RULES & REGULATIONS

RULES & REGULATIONS

Short Films- BFF SPOTLIGHT

Please read the rules and regulations carefully before submitting your film.

If you have any queries regarding submissions. Please Contact Us at 9815068100.

1. Objectives

• 1.1) The Bathinda Film Festival aims at providing a common platform for film makers of the world to project their excellence in film art; contributing to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos; and promoting friendship and co- operation among people of the world.
• 1.2) The Bathinda Film Festival is purly meant for delegates & the screening of the Short films in the festival would be limited to delegates (including film-makers, media students, critics, film theorists, film lovers and all those associated with the production and business of film and members of the press duly registered with the festival authorities as well as its jury.)

2. Date, Place & Deadline

• 2.1) The 5th edition of BFF (Bathinda Film Festival) will be held in the Month of March, 2026.
• 2.2) The Place of the Festival is Bathinda City, Punjab, INDIA. (PIN Code : 151001)
• 2.3) The deadline for short film submissions is Feb 28, 2026 (05:00 pm)

3. FREE ENTRY PASS

• 3.1) An Entry pass will be required to Attend/Watch the festival.
• 3.2) Free entry passes will be available on the festival website in the month of March 2026.
• 3.3) Delegates, film-makers, media students, critics, film theorists, film lovers can download their entry passes from the website free of cost.

4. Eligibility & Participation

• 4.1) Participation in the festival implies acceptance of Festival Rules & Regulations, Terms & Conditions.
• 4.2) Any Short Film produced anywhere in the world can participate in the Bathinda Film Festival.
• 4.3) Entry Forms with incorrect / inadequate / illegible / ambiguous particulars will not be considered.
• 4.4) Anybody can submit one or more than one entries. There is no limit for submission. (Multiple entries from the same participant are accepted, but each short film must be accompanied by a separate form)
• 4.5) Any organization, agency, individual, producer, director, Actor, team member, crew member can submit the short films.
• 4.6) The Short films must have been completed or released after 1st January 2024 in order for them to be eligible for BFF SPOTLIGHT.
• 4.7) The minimum duration of the Short films (fiction or documentary) should be 1minutes or more.
• 4.8) The maximum duration of Short films (fiction or documentary) should not exceed 30 minutes for both BFF SPOTLIGHT.
• 4.9) Short films submitted in any form to earlier editions of the festival are ineligible to apply. A film that has been withdrawn from participation in earlier editions cannot be re-submitted to the festival.
• 4.10) Short Films that are works-in-progress are accepted on the condition that the submitted version will be the only one watched by the selection committee. Once submitted as a work-in-progress, the film is ineligible to apply for future editions of the festival, in any other form. If selected, a final version of the film in the specified formats must be available to the festival 15 days before the festival.
• 4.11) Participation at other international festivals outside India and/or applying in does not ensure entry into the festival.

5. Genres or Category of Films

• 5.1) The Short Films can be submitted in any of the categories given below Action, Adventure, Animation, Biopic, Comedy, Drama, Documentry, Epic, Experimental, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller..

6. Languages accepted in the Bathinda Film Festival

• 6.1) Indian Languages
  Languages Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
• 6.2) World Languages
  The six official languages of United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

7. Subtitling

• 7.1) Film maker can submit any language film but the submitted film must have Punjabi or Hindi Subtitles in it.
• 7.2) Films will only be screened in their original language/version with Punjabi or Hindi Subtitles. Non Punjabi/Hindi films without Punjabi/Hindi subtitles will not be screened at the festival and they will also not be electronically subtitled by the Festival.

8. BFF SPOTLIGHT – Short Fiilms

• 8.1) Duration of short film = Minimum 1 Minute & Maximum 30 Minutes.
• 8.2) Both released & un-released films can be submitted.
• 8.3) There is No Entry Fee in any category.
• 8.4) Google Drive /We transfer/ Youtube/ Facebook links are allowed.
• 8.5) Last date for Entries : 28-02-2026 (05:00 pm.)
• 8.6) ਲਘੂ ਫਿਲਮ ਦਾ ਰਨ ਟਾਈਮ = ਘੱਟੋ-ਘੱਟ 1 ਮਿੰਟ ਅਤੇ ਵੱਧ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ 30 ਮਿੰਟ ਦਾ ਹੋਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।
• 8.7) ਰਿਲੀਜ਼ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਬਿਲਕੁੱਲ ਨਵੀਂਆਂ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਤਰਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਫਿਲਮਾਂ ਭੇਜੀਆਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ।
• 8.8) ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਦਾਖਲਾ ਫੀਸ ਜਾਂ ਰਜਿਸਟ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਫੀਸ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।
• 8.9) ਐਂਟਰੀਆਂ ਭੇਜਣ ਦੀ ਆਖਰੀ ਮਿਤੀ : 28-02-2026 (ਸ਼ਾਮ 05:00 ਵਜੇ) ਤੱਕ ਹੈ।

