**Executive Summary**
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has invited entries for its 12th annual short film competition to promote and protect human rights through the creative efforts of Indian citizens. The competition is open for various cinematic formats covering socio-economic, cultural, and political themes. All entries must be submitted electronically by the deadline of 30th June 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Eligibility and Participation**
* Open to all Indian citizens regardless of age.
* There is no entry fee for participation.
* Individuals may submit multiple entries, provided each film is sent separately with its own entry form.
**Technical Requirements**
* **Duration:** Films must be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes.
* **Format:** Submissions can be documentaries, dramatizations of real stories, works of fiction, or animations.
* **Language:** Films may be in English or any Indian language, but all must include subtitles in English.
**Thematic Scope**
* Entries must focus on human rights themes, including but not limited to:
* Right to life, liberty, equality, and dignity.
* Rights of women, children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities.
* Issues like bonded/child labour, manual scavenging, and human trafficking.
* Custodial violence, police atrocities, and prison reforms.
* Contemporary issues such as LGBTQI+ rights, environmental hazards, and food security.
**Submission Process**
* Participants must download the entry form and terms and conditions from the NHRC website (www.nhrc.nic.in).
* The film, completed entry form, and requisite documents must be sent via Google Drive to nhrcshortfilm@gmail.com.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Citizens (Filmmakers and Creators)**
**Impact**
They are provided with a national platform to showcase cinematic talent and contribute to human rights advocacy.
**Action Required**
Produce a film within the 3-10 minute limit, download the official entry form, and submit the content via Google Drive to the NHRC by 30th June 2026.
**National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)**
**Impact**
The commission utilizes these creative entries to further its mandate of promoting and protecting human rights through public engagement.
**Action Required**
The NHRC must facilitate the submission process via the provided email address, evaluate the entries, and award the winning participants.
Key Entities Referenced
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC): The primary statutory body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in India, which organizes the annual film competition.
Short Film Awards competition: An initiative instituted by the NHRC in 2015 to encourage cinematic and creative efforts of Indian citizens towards promoting and protecting human rights.
National Human Rights Commission
NHRC invites entries for its 12th annual
competition for short films on human rights
Online entries open for Indian citizens: Last date 30th June
2026
The themes to be based on various socio-economic, cultural
and political rights
Films to be in English or any Indian language with subtitles in
English
Entries to be sent using Google Drive at
nhrcshortfilm@gmail.com
Posted On: 10 APR 2026 4:22PM by PIB Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has invited entries for its 12th annual
competition for short films on human rights. The last date to receive entries is 30th June, 2026. The
winning entries will be awarded.
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, irrespective of their age, towards
promoting and protecting human rights. In all previous competitions, the Commission received
tremendous responses from different parts of the country.
The short films may be in English or any Indian language, with subtitles in English. The duration of the
short film should be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes. The films could be
documentary, dramatisation of real stories, or a work of fiction made in any technical format, including
animation, within the ambit of various socio-economic, cultural and political rights based on the following
themes:
• Right to life, liberty, equality and dignity
• Covering 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
• Custodial violence and torture
• Socio-economic disparities
• Rights of Nomadic and Denotified Tribes
• Prison reforms
• Right to education
• Right to a 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 violation due to displacement on account of either man-made or natural calamity
• Celebrating human rights and values in Indian diversity
• Development initiatives improving life and living standards, etc.
There is no entry fee or bar on the number of entries an individual can send to participate in the contest.
However, the participants must send each film separately with a duly filled-in entry form. The terms &
conditions, along with the entry form, can be downloaded from the NHRC website: www.nhrc.nic.in or
the link: Click here.
The film, a duly filled-in entry form, and other requisite documents may be sent using Google Drive at
nhrcshortfilm[at]gmail[dot]com. Any queries may also be sent to this email address.
***
NSK
(Release ID: 2250819) Visitor Counter : 190
Read this release in: Gujarati , Urdu , ही , Marathi , Manipuri , Telugu