Blades of Grass: My experience of making a DSLR Film in 48 Hours

The 48 Hour Project:
[I]t was a Friday afternoon in November. I had registered for the Mumbai 48 Hour Film Project, 2010 a few months in advance. According to the project rules, we had to make a 4-7 minute short film using 3 given parameters, which included a prop, a character and a line of dialogue. Then each team had to pick a genre and finish the film and submit it in the given 48 hours.
Shooting and Editing:
The next morning, our team had a script ready to work with. Now that I knew what I had to shoot, I knew a simple camcorder would not do justice to the whole project. I had earlier never made a film on a DSLR, but had seen quite a few videos online and knew what was required for this one, considering the look I wanted. So, I then rang up a friend who owned a DSLR, a Canon 550D and called him aboard to help us.
Firstly, we needed to decide what resolution we wanted to shoot at. It was clear to us that the medium our film will be primarily showcased on would be either on DVDs at film festivals or the internet. So, we decided to shoot it at 720p @ 60 fps. Interestingly, 60 fps opens up a really good option of slowing down the footage substantially and considering the kind of narrative and music we had, it was the best decision and we came to realize that while editing. The footage could almost be slowed down to a fifth of its original speed and makes for really interesting viewing once edited. Another thing I come to notice about 60fps is the smoothness of the video. Since our eyes and brain can process images faster than 24 fps, the 60 fps footage looks very lifelike, seems to have less artificial effects and looks more continuous as compared to the standard 24,25 and 30 fps. Probably that’s the reason Peter Jackson is shooting ‘The Hobbit’ at 50 fps!
Most of our film was shot with a Canon 50 mm lens and the wide aperture helped a great deal in getting the indoor shots to look good even without any artificial lights. For most part, we were able to shoot at ISO speeds 100/200 which was great for clarity. We had to take some shots in diminished light towards the evening due to time constraints and we ended up moving the ISO speeds to as high as 800, still the footage held up pretty well and had acceptable noise levels for a web and DVD audience! However, I think if someone is aiming at a theatrical or a Blu-Ray release, ISO speeds above 200 might just be suicidal.
The shallow depth at wide apertures is superb and it makes the footage look more film-like. We pretty much shot the whole film with aperture fully open and hence the jumpy focus/defocus at times, which we found acceptable, though controlling the focus manually is not the best aspect of DSLR film-making. At times, it becomes an issue due to the lack of a continuous auto-focus in most DSLR cameras. We did manage to pull off most of the shots with manually shifting the focus, though it was not perfect, but looked just about fine. But there will always be some shots which cannot be shot in that way, specially if you are shooting with the camera without any accessories and you will feel a need for a continuous auto-focus. For such shots, probably 2-3 of them are there in this film as well, I suggest always keeping a secondary camera handy, which might be a FULL HD camcorder. I had a Canon Vixia HF10 which shoots AVCHD 1080p and with a little bit of post work, you can blend the footage easily and nobody gets to know.
The LCD on the 550D is a bit of a problem if you are used to the rotating displays of camcorders and there were issues in shooting some low and high angles. (Well, I now own a Canon 60D which has an articulating screen and is brilliant to shoot with and gives pretty much the same quality as a 7D/5D which is superb.)
Another little issue we faced due to continuous shooting towards the end of the day was over-heating on the camera and it did show overheat warnings and we had to stop shooting and cool it down for a few minutes before we could start again. In a less demanding shooting schedule, I think such problems would be rare and I have not faced anything like this on any shoot since.
About the sound, since we did not have any dedicated sound equipment or the time to dub, we used the in-camera sound and were pretty satisfied with the decent output we got in the time we had.
Another aspect of shooting with a DSLR I love as compared to some pro-cameras is that it is compact and helps in getting a lot of unplanned candid shots you might just miss out if you have a bigger, meaner looking camera! The fact that you look like you’re just clicking a photograph also makes it my favorite documentary camera as it conceals what you’re actually doing to the average person you meet on the road.
Back to topic, it was time to edit. DSLR footage is very smooth to edit. I earlier used to have a AVCHD camcorder and its footage was a real pain to edit as the codec is not very optimized even if you have a powerful machine. In comparison, the DSLR footage is smooth, has great color depth (though not as good as RAW), and is perfect to obtain any look or tone if you know how to color correct. I did a few color isolation shots to get the feel right and the footage held up pretty good.  We finished the edit by noon on Sunday and finally were able to finish and submit on time, all thanks to the smooth DSLR workflow.
Later on:
‘Blades of Grass’ went on to win ‘Best Cinematography’ at the Mumbai 48 Hour Film Festival held a week later and we were really ecstatic at this achievement, this being our first DSLR film. The film later had screenings at International Film Festival of India, Goa; Jaipur International Film Festival, Jaipur; International Film Festival of India, Chennai; BYOFF, Puri and Himachal Film Festival, Shimla and was widely appreciated everywhere! Here’s a link to the film, ‘Blades of Grass’ – http://youtu.be/tCSYL4xgcUw
Recent developments in the world of DSLR film making which has seen feature length films like Qaushiq Mukherjee’s ‘Gandu’ and Amole Gupte’s ‘Stanley ka Dabba’ being produced are really inspiring and I am now looking forward to work on a longer script with a DSLR. All thanks to the technology, the independent film maker now has the power to tell stories the way they see them!

