National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has invited entries for its Short Film Competition–2026 aimed at promoting awareness and creative expression on human rights issues.
According to official information, the competition is open to all Indian citizens irrespective of age. Films may be submitted in Hindi, English or any Indian language with English subtitles, with a duration of 3–10 minutes. Entries may be documentaries, dramatizations of real stories, fiction or animation, broadly based on socio-economic, cultural and political rights within the ambit of life, liberty, equality and dignity.
Themes include child and bonded labour, women and children’s rights, rights of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, manual scavenging, healthcare, human trafficking, domestic violence, custodial violence, socio-economic disparities, rights of nomadic and denotified tribes, prison reforms, education, clean environment, food security, LGBTQI+ rights, displacement, and initiatives celebrating diversity and development.
The competition offers cash awards of Rs.2 lakh, Rs.1.5 lakh and Rs.1 lakh for first, second and third prizes respectively. Up to four films will receive ‘Certificate of Special Mention’ with Rs. 50,000 each. There is no entry fee, and each applicant may submit only one film. Entries must be in MP4 format (Full HD preferred), not exceeding 2 GB, and should not be uploaded on social media prior to submission.
Applicants must submit a valid government-issued ID proof along with the film, title, credits, synopsis and application form. Incomplete or objectionable entries will be rejected. Shortlisted participants will be invited to attend the award ceremony in New Delhi, with travel reimbursement as per rules.
Entries are to be submitted online via Google Drive link shared to nhrcshortfilm@gmail.com by June 30, 2026. Detailed guidelines and application forms are available at the NHRC website: https://nhrc.nic.in or https://nhrc.nic.in/flipbook/files/255.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026