IMPORTANT DATES
10 SEPTEMBER 2026
Submissions open online via the official portal
15 NOVEMBER 2026
Final submission
deadline
30 NOVEMBER 2026
Announcement of official nominations
29–31 JANUARY 2027
Grand Festival at Fergusson College, Pune
ELIGIBILITY & REEL FORMAT
OPEN TO ALL
Anyone worldwide can participate.
MAXIMUM 180 SECONDS
The complete Reel must not exceed three minutes.
VERTICAL 9:16
Submit the Reel in vertical format.
IMPORTANT RULES
• Entries must be original; animation, live action and mixed media are welcome.
• English subtitles are compulsory for all non-English Reels.
• Participants are responsible for ensuring copyright compliance.
• The jury’s decision will be final and binding.
CHOOSE YOUR THEME
17 Thematic Pathways Rooted in Bharatiya Gyan Parampara
Explore 17 thematic areas spanning India’s knowledge traditions, philosophy, science, literature, arts, education, ecology and cultural heritage. Select the theme that best reflects the central idea of your Reel.
01
VEDIC
LITERATURE
05
ANCIENT
SCIENTISTS
09
STORIES &
GAMES
13
ECONOMY OF ANCIENT INDIA
02
OTHER ANCIENT
LITERATURE
06
CONCEPT OF CREATION
10
AUTHORS, POETS & PLAYWRIGHTS
14
THE FOUR
PURUSHARTHAS
03
07
11
15
PHILOSOPHICAL
TEXTS
CONCEPT OF COSMOLOGY
ART
FORMS
THE FOUR
ASHRAMAS
04
ANCIENT
SCIENCE
08
ANCIENT EDUCATION
12
FOLK
TRADITION
16
SIXTEEN
SANSKARS
17
ECO
SPIRITUALITY
CURATOR’S STATEMENT
In an era where attention is measured in seconds, short-form video, popularly called a REEL, has the potential to evolve from amateur online content into a dynamic art form of story-telling. Bhishma Film Festival was born out of a desire to combine these micro-cinema abilities with the glorious past of Bharat and its timeless contributions to the art & science of the modern world.
BFF is unapologetic about its ancient nation’s contributions to the world and invites every creative Indian to join us in this pursuit of peaceful & constructive cinematic journey.
These micro-cinema or the Reel stories presented to BFF will be evaluated on their authentic research & cinematic merits.
- Dr. Nitish Bharadwaj
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Recognising Creativity, Interpretation and Storytelling Excellence
The Bhishma Reel Competition celebrates outstanding creative work through a combination of major prizes, Critics’ Choice honours and Noteworthy Reel Awards. The awards recognise Reels that demonstrate strong interpretation, originality, visual storytelling and a meaningful engagement with Bharatiya Gyan Parampara.