Overview
The International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) is India's most significant competitive festival dedicated exclusively to documentaries and short films. Organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, IDSFFK takes place annually in Thiruvananthapuram. The 17th edition was held from July 18 to 23, 2025.
IDSFFK is the sister festival to the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which focuses on feature films in December. Together, these two festivals make Thiruvananthapuram one of the few Indian cities with two government-backed international film festivals operating annually. IDSFFK fills the gap that IFFK leaves open: IFFK explicitly does not accept documentaries or short films, so IDSFFK is the only Kerala State Chalachitra Academy platform for non-feature filmmaking.
The festival runs across multiple venues in Thiruvananthapuram, including Kairali, Sree, and Nila theatres, with screenings, workshops, and interaction sessions with filmmakers and media professionals from across India. The 17th edition featured jury members including acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ranjit Ray and celebrated Punjabi director Gurvinder Singh.
Key Sections
- Competition Long Documentary - nonfiction films 40 minutes and above, competing for cash prizes
- Competition Short Documentary - nonfiction films below 40 minutes, competing for cash prizes
- Competition Short Fiction - narrative films 60 minutes and below, competing for cash prizes
- Campus Films - short fiction or documentary films (20 minutes and below) produced by students from educational institutions in Kerala above higher secondary level
- International Non-Competition / Focus Sections - international fiction (60 minutes and below), nonfiction, focus long documentary, focus short documentary, focus short fiction, music video (10 minutes and below), and animation film (30 minutes and below)
- Malayalam Non-Competition Section - long documentary, short documentary, and short fiction in Malayalam language
- Lifetime Achievement Award - conferred on a film personality who has contributed to the art of documentary through their lifetime work
What Filmmakers Should Know
IDSFFK accepts submissions online through Eventival. The submission platform opens in mid-March and closes in early May each year. For the 2025 edition, the entry submission period ran from March 15 to May 5, 2025. Only films completed between May 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025 were eligible.
Submission fees are modest and payable online after submitting the application form:
- Long Documentary (competition): INR 1,000 per entry (approximately $12 USD)
- Short Documentary (competition): INR 1,000 per entry (approximately $12 USD)
- Short Fiction (competition): INR 1,000 per entry (approximately $12 USD)
- Campus Film (competition): INR 500 per entry (approximately $6 USD)
- Non-competition sections: No entry fee
Only online screeners are accepted as preview material. The festival does not accept work-in-progress films. All submitted films must carry English subtitles. The festival gives priority to films with Kerala premiere status. Once a film confirms selection, it cannot be withdrawn from the programme.
The notification date for selected films is typically late May. For the 2025 edition, the list of selected films was published on May 31, 2025.
Filmmakers should note that IDSFFK is a national competition festival with international non-competition sections. The competition categories are open to Indian filmmakers, while the focus sections accept international entries. This makes IDSFFK particularly valuable for Indian documentary and short fiction filmmakers seeking a competitive platform with cash prizes, and for international filmmakers seeking exposure to Kerala's engaged, cinephile audiences.
Major Awards
IDSFFK awards cash prizes across four competition categories, with amounts shared equally between the director and producer as listed on the entry form:
Long Documentary (40 minutes and above)
- Best Film: INR 2,00,000 (approximately $2,400 USD) with certificate
- Second Best Film: INR 1,00,000 (approximately $1,200 USD) with certificate
Short Documentary (below 40 minutes)
- Best Film: INR 1,00,000 (approximately $1,200 USD) with certificate
- Second Best Film: INR 50,000 (approximately $600 USD) with certificate
Short Fiction (60 minutes and below)
- Best Film: INR 2,00,000 (approximately $2,400 USD) with certificate
- Second Best Film: INR 1,00,000 (approximately $1,200 USD) with certificate
Campus Film
- Best Campus Film: INR 50,000 (approximately $600 USD) with certificate to the creative team
Lifetime Achievement Award
- INR 2,00,000 (approximately $2,400 USD) and a memento, conferred on a film personality for lifetime contribution to documentary filmmaking
The General Council of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy reserves the right to revise cash award amounts each year. Special jury mentions are also awarded for achievements in cinematography, sound, and editing, though these do not carry cash prizes. The 17th edition included a Kumar Talkies Award for best editing in a short documentary.
17th IDSFFK (2025) Award Winners
- Best Long Documentary: Dalit Subbaiah - Voice of the Rebels directed by M.K.P. Giridharan (INR 2 lakh)
- Second Best Long Documentary: Negative Remorse directed by Shankar Goud (INR 1 lakh)
- Best Short Documentary: Amma's Pride directed by Shiva Krish
- Second Best Short Documentary: An Eventual Calamity of Time directed by Omkar Khandagale
- Best Short Fiction: Only to You, I Surrender directed by Aditya Raj Bhargav
- Second Best Short Fiction: An Orphanage of Memories directed by Rayit Hashmat Qazi
- Best Campus Film: Ura directed by Shruthil Mathew (K.R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Rakesh Sharma, director of Final Solution and other acclaimed documentaries
Festival History
IDSFFK was established by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as a dedicated platform for non-feature filmmaking, complementing the feature-focused IFFK. The festival has grown over 17 editions into India's most important competitive platform for documentaries and short films, attracting entries from across the country and international selections for its focus sections.
Kerala's film culture is distinct within India. The state has the highest literacy rate in the country, a long tradition of progressive political engagement, and a population that treats cinema as a serious cultural practice rather than purely entertainment. This environment produces audiences who engage substantively with documentary and short form filmmaking in ways that are uncommon at most Indian festivals.