Crowdfunding my first feature Fenêtre

A]fter a five year stretch as an Assistant Director on a few successful Indian films, I set out to write my own screenplay. In search of a meaningful and impactful theme, I fortuitously spoke to a friend from Rajasthan and we exchanged ideas around woman empowerment, a concerning topic in some parts of rural Rajasthan. We narrowed the topic down to child marriage, and the story down to a young girl who runs away from home to escape being married off.
It was one of those ‘aha’ moments – I was so inspired by the story that in two weeks I found myself in the rural outskirts of Jodhpur, Rajasthan! My goal was to feel the place, understand it, the people, the situation, the stories and return to write the script. I found myself there again repeatedly over the next few months. It was magical.
I worked at the script, and it soon started taking shape. I started working exclusively on the project in early 2009, visiting Rajasthan as necessary and further developing the storyline and script at a manageable pace. A friend also pledged to fund the main parts of the project, which helped me focus on the creative aspects.
In the unbearable summer heat of May 2010, I took my fourth, and perhaps most enriching trip to Rajasthan coinciding with a few summer cultural festivals. It was the most extreme heat I had experienced in my life: 47 degrees Celsius (116 F). Some locals and other filmmaker friends had warned me about the inhuman heat and unpredictable sandstorms that time of year. For the first time ever, I gave in to brand UV sunglasses, a hat and very high SPF sunscreen lotion.
I visited a theater workshop in nearby Jodhpur, which was so enriching that I further modified my script based on a few pointers I picked up there. I was getting used to this shampoo pattern of visit Rajasthan, modify script, repeat.
The next day was the big festival of Akha Teej. It has several religious significances, the most important marking the day that the Hindu epic Mahabharata began being captured in scripture. Incidentally, it is an auspicious day for marriages and even ‘mass marriages’, where many couples are married together for cost efficiencies.
I was shocked to witness so many child marriages in temples and even along the side of the road. I had read and written about it, but to see it before my eyes in broad daylight was astonishing. The legal age for marriage in India is 21 for males and 18 for females. There was no doubt that the young boys and girls before me were way below those ages. There were policemen not so far away, nonchalantly turning a blind eye at the ongoings.
Still reeling, as I walked to the entrance of the next village, the villagers stopped me in my tracks, taking me to be an authority about to derail the proceedings. Stuck outside, I ended up treating around 100 kulfis (ice cream on sticks) to the children of the village I was in. They thoroughly enjoyed the kulfi, and that was a defining moment for me – they are just children looking for the next frivolous amusement, in no way ready for the sober and mature institution of marriage.
My final crusade on this trip was to find the protagonist of my story, Pinky. In her chase, I traveled to several schools and villages around Jaisalmer. I auditioned around a hundred and fifty girls to play the part, which I pared down to a final shortlist of ten. When the time was right, I would pick ‘the one’.
Everything was going per plan, but unfortunately in mid 2010 with the Indian economy flagging, the friend who had pledged to fund the movie announced with regret that he would be unable to invest further. It was a sudden and major setback in my aspirations to make this film.
After briefly laying low, in early 2011, I teamed up with an old friend, Amish Gandhi, now in the media world in New York. Together, we have revamped the project and have a brand new campaign on Kickstarter to showcase the project and raise funds for it. The quest continues, but this time I am more hopeful than ever.
I believe movies can have more social impact than attempts by jaded governments. I believe in the power of grassroots movements to create change for a better world with untroubled children. We don’t want them growing up in sweat shops making toys for other more privileged children. We don’t want them serving food amidst flies at roadside stalls. We don’t want little girls carrying little babies begging on the streets. And we don’t want little boys and girls getting married. To know that this is a reality in today’s day and age is quite alarming.
With this in mind, I have created a strong and courageous character who at the tender age of nine has the fortitude to escape her own home window to find her safe haven. Her story unfolds through a meandering route across Rajasthan, as she encounters obstacles, victories and learns life lessons.  The movie is titled ‘fenêtre’, French for ‘window’.
I hope to be able to make this movie and engage, entertain and inspire you to make a difference. As Greg Mortensen said, “If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community”.

