Bold voices. Honest stories. Your camera. Your chance.
NDFF invites entries for the new season of Make Cinema — a short film initiative where storytellers, students, theatre artists, and creators get to bring powerful ideas to life. If you’ve ever felt the urge to make a film that speaks your truth, this is your moment. Submit your idea, join the campaign, and be part of India’s growing independent cinema movement.
NDFF Presents: Small Films, Big Voices
The New Delhi Film Foundation (NDFF) invites emerging storytellers, film aspirants, theatre actors, and content creators to participate in the upcoming edition of its flagship campaign — Make Cinema. This is your opportunity to turn your idea into a short cinematic expression — fiction, documentary, or experimental — guided and showcased under the NDFF banner. In this inaugural season, NDFF will select and support the creation of six short films through the Make Cinema campaign.
NDFF believes in the power of ‘Small Films, Big Voices’, and through Make Cinema, we aim to build a vibrant community of new-age filmmakers from across India. Selected proposals will be offered mentorship, production assistance, and access to NDFF’s talent and resource pool.
Who Can Apply?
– Anyone aged 18 and above with a sincere, powerful story idea.
– Students, independent creators, theatre practitioners, and first-time filmmakers are especially encouraged.
– NDFF’s network of partner institutions, theatre groups, and TCOTF attendees are most welcome.
What to Submit?
For submitting your proposal you will be required to fill a google form and send some details of your film through an email.
1. Submit the basic details via Google Form (link given below)
(Form opens on 27th July, closes on 12th August 2025)
Information required in the google form:
⦁ Your name, city, email, phone number
⦁ Working title of your short film
⦁ Film category
(Fiction, Docu, Docu-Fiction, Exprimental)
⦁ A one-line logline
⦁ Target Audience
⦁ Applicant Category (Student/non Student)
with valid ID
⦁ Have you ever attended Talk Cinema
On The Floor (TCOTF)
⦁ Registration fee payment (₹500 | ₹300 for students with
valid ID)
+ Screenshot + Student proof
2. After filling the google form, to complete your submission, email the following* to makecinema.ndff@gmail.com:
– 150-word Concept Summary
– Description of visual tone, style,
and format
– Character brief
– Any references, lookboards,
or supporting visuals (optional)
*These details can also be written in Hindi if not comfortable to write in English (अगर आप अपने कॉन्सेप्ट या अन्य डिटेल्स को अंग्रेज़ी में लिखने में सहज नहीं हैं, तो हिंदी में भी भेज सकते हैं)
Registration Fee*
– ₹500 – General Category
– ₹300 – For Students (with valid student ID proof)
(Payment details and upload fields are included in the Google Form.)
*The registration fee mentioned is for a single proposal and is non-refundable. No Registration fee for Premium members of NDFF
For submission
- Register now: https://forms.gle/a1p6geaZEtEfb4MZ6
- Email: makecinema.ndff@gmail.com
- Deadline: 12th August 2025 (Later extended upto 15th Aug.)
What You Get
– Get shortlisted to make your first film under NDFF mentorship
– Priority access to NDFF campaigns and events
– Preference in casting and crew from NDFF’s pool of theatre/film talents
– Possibility of branded content support via NDFF’s production partner,
– Screenings in NDFF’s curated film showcases and social media platforms
This is your moment to step forward, tell your story, and Make Cinema.
What Kind of Content Are We Looking For?
We welcome original, sincere, and thought-provoking short films in the following formats:
- Fiction: Character-driven stories, slice-of-life, emotional arcs, or narrative experiments
- Documentary: Real stories of people, communities, or current socio-cultural realities
- Docu-fiction: Blend of real and recreated storytelling (great for biographical or regional content)
- Experimental: Abstract, poetic, visual storytelling or audio-visual essays
Your film can be rooted in urban or rural settings, focus on personal journeys, social themes, or everyday epiphanies. We value emotional depth, simplicity of execution, and storytelling honesty above high budgets or technical gloss.
Suggested Themes (Optional Guidance for Applicants)
To spark your creativity, here are some themes you can explore:
- Moments of change (personal or societal)
- Silences that speak (non-verbal storytelling)
- Stories from your street / city / community
- Unseen kindness, unheard voices
- Inter-generational conversations
- A memory you carry
- A story only your town can tell
These are only reference points — we encourage you to find your own unique voice and idea.
Chronicles of the Capital
Chronicles of the Capital is a signature film category under Make Cinema, dedicated to exploring stories rooted in Delhi — the city of contrasts, cultures, and countless lives in motion. One film in every season will be made under this theme, each capturing a new facet of the capital through fiction or documentary.
This will be a recurring special category with the brand identity of “Chronicles of the Capital” — a dedicated short film (fiction or documentary) that captures the spirit, struggles, and stories of Delhi, India’s ever-evolving capital city.
This film will explore slice-of-life narratives set in Delhi, featuring people from diverse cultures, regions, and walks of life who call the capital their home. Whether it’s the emotional pulse of a migrant worker, the nostalgia of an old market, the world famous old walled city or the anonymity of a metro ride, or the resilience of a street artist — this track will reflect the many colors, contrasts, and chronicles that define Delhi.
In each season of Make Cinema, one film will be commissioned under this evolving theme, building a long-form mosaic of the capital over time.
For the current edition, one of the six selected films will be produced under this category, making it a centerpiece of cultural storytelling and civic reflection.
If your content/proposal falls under this category, please mention specifically in your mail.
Film Duration
- Final films should be between 3 to 5 minutes in duration, with credits.
- In special cases, NDFF may allow special projects (like Chronicles of the Capital) to run up to 8 minutes if the story demands and logistics permit.
Support & Execution for Selected Projects (NDFF’s role)
If your idea is shortlisted:
- NDFF will mentor and guide you through development and scripting
- You’ll be connected with actors, technicians, and crew from NDFF’s network
- NDFF’s production partner ([Final Name] Films) will help with execution support, locations, and equipment (if needed)
- Selected films may be part of branded or sponsored content initiatives
Where Will the Final Films Be Seen?
The completed films may be:
- Showcased at NDFF-curated screenings
- Featured on NDFF’s social media and YouTube
- Submitted to partner film festivals
- Screened at campus events and TCOTF Chapters
- Highlighted in NDFF’s ‘Watch Cinema’ and ‘Cinema of India’ campaigns
Important Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date |
| Call for Entries Opens | 27th July 2025 |
| Submission Deadline | 12th August 2025 (Later extended upto 15th Aug.) |
| Shortlisting Announcement | 20th August 2025 |
| Development/ Script Mentoring | August–September 2025 |
| Pre/Production/ Post/Mentoring | October- Mid Nov 2025 |
| First Screening of Completed Films | November-December 2025 |