9. Definition of BFF SPOTLIGHT (Duration or Runtime)

• BFF SCREEN = New-Short Films (Un-released) & Short Films already released on any Social Media Platform in India or Abroad. (see rule ) The total runtime of the Short Film, including opening & closing credits, should strictly be of
• 9.1) BFF SPOTLIGHT = Minimum 1 minutes and a Maximum of 30 minutes.
• 9.2) The new films (Un-released) & already released films both can be submitted in BFF SPOTLIGHT. There will be one Combined "official selection list" for both the categories. Awards and prizes will also be given in one combined category.
• 9.3) ਨਵੀਆਂ ਬਣੀਆਂ ਫ਼ਿਲਮਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਸੋਸ਼ਲ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਪਲੇਟਫਾਰਮ ਤੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਰਿਲੀਜ਼ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕੀਆਂ ਫ਼ਿਲਮਾਂ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਹੀ ਇਸ ਕੈਟਾਗਰੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਭੇਜੀਆਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ. ਦੋਵਾਂ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਹੀ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ (ਸਾਂਝੀ) "ਅਧਿਕਾਰਤ ਚੋਣ ਸੂਚੀ" ਹੋਵੇਗੀ। ਇਸੇ ਤਰਾਂ ਅਵਾਰਡ ਅਤੇ ਇਨਾਮ ਵੀ ਇੱਕ ਹੀ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ (ਸਾਂਝੀ) ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਜਾਣਗੇ।

10. AWARDS & PRIZES

• The following prizes are awarded to the Short films screening at the festival.
• 1stPrize: It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• 2ndPrize: It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• 3rdPrize: It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• Special Jury Awards: It includes a trophy & Certificate.


• Best Actor Award (Male): It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• Best Actor Award (Female): It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• Best Script Writer Award: It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• Best Director Award: It includes a trophy & Certificate.
• Participation Certificates will be given to all “official Selection Films”.

11. OFFICIAL SELECTION OF FILMS

• 11.1) Selection of films for BFF 2025 will be done by a Preview committee.
• 11.2) However, Festival President and Festival Director reserves the right to accept or reject any film that is likely to offend sentiments, feelings or sensibilities of any caste, community, religion and sect or is likely to promote racism or ill will in the society.
• 11.3) Official Selection committee (OSC) / Preview Committee will finalize the List of Official Selection of Films in each edition or Category.
• 11.4) The decision of the Official Selection Committee shall be final & binding on all the Participants.
• 11.5) The festival will not provide any feedback on films or specific reasons for selection or rejection of any film.
• 11.6) Only the filmmakers who make it to the official selection of the festival will be notified about selection at the end of the selection process and no information will be divulged before that.
• 11.7) The festival is not bound to share any information about the received films/ entries or the number of films received with anyone.
• 11.8) The festival will not provide any feedback about the selection process of the films.
• 11.9) The Preview Committee or jury can evolve its own rules for assessment of the entries. The Festival Director or his representative can attend the Preview Committee and jury deliberations.
• 11.10) 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.
• 11.11) The festival will notify the selected filmmakers.
• 11.12) If selected, the representatives of the selected film must keep this information confidential (including on social media) till the official press conference of the Bathinda Film Festival, where the final list of selected films will be announced.Breach of this will make the selection of the film liable to be cancelled.

12. FOR SELECTED FILMS

• 12.1) Selected films will be required to submit for both physical and digital screenings as specified by the festival upon invitation as time to time needed by the Festival.
• 12.2) For digital screenings, the festival team will share the technical details with the selected film.
• 12.3) The festival may require additional screening formats depending on the specifications of the screening. This will be communicated to the film team upon selection.
• 12.4) The festival will not do any physical screenings of films with watermarks. Digital screenings may include forensic and physical watermarking.
• 12.5) The official festival laurel with “Official Selection” should be displayed in all advertising and promotional material of all the films selected for screening in the festival. These should also be clearly visible for theatrical release as well as for Video/DVD/Digital distribution in India and abroad. All selected films will receive a digital laurel of the festival. Films awarded at the festival will receive the appropriate laurel with the name of the award.

13. SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS IN THE FESTIVAL

• 13.1) The Selected Short films for screening in the festival “official selection List” will be Provisional & Tentative in Nature till the day of the Festival or actual screening happens.
• 13.2) On the day of the Festival, The Actual Screening Sequence & Schedule may differ from the “Official Selection List”.
• 13.3) If at any stage the facts submitted by the filmmaker is found to be incorrect, the Short film will be removed from the official selection list.
• 13.4) On the day of the film festival, the selected Short film will be screened only if the film maker or his representative submits the necessary certificates and documents (required) before the screening of the film.
• 13.5) Film delegates or Film Makers can submit thier objections (if any) on the "Official Selection List" within 2 days after the annoucement or publication of the Selected Films on the website. (A link will be provided on the festival website for objections)
• 13.6) The Screening of the Selected Short films in the festival will only be made after the required clearance from the official selection committiee, Festival Director & the Honourable President of Bathinda Film Festival.
• 13.7) Only films included in the Official Selection List of the Bathinda Film Festival shall be eligible for screening during the Festival. No other short film or film shall be exhibited under any circumstances. Notwithstanding the above, the Festival Director reserves the exclusive right to permit a Special Screening of an unreleased film of any duration in exceptional cases, subject to prior approval and at their sole discretion.
• 13.8) Bathinda Film Festival reserves the right to cut, crop or delete any video Shot/scene/sequence from any selected Short film or mute the audio as required by the Screening Policy of the Festival.

14. SCREENING POLICY

• 14.1) It is Certified that the screening of the Short films in the festival would be limited to delegates (including film-makers, media students, critics, film theorists, film lovers and all those associated with the production and business of film and members of the press duly registered with the festival authorities as well as its jury).
• 14.2) Short Films which are not in accordance with the Constitution of India or Law of the Land cannot be Screened in the Festival.
• 14.3) Short Films which violates the beliefs or sentiments of any religion, caste or Sect cannot be Screened.
• 14.4) Bathinda Film Festival reserves the rights to cut some parts of the Short films on account of public order, decency, morality and integrity & sovereignty of the nation. There is no straitjacket formula for determining the part to be cut since there is no standard definition of morality. It depends on the facts and circumstances of each film. Howbeit, it becomes crucial to respect the sentiments of the public at large to avoid any antagonism. Therefore, it becomes significant to ensure that films do not portray sexism, communal hatred, controversial political issues, extreme violence, vulgarity, an inappropriate portrayal of a well-known figure etc.
• 14.5) The Short films which do no conform to / comply with the Rule 13.1, 13.2, 13.3,13.4 cannot be Selected in the “official Selection List” of 5th Bathinda Film Festival 2025.

15. Copyright

• 15.1) It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to secure clearance from the copyright holders of any copyrighted material included in the film. BFF will not be held responsible for the unauthorized inclusion of any copyrighted material.
• 15.2) Bathinda Film Festival reserves the rights to copy or use the material submitted by the participants in any form, online or offline, for the festival’s promotional and archival purposes. Note that your entire short film will never be shared with anyone or uploaded online without your permission. We understand that filmmakers want to keep the films private, and we will honour that.
• 15.3) All content used in the short film must be either owned or licensed. If any copyrighted material is used in the film, the participant must have the permission and submit a copy to the Festival Organizers.
• 15.4) Only the rights holder is eligible to fill the form. You are solely responsible for the authenticity of the information provided by you. In case of any discrepancies found in the information provided by you, your entry will be disqualified.
• 15.5) An applicant submitting a film to the festival must confirm that they have the requisite authority or has obtained the requisite authority from the rights holder to submit this film in the BATHINDA FILM FESTIVAL and make available the film for screening.
• 15.6) BFF reserves the right to disqualify any film with any unauthorized inclusion of copyrighted material.

16. Authority Letter

• 16.1) The applicant must submit Authority Letter with the form
  “I confirm that I have the requisite authority or i took the requisite authority from the rights holder of this film to submit the film in the BATHINDA FILM FESTIVAL 2025 and I will make available the film for screening.”
• 16.2) ਮੈਂ ਪੁਸ਼ਟੀ ਕਰਦਾ/ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਫਿਲਮ ਨੂੰ ਸਬਮਿੱਟ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੀ ਅਥਾਰਟੀ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ 2025 ਵਿੱਚ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ਜਮ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਰਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਇਸ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ਦੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਧਾਰਕ ਤੋਂ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੀ ਅਥਾਰਟੀ ਲੈ ਲਈ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ਨੂੰ ਸਕ੍ਰੀਨਿੰਗ ਲਈ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਕਰਾਵਾਂਗਾ।“

17. Transportation & Insurance

• 17.1) Transportation and insurance costs of Pen Drives/DVDs/BLURAYs, related documents, photographs and publicity materials from the country of origin to the Festival Office shall be borne by the applicant.
• 17.2) For any duties, fees and charges accrued from the transporting of the trophy, awards, prizes will be covered by the recipient, not the Festival organizers.
• 17.3) The Pen Drive /DVDs / Blu-ray/HDD sent for selection will be retained by the Festival for Festival Archive. Also, DVDs/Pen Drives/HDD containing photographs & publicity material received with the Entry Form will be kept by the Festival.

