NHRC Invites Entries for Human Rights Short Film Contest by June 30

The National Human Rights Commission has opened entries for its 12th annual short film competition, with a deadline of June 30. The contest seeks films between 3 and 10 minutes on themes covering a wide spectrum of human rights issues, from gender equality to environmental justice. There is no entry fee, and the first prize winner will receive Rs 2 lakh. The competition aims to encourage creative efforts by Indian citizens in promoting and protecting human rights.

Key Points: NHRC Short Film Competition 2024: Submit by June 30

  • Submit by June 30
  • No entry fee
  • Films 3-10 minutes
  • First prize Rs 2 lakh
3 min read

NHRC invites entries for short film competition, last date June 30​

Enter NHRC's 12th short film contest on human rights themes. Win prizes, no entry fee. Submit 3-10 min films by June 30, 2024.

"The themes...should be broadly based on various socio-economic, cultural, and political rights. - NHRC"

New Delhi, April 10

Looking to encourage creative cinematic efforts aimed at promoting and protecting human rights, the NHRC on Friday began inviting entries for its 12th annual short film competition, an official said.​

The last date to receive entries is June 30, he said in a statement.​

The results of the competition will be announced via a press release, an X handle post, and uploaded to the Commission's website, said the statement. Last year, the first-prize winner received Rs 2 lakh.​

The short films may be in English or any Indian language, with English subtitles. The short film should be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes.​

"The themes of short films should be broadly based on various socio-economic, cultural, and political rights. The film could be a documentary, dramatisation of real stories or a work of fiction, in any technical format, including animation, within the ambit of right to life, liberty, equality and dignity," said the Commission.​

The short films may cover issues specific to bonded and child labour, women and children's rights, rights and challenges of elderly persons, rights of persons with disability, manual scavenging, right to healthcare, issues of fundamental freedoms, human trafficking, domestic violence, human rights violations due to police atrocities or custodial violence and torture.​

The themes may also include socio-economic disparities, rights of Nomadic and Denotified Tribes, prison reforms, right to education, right to clean environment including environmental hazards impacting life on planet earth, right to work, right to equality before law, right to food and nutritional security, rights of LGBTQI, human rights violations due to displacement on account of either man-made or natural calamity, celebrating human rights and values in Indian diversity and development initiatives improving life and living standards, it said.​

There is no entry fee or limit on the number of entries an individual can send to participate in the contest. However, participants must send each film separately with a duly completed entry form, the statement said.​

The Short Film Awards competition was instituted by the Commission in 2015. It aims to encourage and acknowledge the cinematic and creative efforts of Indian citizens, regardless of age, in promoting and protecting human rights.​

An NHRC circular said that the Commission will have the right to use the awarded films for any purpose it deems fit, including uploading them on its website/social media. For this, an undertaking will be taken from the applicants.​

The NHRC said participants may continue to retain their rights to their films and may be free to participate in any other competitions/festivals without restricting the Commission from using them.​

The applicant whose film is shortlisted for the award will be required to send a coloured poster (A3 size) depicting the title of the film, a brief theme in English, and names of the main crew, only in soft copy, said the NHRC.​

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Rohit P
Rs 2 lakh prize money is a good incentive. I appreciate that it's open to all Indian languages with English subtitles. This truly celebrates our diversity. Maybe I'll try making something on the right to a clean environment - Ganga pollution needs more spotlight!
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Arjun K
While the competition is great, I hope the selected films actually lead to some policy action or wider public discourse. Sometimes these initiatives feel like tick-box exercises. The real test is if the powerful stories reach the right authorities and create change.
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Sarah B
The inclusion of rights for Nomadic and Denotified Tribes is commendable. These communities often remain invisible in mainstream discourse. Short films can be a powerful medium to tell their stories. Kudos to NHRC for such a detailed and inclusive list of themes.
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Vikram M
No entry fee and no limit on entries? That's very encouraging for students and indie filmmakers. The 3-10 minute format is perfect for social media sharing too. Hope they promote the winning films widely on platforms like YouTube.
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Meera T
As a documentary filmmaker, I'm thrilled to see "dramatisation of real stories" explicitly mentioned. Many human rights violations in our country need to be documented and shared. This competition gives a platform. Time to start working on a film about manual scavenging – this practice must end.

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