The AJANTA-ELLORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AIFF) – previously known as Aurangabad International Film Festival – is organized by the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan, Mumbai’s Aurangabad Regional Centre, Nath Group and Mahatma Gandhi Mission. Organisers are dedicatedly working in social, cultural, literary & educational fields in Marathwada region and other parts of Maharashtra state. The festival has been organised since 2014.

1 – Aim of the Festival 

The AEIFF will present the best selection of contemporary Indian and international fiction-feature films as well as the significant films in history of Indian and world cinema.  The aim of organising this festival is to present the films of great merit from India and abroad to the audiences of city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), appreciate the cinematic works through means of awards, felicitations, seminars, etc. and to create an awareness and understanding of cinematic experience through film screenings and dialogue.

2 – Eligibility to participate in the 10^th Ajanta-Ellora IFF

 Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF) will be held from 15th to 19th January, 2025 in the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad).

1. For International Competition,Indian Competition & World Cinema sections, festival accepts:
   • feature length fiction films available for theatrical screening in DCP (JEPG 2K) format, with Blu-Ray as a backup copy, produced after 1st Sep 2023, of minimum duration of 70 minutes.
2. For other special sections, selection will be made by the festival programming team under guidance of Festival Director. These special sections include the National Award Winners, Retrospectives, Tributes and other special sections announced from time to time.
3. All films must be screened in their original version, with English subtitles. Remakes and dubbed language versions of a film are not eligible.
4. For International Competition Section:

• International Feature length Fiction films with a minimum length of 70 minutes produced between 1st September 2023 to 31st August 2024 or had its first theatrical screening after 1st September 2023 will be eligible for applying to the International Competition section of the festival.
• Indian Films cannot apply for International Competition directly. The Indian Competition Selection Committee will recommend 3 films for International Competition.

1. For Indian Competition section,
   • Director(s) and producer(s) of the film must be Indian nationals. If the film is internationally co-produced, at least one producer must be an Indian national.
   • An international jury will award following prizes in this competition –
     1. Golden Kailash – Best Film – INR 1 Lakh,
     2. Silver Kailash – Best Actors and Actress – INR 25,000 each
     3. Silver Kailash – Best Script – INR 25,000
     4. Audience Choice
     5. The 1st and 2nd feature-fiction film by directors selected in Indian Competition, World Cinema sections will be eligible for FIPRESCI Prize. A special 3-member jury of FIPRESCI-India members will decide the winner.

3 – Selection procedure

AEIFF’s programming team, headed by the festival director, is responsible for selecting and inviting films to take part in the AIFF.

1. The online entry form to submit the film is available on our website: aifilmfest.in.
2. The online film entry form shall be filled in with all the requisite details by the applicant who is either producer or director of the film or the person authorized by producer of the film.
3. The deadline for entries is 15th September 2024.
4. Applicants must submit an online preview link of the film in form. This online link shall have a download option.  No other format (DVD / BluRay / USB drive, DCP, etc.) is accepted for selection preview.
5. The work-in-progress copy of film which would be ready for screening before the start of the festival will also be considered for selection.

4 – Entry Fee

For Indian film-: Rs. 6,000/-

For International film -: US$ 75/-

Entry form submissions will only be considered complete and ready for the selection process on confirmation of entry fee payment.

5 – Instructions for selected films

1. The applicants of the selected films will be requested to submit a second phase submission form which carries all catalogue and publicity materials after the selection is confirmed.
2. The applicant must submit a DCP (JPEG 2K) of the film with English subtitles to festival office by 20th December 2024. The applicant must send details of this courier dispatch (AWB, tracking number, etc.) to [email protected].
3. The one-way shipping cost of the film screening material (DCP) will be borne by the Festival.
4. Films selected for AIFF cannot be withdrawn from the festival programme after its announcement.
5. The applicant shall provide 2 to 5 AV promos / trailers of each film, of maximum 2 minutes of duration through downloadable online link for promotion of the film on website, TV and other media. This shall be sent by email to [email protected].
6. The official Festival laurel must be included in all promotional and publicity material of the film and displayed prominently. Request for official festival laurel shall be sent by email to [email protected].

6 – Festival programme

1. The festival’s film programme is selected at the discretion of the festival director and his programming team. Their decision on the festival programme is final and irrevocable.
2. Each film may be screened a maximum of 3 times during the Festival at any of the official festival venues.
3. Films will be screened in DCP projection or any other digital format agreed upon by the festival programming team and the producer / applicant of the film.

7 – Events

Besides the film screenings under various competitive and non-competitive sections, the festival also organizes many other activities during the course of the festival.  These academic and informative events are designed in view of the aim of the festival to create aesthetic and creative awareness among festival attendees.  These activities include –

1. Seminar
2. Master Class
3. Open Forum
4. Exhibition
5. Festival Bulletin
6. Lifetime Achievement Award

8 – Obligations of applicants / producers of the films

1. Participation in the festival implies adherence to the regulations as set out here.
2. It is the responsibility of producers / applicants / distributors or other organizations submitting films to ensure that they are legitimately entitled to enter the film in the Festival.
3. For promotion of the films on websites, TV and other mediums, the applicant should provide links to download trailer / promo files of the film.
4. For the films selected, the official festival logo MUST be included in all promotional and publicity material of the film in a prominent place. Requests for suitable festival logo can be sent by email to [email protected].
5. The festival director has the right to settle all cases unforeseen in these regulations of participation, as well as to permit exceptions from the regulations in special, well-founded cases.

9 – Obligations of the Festival

1. If there is any damage to or loss of the screening material of the film sent for screening in the festival, the festival is responsible only for the cost involved in restoration or repair of the damaged DCP / hard disk / tape or making a new DCP / hard disk / tape of damaged portion of the film according to the current laboratory rates for ordering a standard screening copy.
2. Responsibility of festival for damage to or loss of a DCP / hard disk / tape is applicable ONLY while it is in Festival’s custody.

Any claims for damage or loss of print, lodged by the lender of the copy must be communicated to the Festival at the very latest, within one month of Festival dates.

The festival director reserves the right to settle all cases not covered by the guidelines and to grant exceptions in special cases.

Please read the regulations properly before submitting your film.

Festival office:
Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival C/o Nath Group,
Nath House, Nath Road, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) – 431005, INDIA
Contact no.: +91-9970468249 / +91-240-2376314/5/6/7
Contact email: [email protected]
Website: www.aifilmfest.in