dventurous and experimental with DSLR: Stanley ka Dabba Cinematographer

A]mol Gole must be feeling like a magician at the moment, and the magic wand in his hand is a DSLR camera. After having shot successfully Amole Gupte’s Stanley Ka Dabba on a Canon 7D, he has gone on to shoot another Marathi film Gajjar on 7D and is now shooting a documentary on Canon 5D. The cinematographer talks about his discovery of the magic of DSLR a day before his film Stanley Ka Dabba hits the theatres…
Why is Stanley Ka Dabba shot on Canon 7D?
The film is shot on Canon 7D because the idea was to shoot the kids in the theatre and cinema sessions without causing any intrusion. The sessions were a regular activity and we were shooting them. We used a Canon 7D because the size was very small and we didn’t want to scare the kids.
So, how did the film come about?
Pata tha ki film banani hai (We knew we had to make the film). Amole sir had registered the screenplay way back in 2008. But we didn’t know where we were going. We shot it on 7D and then we tested how it looked on big screen. It gave a proper film like feel and so we decided to go ahead with it.
Was there any film shot on DSLR before that you drew inspiration from?
We had no precedent, nothing to draw inspiration from. Stanley Ka Dabba is the first Hindi film shot on a still digital camera. No one in our crew knew anything about it. Only our technical head was aware of such things happening in America. But I hadn’t seen any film shot on a DSLR.
What is the most interesting aspect of shooting Stanley Ka Dabba on Canon 7D?
Not a single light was used in the shooting of this film, it’s entirely shot in natural light. The amazing part of it is that 80-90% of the film is shot indoors. Also, the entire film has been shot with a handheld camera.
Canon 7D is a very small camera but it matches international standards. It can shoot 24 frames per second which makes the movie look like it has been shot on film. The visual quality is superb.
How would you sum up your experience as the cinematographer of Stanley Ka Dabba?
In Stanley Ka Dabba, the key aspect of the film is storytelling. In most other films, the focus of the cinematographer is on taking good shots and lighting of the film. Par log camera ke liye film dekhne nahi jaate (people don’t watch the film for its camerawork). Here, it’s all about telling the story well.
I also realized that a digital SLR camera is a beautiful medium to work with.
What are the advantages and the limitations of shooting a film on DSLR?
You can be adventurous and experimental with a DSLR. You don’t have to worry about the stocks. You can really get into the subject of the film. A limitation of shooting on DSLR is that you cannot shoot in slow motion, and the shots are jittery at times.
What is your advice for filmmakers wanting to shoot on DSLR?
One has to be very careful with the Digital Interface. If that goes wrong, it can easily make it look like a digital film.
Please elaborate on the Digital Interface.
This is related to the process of post production of a film. Normally, after shooting on film, the film is scanned and then color corrected. For a movie shot on a digital camera, the process of color correction is very important. The quality of the movie can be really improved during this process, although it doesn’t offer a color range as wide as when it is shot on film. A baselight or a resolve machine is used for color correction.
How is sound recorded in a DSLR?
We had to record sound separately and then sync it. Dubbing was not an option as it was a children’s film.
How do you see the future of shooting films on DSLR?
It’s going to be big in the time to come. What difference a digital still camera can make, you will come to know when you watch the film. My Marathi film Gajjar has also been shot on Canon 7D.
So was Gajjar before Stanley Ka Dabba?
No, I started shooting it after Stanley. But it released a week before Stanley Ka Dabba.
Any particular scene from the film Stanley Ka Dabba you are fond of?
Yes, the vada pav scene. When one kid opens his dabba and teacher bhukkad (Amole Gupte) walks in and smells vada pav…that is a hilarious scene.
Tell us about your background.
I have been a publicity photographer for films for the last five years. Some films that I have worked on are Delhi 6, Mangal Pandey and Taare Zameen Par. Stanley Ka Dabba is my first feature film as a cinematographer.
Tell us about your association with Amole Gupte.
I was supposed to assist Amole sir on Taare Zameen Par. But when the film began, I took to publicity photography which I had been doing for some time. Then I did the camera for Nero’s Guests. (Nero’s Guests is a documentary directed by Amole Gupte’s wife Deepa Bhatia.) That was when Amole sir noticed me. Then I was supposed to work with him on a project that he was planning but it did not materialize due to date issues with actors. And then Stanley happened and Amole sir told me that I would do the camera for the film.
Amole sir is a very learned filmmaker. To work with him was like unlearning what I had learnt in my career as a publicity photographer, spanning 5-6 years.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a 3-D film which will be shot on Canon 5D. I’m also working with Amole sir on his next projec

