The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival has announced an expanded competition format for its 16th edition, increasing from previous years to feature 10 distinct arenas of cinema. The expansion includes newly established categories focused on AI-generated films and screendance, alongside the festival’s traditional sections.
The festival received 3,340 submissions this year originating from more than 100 countries. International entries totaled 1,726, while India contributed 756 submissions and Karnataka 306. Additional breakdowns showed 284 submissions in animation and 118 entries each in the queer, AI film, and screendance categories. The festival anticipates hosting more than 5,000 delegates and 1,000 or more filmmakers and artists.
Three sections maintain Oscar-qualifying status: International, Indian, and Animation. The newly introduced Machine Made Movies category welcomes films created entirely or partially through AI tools, while the Dancing Lens competition focuses on screendance works treating choreography and cinematography as integrated elements. According to organizers, every competition category this year contains more than 30 titles, marking the largest lineup in the festival’s history.
The festival’s 16th edition operates under the thematic framework “ACT,” structured around three imperatives: Do, Perform, and Behave. The International competition will premiere approximately 28 films in India for the first time, with a panel of judges including Maike Hohne, Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni, and Christopher Dalton. Over 20 selected Indian titles are scheduled for their public premiere at the festival, with one title having previously been selected for La Cinef at Cannes.
Beyond screenings, the festival will host industry programming including the Discovery Film Market with Producer Bazaar, connecting filmmakers with distributors, broadcasters, and financiers; the Echoes Film School Conference in partnership with RV University; and panels and masterclasses. The festival operates with an in-person component scheduled for Aug. 14-16 and an online component from August 6-16 across multiple venues in Bengaluru.
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