18. Rights of the Festival Director

• 18.1) Festival Director reserves the right to accept or not to accept any film on any ground without assigning any reason.
• 18.2) Decisions of the Festival Director regarding all matters not expressly provided in these regulations or which require interpretation of the clauses mentioned above shall be final & binding on all.
• 18.3) The Festival Director reserves the right to settle all cases not covered by the guidelines and to grant exceptions in special cases.
• 18.4) The festival director also reserves the right to remove any film from the selection List in any special cases as deemed by the festival.
• 18.5) All cases will be governed by and construed in all respects in accordance with the laws of India and settled under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Bathinda City.

19. GENERAL CONDITIONS

• 19.1) The short films that are selected for final screening will not be allowed to withdraw under any circumstances until the festival is over.
• 19.2) The applicant will be the main point of contact for all future communications regarding this entry into the festival.
• 19.3) Please note that due to exceptional circumstances the rules and regulations are subject to change and will be updated according to the situation around the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 19.4) If any dispute arises the decision of the Festival President will be Final for all.
• 19.5) Festival President reserves the right to change / modify / alter any rule or its part or event of this competition anytime.

20. GENERAL AGREEMENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN BATHINDA FILM FESTIVAL

• 20.1) I have read the Rules and Regulations on the website and accept the Rules and Regulations of Bathinda Film Festival. I authorize Bathinda Film Festival to screen my film at the ceremony to compete for the award of the best film in each category: I certify that I hold necessary rights for the presentation of this film in Bathinda Film Festival and that all rights and permissions have been made. This film is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation. By accepting these conditions, I transfer to Bathinda Film Festival the right to use excerpts of the submitted film, its stills, and trailers, for the purposes of publicity and marketing of the film festival at the various social networks and on the website of the festival, and for other non-commercial purposes related to the promotion of the festival. I hereby agree to indemnify Bathinda Film Festival, in the event that such rights have not been properly transferred.
• 20.2) ਮੈਂ ਵੈੱਬਸਾਈਟ ਤੇ ਨਿਯਮਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਦੇ ਨਿਯਮਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਵੀਕਾਰ ਕਰਦਾ/ ਕਰਦੀਹਾਂ। ਮੈਂ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਨੂੰ ਹਰ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਵੋਤਮ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇ ਪੁਰਸਕਾਰ ਲਈ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਸਮਾਰੋਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੀ ਫਿਲਮ ਦਿਖਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਤ ਕਰਦਾ/ ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ. ਮੈਂ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣਿਤ ਕਰਦਾ/ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੀ ਪੇਸ਼ਕਾਰੀ ਲਈ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਇਹ ਕਿ ਜਿਥੇ ਕਿਤੇ ਲੋੜ ਸੀ ਸਾਰੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਇਜਾਜ਼ਤਾਂ ਸੰਬੰਧਿਤ ਪ੍ਰੋਡਿਊਸਰ / ਡਾਇਰੈਕਟਰ ਤੋਂ ਲੈ ਲਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਫਿਲਮ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਮੁਕੱਦਮੇ ਦੇ ਅਧੀਨ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਿਚ ਕਿਸੇ ਮੁਕੱਦਮੇ ਅਧੀਨ ਆਉਣ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਜਾਂ ਧਮਕੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ. ਇਹ ਫਿਲਮ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਵਸਥਾ ਦਾ ਪਾਲਣ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ. ਇਹਨਾਂ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਵੀਕਾਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ, ਮੈਂ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਸੋਸ਼ਲ ਨੈਟਵਰਕਸ ਅਤੇ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਦੀ ਵੈਬਸਾਈਟ 'ਤੇ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਰਕੀਟਿੰਗ ਦੇ ਉਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਲਈ ਪੇਸ਼ਕੀਤੀ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇ ਅੰਸ਼ਾਂ, ਇਸ ਦੇ ਸ੍ਟਿਲ ਅਤੇ ਟ੍ਰੇਲਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਟ੍ਰਾਂਸਫਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧਤ ਹੋਰ ਗੈਰ-ਵਪਾਰਕ ਉਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਲਈ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਟ੍ਰਾਂਸਫਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਮੈਂ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਫਿਲਮ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਨੂੰ ਮੁਆਵਜ਼ਾ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਸਹਿਮਤ ਹਾਂ, ਜੇਕਰ ਅਜਿਹੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਹੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਤਬਦੀਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।

21. Disclaimer

• 21.1) All disputes in respect of any matter relating to the BFF shall be subjected to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Bathinda City only.
• 21.2) Bathinda Film Festival & Bathinda Academy of Motion Pictures are the registered trademarks of Bathinda Film Foundation.
• 21.2) All rights reserved with Bathinda Film Foundation 2025.