Dreaming with DSLR

[I] had been wanting to make a short film for long but had no funds. Finally, technology and my friends came to my rescue and helped me realize my dream. The technology that made it possible is Digital SLR. In this series, I wish to share my learning of working with digital technology.
The last time I made a film, it was a different era altogether. The camera was 16 millimeter Arriflex BL. We recorded sound on 1/2 inch magnetic spool tapes on a Nagra 4.2 and edited it using a splicer and a cutter on a Steinbeck! The journey between the two little films that I made, seems nothing less than time travel. While Arriflex is part of film history now for being the darling of French New Wave directors, DSRLs are history in the making. DSLRs are the most significant technological innovation since Arriflex that are bound to change the way films are made.
I shot my film on a Nikon D7000 camera. Though Canon 7D has been quite a craze with indie filmmakers, Nikon’s offering, if not better, is equally good and little less expensive. I chose it over 7D on my cinematographer’s suggestion. His reason was simple, he already had a set of Nikon lenses and had he gone for 7D, he would have had to invest all over in lenses.
Nikon D7000 and Canon 7D are both Digital SLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex or DSLR) cameras. Though, these are primarily still cameras but are capable of shooting high definition (HD) Video. The resolution that they offer is full HD i.e 1920X1080 pixels. These cameras shoot at 23.98 frames per second, that’s closer to cinema’s 24 frames per second. The HD aspect ratio is 16:9 that is approximately 1.77:1, that is also closer to Hollywood widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
In cinema you can see each single frame as a still image. You would understand that if you’ve ever held a film reel in front of your eyes.  In video or television, each frame is made of two fields, and each field is made of lines, so unlike cinema, frame is just a concept in video. What makes these cameras better suited for cinema is something called progressive scan. Here each frame is a complete frame, almost like a still image, just like cinema. And since these cameras shoot at approximately 24 frames per second (23.98), they are strikingly closer to cinema.
DSLR cameras give you great liberty and quality at a great price. Nikon D7000 comes for around Rs. 74,000/- with 18-105 zoom lens. Canon 7D is priced around Rs.1.28 Lakh with 15-85 zoom lens.
Many equipment rental agencies in Mumbai (and other cities) also rent Canon 7D. The rent could vary depending on lenses and accessories, however, it should be around Rs. 2,000-3,000 per day.
A DSLR which is in fact cheaper than a miniDV camera is a full HD camera. Once you shoot on it, with little upscaling you can finally get your film made into a Digital Cinema Pack (DCP) in 2K resolution. 2K DCPs are accepted by festivals all over the world and multiplexes have already gone digital.
Alternatively you can also print your film on 35mm or get a negative made. This way you can reach out to the entire exhibition, distribution chain.
If you want to see what these cameras are capable of watch “Stanley ka Dabba” which is running in theatres now. I saw Q’s much talked about film “Gandu” (The Asshole) in Berlin which was shot entirely on Canon 7D. Parts of Black Swan was also shot on 7D.

