18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024: Dates, Categories, Eligibility And More

Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the largest and oldest film festivals for documentaries, short fiction, and animation for non-feature movies in South Asia. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organised the first festival in 1990.

Over the years, the festival has evolved in terms of categories, participation, and scale. Today, the festival is a huge platform for filmmakers worldwide to exchange ideas, meet, and explore different collaborations for filmmaking.

Here’s all you need to know about the Mumbai International Film Festival 2024:

This year marks the 18th edition of the festival, which commences on June 15 and will go on till June 21. The event is scheduled in Mumbai and the winning filmmakers are set to gain recognition and a prize amount of Rs 44 lakh.

The festival is segregated into two broad categories - national and international films. At the national level, there are several award categories such as 'Best Indian Documentary Film', 'Best Indian Short Fiction Film', and 'Best Indian Animation Film', along with two sponsored awards, 'Best Debut Film', and 'Best Student Film'.

In the international competition, the award categories include 'Best International Documentary Film', 'Best International Short Fiction Film', and 'Best International Animation Film', along with a special jury award named 'Pramod Pati Award for Most Innovative/Experimental Film'.

Apart from these, the festival will grant three technical awards for 'Cinematography', 'Editing', and 'Sound Design'. A special award for Indian filmmakers under the best short film on 'India in Amrit Kaal' will be presented.

• Films made in India or abroad between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023, are eligible for the international category. Films made in India between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, are eligible for the national category.

• A film can be a part of one category; either international or national.

• Films premiered in earlier MIFF events will not be considered.

• Films associated or commissioned with digital platforms will not be considered.

• Films produced or directed by individuals and agencies can participate in the festival.

• Step 1: Visit the official MIFF website or Filmfreeway to fill out the online form. (Note: The festival does not accept or have an offline process)

• Step 2: Applicant is required to fill in all necessary details.

• Step 3: Pay the online entry fee.

• Step 4: Upload the film in the required format with the right film category and certificate.

The last date for final submissions is April 30. For more details, click here.