The 17th edition in 2025 was notable for the strength of Tamil-language entries, with Dalit Subbaiah (backed by filmmaker Pa Ranjith's Neelam Productions) winning Best Long Documentary and Amma's Pride winning Best Short Documentary. Kerala's Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian announced at the closing ceremony that the state government's comprehensive film policy will include measures to give special encouragement to documentary filmmaking.
Past Winners
The 17th IDSFFK (2025) award winners are listed above. Here are additional recent winners for context:
15th IDSFFK (2023) Award Winners:
- Best Long Documentary: Land of My Dreams directed by Nausheen Khan (INR 2 lakh). The film documented the women-led Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Second Best Long Documentary: Chardi Kala - An Ode to Resilience directed by Prateek Shekhar (INR 1 lakh). A chronicle of the Indian farmers' protest.
- Best Short Documentary: Somewhere Near and Far directed by Gurleen Grewal (INR 1 lakh). A contemplative portrait of a family in Delhi.
- Second Best Short Documentary: Mum directed by Siddhant Sarin (INR 50,000)
- Best Short Fiction: A Flower in a Foglight directed by Gaurav Puri. A film about a village facing displacement for a new airport.
- Second Best Short Fiction: When I Look at the Horizon directed by Tarique Ahamed
The 15th edition was presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, reflecting the state government's direct involvement in the festival. The 2023 edition demonstrated IDSFFK's programming taste for politically engaged documentary work, with both top long documentaries addressing major Indian protest movements.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Several films that screened or won at IDSFFK went on to significant downstream trajectories:
- *Amma's Pride* (2024, dir. Shiva Krish) - Won Best Short Documentary at the 17th IDSFFK (2025). The film premiered at the 64th Krakow Film Festival in Poland and was the sole LGBTQ+ selection at IFFI Goa. It won the Sher Vancouver Award for Best LGBTQ+ Film and is distributed by New Day Films in the US. The film documents Tamil Nadu's first legally registered trans marriage.
- *Land of My Dreams* (2023, dir. Nausheen Khan) - Won Best Long Documentary at the 15th IDSFFK (2023). The film was featured on France 24 and received attention for its documentation of the Shaheen Bagh protests. It traveled to multiple festivals after IDSFFK recognition.
- *A Fly on the Wall (2024, dirs. Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar) - Screened in the Long Documentary category at the 17th IDSFFK (2025). The film had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival 2024 and also screened at Mumbai Film Festival. Bose is known for Margarita with a Straw (2014) and The Sky is Pink* (2019).
- *From Ground Zero* (2024, collective work by 22 Palestinian filmmakers) - Opening film of the 17th IDSFFK (2025). The anthology premiered at TIFF 2024 and was Palestine's official Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. Michael Moore joined as executive producer. The film was shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
IDSFFK's competition categories are open only to Indian filmmakers, while the focus and non-competition sections accept international entries. If you are an international filmmaker, target the Focus sections (Focus Long Documentary, Focus Short Documentary, Focus Short Fiction) rather than the competition categories.
The festival gives priority to films with Kerala premiere status. If your film has not screened in Kerala before, highlight this in your submission. The festival also requires that once a film confirms selection, it cannot be withdrawn from the program.
The submission platform is Eventival, not FilmFreeway. Create an account on the IDSFFK Eventival portal well before the deadline. The submission window typically runs from mid-March to early May, with a narrow window of about seven weeks.
The Campus Films category is specifically for students from Kerala educational institutions above higher secondary level. Films must be 20 minutes or below. In 2025, three of ten selected campus films came from a single institution (Neo Film School), showing that the category rewards strong training programs.
The festival has a partnership with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, screening selections from its latest edition. Animation filmmakers should note this connection and consider submitting to both festivals. IDSFFK accepts animation films up to 30 minutes in its non-competition section.
IDSFFK does not accept work-in-progress films. All submitted films must be completed and carry English subtitles. Only online screeners are accepted as preview material - no physical copies.
Industry Reputation Notes
IDSFFK is India's most important competitive platform for documentaries and short films. It is non-FIAPF accredited but is government-backed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which also organizes the feature-focused IFFK. This government backing gives the festival institutional stability that most Indian non-feature festivals lack.
Compared to MIFF (Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentaries, Shorts and Animation), IDSFFK has a more focused competitive structure with transparent cash prizes. MIFF is organized by the Films Division of India and has a longer history dating to 1990, but IDSFFK benefits from Kerala's uniquely engaged cinephile audience. Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India and a population that treats cinema as serious cultural practice.
The festival has grown significantly from its origins as the International Video Film Festival of Kerala (IVFK). In 2025, it screened 332 films from 54 countries across 29 sections. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy secretary noted that the festival is planning to expand from the single Kairali complex venue to multiple screening venues, similar to IFFK's footprint.
The 2025 edition demonstrated IDSFFK's programming range. The opening film (From Ground Zero) was an Oscar-shortlisted Palestinian anthology. The Soundscapes section included Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat, a Sundance award winner. The competition winners addressed caste (Dalit Subbaiah), trans rights (Amma's Pride), and personal memory (Negative Remorse). This range positions IDSFFK as both a politically engaged and aesthetically diverse festival.
Kerala's Cultural Affairs Minister announced at the 2025 closing ceremony that the state government's comprehensive film policy will include measures to give special encouragement to documentary filmmaking. This policy commitment suggests IDSFFK's institutional support will strengthen in coming editions.
Watch
See Also
For the feature film counterpart to IDSFFK, see International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate whether submitting to IDSFFK makes financial sense for your project.