Shooting a documentary on DSLR

Reader Dheeraj Jindal shares his learnings from shooting a documentary on Canon 7D.

[T]he time has changed for filmmakers. Now the quality of video is not relative to the size of camera; you are not required to be loaded with money. All you need is a good idea, passion and dedication.
With the range of DSLR cameras in market it is not difficult to make a good quality film in unimaginable low budget. Canon 5D and 7D provides beyond belief results in video mode. Now globally known filmmakers are using these cameras for shooting documentaries, TVCs and films; undoubtedly they all have a good reason to do so.
We are into documentaries and corporate films, and before some time we were shooting most of our documentaries on Sony PD 170, the reason was its small size and light weight with fair quality on SD format. Then once we used 7D on someone’s recommendation and were shocked by its result. From that day PD 170 became history for us.
5D and 7D gives you video in full high definition, that is 1920×1080 with incredible colors and depth like the footage was shot on a film camera.
They are small in size and high on quality.
Canon 7D gives you the option of variable frame rates from 24 to 60 fps, and gives the real magic of slow motion to your shots. 5D allows you to have control over gain while sound recording. As of now 7D doesn’t have any control on gain so it sets the audio level automatically, that leads to increase on the ambience sound whenever the person who’s speaking takes a pause or break. So to record a byte or sound you have to be at a place where there is no noise or else use some other equipment to record audio and sync it later. 5D doesn’t have the option of variable frame rates, so shooting in slow speed is not possible with this model.
Both the models require good amount of light, though shooting in natural light can give you the best results. But if you are shooting in low light then without increasing the ISO, camera will give you sharp results without any noise on your video, unlike few models of Sony PMW EX series.
Censor size is different in both the cameras, and 5D takes the lead in this. But it doesn’t mean 7D is deprived in video quality.
The question is to decide on whether 5D or 7D?
For the film “The Musalman”, we opted for 7D as slow speed shots are important to give the right feel to the film, and we knew that bytes we can shoot in a controlled environment so that automatic control over gain won’t become a problem for us.
The film is mostly shot indoors at The Musalman premises with only one source of natural light, so we used couple of extra lights to support natural light.
Then we used a Camera Stabilizer to have some dynamic movements in the shots, as the place was too compact for even an eight feet jib or track. For smooth movement with camera stabilizer, we have to shoot in slow speed, so again 7D was the choice to make.
Choosing the right lens is also important for a shoot. There are a variety of lenses available in the market, so you have to decide according to the requirement of the shoot.
These models are not very difficult to use. It’s just a few key settings that make all the difference:

• Shooting Mode – Don’t forget to turn it on manual, and at times while shooting the mode gets changed accidently, so do keep a check if it’s on the right mode or not.
• ISO range – It works like gain in video camera. You will get the best result when ISO is on 100, if you increase it then your video will have grains. The more you will increase, the noisier your footage will be. (Remember while increasing ISO never go by camera LCD, it won’t show any noise in the video as the size is too small.)
• Choosing the right frame size for the film – If you have lots of slow speed shots in your film then it’s good to choose 1280×720 as your resolution, the reason is 60fps is supported only at the above frame size.
• Color temperature – You can set the color temperature manually to give the right tone to your film, or can set the white balance on auto.
• Shutter Speed – It should always be double of your frame rate, so in case you are shooting at 60fps, then your shutter speed should be at 120.

