for screening and promotional use of your film, whether selection implies any exclusivity window, and the festival's policy on AI disclosure to its jury. The requirement for English subtitles is a hard technical rule, not a preference, so ensure your file meets that before submitting. The page was last verified against the organiser's official listing on 10 September 2026, and the festival's FilmFreeway page is the authoritative source for any updates to fees or rules.

If you want email reminders, the contest tracker page offers alerts three days before the final deadline closes.

Source: https://aifilmcontests.com/contests/bengaluru-short-film-festival-ai-2027