Limitations

• It has a limit of maximum file size as the memory card is in Fat 32 format, so the duration of the clip is limited to around 12 minute for one continuous clip, thus it is advisable to change the clip after around 10 minutes while taking interviews.
• The camera gets heated up if you shoot continuously, so whenever possible turn it off.
• You can’t use a monitor and a camera LCD together.
• No support to monitor audio through headphones.
• The fixed LCD becomes a problem while taking low and high angle shots.

Canon has recently launched another model called 60D. This camera has a flip LCD to make shooting easier while taking low and high angle shots, has variable frame rate option with manual controls over sound recording. Personally I have not tried it yet, but for the price it comes it can never be a wrong purchase.

Shooting “Hansa” on Canon 5D Mark II

“Hansa” cinematographer Sachin Kabir shares his experience of shooting the film on Canon 5D

Critically acclaimed “Hansa” that released recently is being appreciated for its look and feel. DearCinema spoke to the Director of Photography (DoP) of the film Sachin Kabir to find out about his choice of camera and other aspects of shooting the film:
Why did you choose to shoot “Hansa” on Canon 5D? If you can elaborate on the options considered and the reasons behind the final choice…  What are the limitations/advantages of shooting on 5D?

The primary reason for shooting on the Canon 5D Mark II was the large sensor size which enabled a “film look”. The Canon 5D had been well tested by now and was making waves as a pioneering technology for low budget/independent film makers. It had a wide range of lenses plus light weight grips and rigs which allowed immense versatility and portability while filming.
The other options for filming would have been the HD ½” or 2/3” video cameras such as the Panasonic Vericam or CineAlta series, all of which give excellent pictures but are limited because of their excessive “depth of field” making the pictures more “video” than “film”. The Canon 5D is very versatile in low light conditions allowing us to use minimum lights and thereby cutting costs.
In its limitations, the 5D is restricted by a much lower exposure latitude and a higher contrast picture than cine. There are still some quirks with the 5D Mk II in terms of having to use the ISO in multiples of 160-320-480…to avoid aliasing and noise. In the zone III exposure areas, one does detect noise at times, especially if one uses the standard zoom lenses. This noise is far less visible if one uses Canon or Zeiss Prime Lenses. Initial versions of the Mk II also had a rolling shutter problem.
The immediate advantage is the ability to rig and shoot much faster than any other camera giving such high quality. At a pixel resolution of 1920×1080 the Canon 5D gives almost full 2k pictures with very minimum pixelation till theatre projection.
The H.264 codec which is used for recording the images is a transport codec and not really meant as a native codec to record images and has compatibility issues with some non linear editing systems. Though these issues are continuously being resolved.
The Canon Mk II is not suitable for recording high quality sound and one needs to gear up with a good external recorder.
How many people were part of the camera crew? What were their roles?
The camera crew comprised of two of us, the cinematographer and the focus puller. For the grips and rigs, the crew would generally lend their hands to set up any equipment.
What accessories, rigs etc. did you use with the camera?
All camera accessories and rigs were supplied by Embrace Video which included focus rig, matte box, track dolly, slider, mini jib, shoulder rig and glidecam. All the equipment was extremely light-weight and easy to rig up and de-rig. The equipment also took all the rough use and the difficult terrain very well.
Till what extent the shot-taking was dictated by the choice of camera?
The narrative and the mood of the story and location determined the choice of frames and shot taking. The simplicity of the storytelling had to be replicated in the camera work to make it seamless with the narrative flow. The intention was not to distract from the story but to complement it.
What kind of lights did you use for night scenes? If you can share some insight into lighting for DSLR…
We had only four lights for the entire film and that too for only three days, unfortunately the light boys forgot to pack any Fresnel lights and I was severely limited by only “open face” lights which could not be focused. It was very difficult to cut the “spillage” from the walls and limit my lighting to only those areas I wanted to light up. I had one Kino Diva, two 600W open face and one 1kw open face (multi 10).
My suggestion for lighting for DSLR is to avoid being trapped by the “good in low light look” and use enough lights to over all fill the shadow areas and avoid noise in low light areas. The 5 D is very deceptive when one looks at its pictures in very low light, however it also leaves very little scope for any post work if one shoots at f 2.8 or below. It’s much better to pump up the overall light to about f4 at least to get better noise free pictures.
Any particular learning that you would like to share with people who are considering 5D for their films?
I would suggest do a test shoot and go through the entire post work flow before starting shooting. I have recently shot a film using the Canon 5D Mark III and I find it much improved in terms of latitude and contrast. The major difference is by using prime/block lenses and avoid using any of the standard Canon kit zoom lenses.

Guide to Indian Film Festivals abroad

With Indian cinema’s growing popularity across the globe, several film festivals showcasing only Indian and South Asian cinema have burgeoned in different countries. A few of them offer handsome cash awards as well as provide attractive platforms for emerging filmmakers.  They also provide alternatives to new talents who cannot make it to their A-list cousins like Cannes, Berlin and Venice. DearCinema gives you a lowdown of 15 such festivals:

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)

What is it: Held at Arclight Hollywood, the festival showcases a combination of features, shorts and documentaries.
When: April
Entries open:  August-September
Entry Fee: USD 45 or Rs. 2500 for films under 40 minutes and USD 60 or Rs. 3500 for films that are of 40 minutes or longer.
Awards: IFFLA offers Jury and Audience awards in Best Feature, Best Documentary and Best Short.

Satyajit Ray Foundation Short film competition/London Indian Film Festival

What is it: The Satyajit Ray Foundation organizes a short film competition in association with the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF). Films should express the experiences of South Asians.
When: The London Indian Film Festival is held in July.
Entries open: February-March
Entry Fee: No
Awards: £1,000 or Rs. 84,000 for the winning film. The award will be presented, and the winning film screened, at the London Indian Film Festival.

New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF)

What is it: The festival invites entries in two categories: Indian Diaspora Cinema and Indian Independent Cinema.  Special section for Short Films and Student films organised by the Indo-American Arts Council
When: April-May
Entries open: October
Entry Fee: There is an entry fee
Awards: There are Jury awards in the following categories: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Young Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Cell phone Film, Best Student Film.

River to River Indian Film Festival

What is it: River to River film festival in Florence, Italy promotes films from India and about India. But films from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal are also invited.
When: The 2013 edition will be held from November 22-28 in Florence and November 29-December 1 in Rome.
Entries open:  Call for entries for 2013 is still open till September 15
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Awards: The film chosen by the festival audience-one feature, one short and one documentary-receives free online distribution. There are jury awards for feature, short and documentary.

South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF)

What is it: One of the largest film festivals for South Asian/Indian filmmakers in the US. The New York-based festival focuses on the Indian Diaspora.
When: SAIFF is held in October
Entries open:  2013 entries haven’t opened yet, deadline is usually between July-September
Entry Fee: The entry fee varies between USD 50-90 for feature films (depending on early bird, regular, late or extended deadline) and USD 30-60 for short films and documentaries.
Awards: The short film competition winner received a cash prize of USD 1000 or Rs. 55,000 in 2012. Besides, there are Grand Jury awards.

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 

What is it: A festival of Bollywood as well as Indian art house films.
When: The festival is held in May-June every year. The 2013 edition just got over.
Entries open:  The deadline is between December-March.
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Awards: There is a short film competition presented by Western Union that chooses an Indian winner, an Australian winner and a New Zealand winner. The winning Indian filmmaker receives an invitation to travel to Melbourne as a guest of the festival. The winning films are screened on TV channels in India, Australia and New Zealand.  Besides, Western Union offers USD 1000or Rs. 55,000 to a film which best exhibits their brand.

Indian Film Festival Stuttgart

What is it: The Indian Film Festival Stuttgart presents Indian feature films, documentaries, children’s and animated films of any length and format.
When: The 2013 edition of the festival will be held in July.
Entries open:  The deadline for 2013 was April 15. Entries usually open in December.
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Awards: There will be jury and audience choice awards for best feature, documentary and short film worth 4000 Euros or Rs. 3 lakhs.

Chicago South Asian Film Festival

What is it: Founded in 2010, the festival is dedicated to showing South Asian films: features, shorts and documentaries.
When: It will be held from September 20-22, 2013.
Entries open:  Yes. Deadline is July 15.
Entry Fee: There is an entry fee of USD 50 or Rs. 2800 for feature films and USD 35 or Rs. 2000 for shorts and documentaries.
Awards: This is a non-competitive festival.

Indian Film Festival The Hague

What is it: The festival held in The Hague, Netherlands showcases a fair mix of independent films and Bollywood.
When: The 3^rd edition of the festival will be held from October 2-6, 2013.
Entries open:  There is no open call for entry.
Entry Fee: None
Awards: This is a non-competitive festival.

Indian Film Festival of Houston

What is it: A film festival focusing on the Indian Diaspora that showcases films from or about India.
When: The 5^th edition of the festival will be held from October 4-6, 2013.
Entries open:  Yes, the deadline is June 15, 2013.
Entry Fee: USD 40 or Rs. 2200  for films under 40 mins. and USD 50 or Rs. 2800 for films over 40 mins.
Awards: The festival offers Jury awards in the following categories: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short.

SAFF Canada: South Asian Film Festival

What is it: Founded in 2012, SAFF presents a collection of recent Feature, Short, Documentary and Animated films from the South Asian Family of Nations: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives.
When: The dates for the 2013 edition haven’t been announced yet.
Entries open:  There was no open call for entry last year.
Entry Fee: None
Awards: It is a non-competitive festival.

New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest

What is it: The festival promotes independent filmmakers from South Asia. Films can be submitted in all genres, formats and length.
When: The festival is usually held in September-October every year.
Entries open:  The entries open in June. Call for entry for 2013 edition is not out yet.
Entry Fee: There is no entry fee.
Awards: Jury and Audience Choice Prizes are awarded in various categories.

South Asian Film Festival, Paris
What is it: The festival was launched in January 2013 to showcase the ‘new art scene’ in the Indian subcontinent in Paris. The festival screens films from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
When: The inaugural edition of the festival was held in January 16-20, 2013.
Entries open:  The call for entry for the next edition will be launched soon.
Entry Fee: None
Awards: The festival gives out Jury award, Student Jury award and Audience awards.

ImagineIndia International Film Festival, Spain

What is it: The festival showcases South Asian films in Barcelona and Madrid in Spain. It hosts three separate competitions: Indian, Asian and International.
When: The 12th edition of Imagineindia International Film Festival (IIFF) took place in Madrid (17th to 31st May, 2013) and will be held in Barcelona in June 2013.
Entries open:  Entries are closed for 2013. The call for entry opens in October.
Entry Fee: There is no entry fee for the festival.
Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Music are awarded in Indian and Asian categories separately.

“Extravagant India!” International Festival of Indian Films – Paris 

What is it:  The festival promotes films from Indian directors or India related films. Indian Independent Cinema and Mainstream. Feature, shorts ( fiction, animation, video art), documentary. There is a special section for Classic films, retrospectives.
When:  October 15-22, 2013.
Entries open: Entries are currently open. The Deadline is July 30,2013. 

Entry Fee: There is no entry fee for 2013.
Awards: There are Jury awards in the following categories: Independent Feature Films :  Best Feature Films , Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Film music
Best Documentary –  Best Short Film