A show on a mafia family who begin plotting against one another or about the lives and trials of honest police officers. A series that delves deep into the pre-IIT prep sweatshops or one where a young man learns the quirks of living in a small town. The thriving and entertaining Digital Space in India has something and more for everyone. Comedians, directors, writers, and Box Office ruling actors have all joined this territory for its propitious promise. Series and Short films aren’t considered just stepping stones anymore, they are a strong foundation to a space that is a NEW RAGE!
Now, India’s most credible film critics’ in partnership with Motion Content group, laud the inventiveness of this growing medium through the Critics’ Choice Awards. In our first edition, the awards recognized Short films, in the second we enhanced the awards to include the exciting and burgeoning space of web series and episodic content. This year we aim to continue unearthing and honouring talent from this flourishing space. A transparent process to identify worthy winners, the Critics’ Choice Awards aim to award the immense creativity of this industry.
I am thrilled that this year we can extend the awards to series - some of the most exciting storytelling is happening in this space! And shorts are a personal favourite! I look forward to discovering and celebrating many exciting stories and voices.
Cut to the chase, get to the point & keep it short. The FCG tribute to short films & OTT series -- the Critics' Choice Shorts & Series Awards #CCSSA. Awesomely Contemporary.
I've been reviewing Indian short films and web series regularly for three years now, and I'm glad we finally have a solid, unbiased awards setup that highlights these growing ecosystems. For me, more than feature-length cinema, this is where it all begins.
CCSSA is the first and the only award to combine, salute and celebrate entertainment across all platforms under one banner. That it is curated and endorsed by critics makes it all the more special.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SHORT FILMS
1. The Critics’ Choice Awards is open ONLY to citizens of India. and eligible participants. In cases where multiple parties (residing within and outside of India) are stakeholders in the Short Films film, either the director or the partner or producer must be a citizen and a current resident of India.
2. A Short Film is defined as an original motion picture that has a running time of minimum 3 minutes and maximum 40 minutes, including all credits.
3. The minimum age of the Participant(s) must be 18 years.
4. Short Films that have been uploaded to public digital platforms/OTT and Television platforms during the twelve months preceding the ‘call for entries’ shall alone be considered for the Awards (i.e. Calendar year of 1st October 2022 – 30th September 2023).
5. All Short Films that are submitted must be shared in their original language with English subtitles. The cost of inclusion of subtitles is the sole responsibility of the Participant(s).
6. A short film that has been entered at a film festival during the calendar year is eligible. The filmmaker will have to submit supporting proof of entry at the film festival.
7. A Short Film excludes from consideration such works as:
- Previews and advertising films;
- Sequences from feature-length films, such as credit sequences;
- Unaired/single episodes of established web and TV series;
- Unsold Web and TV series pilots;
- Public Service Announcements; and
- Pornography.
To send entries of film and web series category, email @ – filmcriticsguildindia@gmail.com
STEPS TO
APPLY
REGISTER
UPLOAD YOUR ENTRY
GET NOMINATED
REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
CATEGORIES - Short Film
CATEGORIES - Series
TERMS & CONDITIONS
- By submitting a Submission, the Participant(s) agrees to abide by these rules and regulations.
- Each entry/ Short Films should be submitted on the website, along with the entry form, and a Youtube/ Facebook/ any public links/OTT Platforms. No screeners on DVD’s or pen drives shall be entertained.
- The Participant(s) must make available press kits (posters, images, synopsis etc.) of the Short Films film to the organisers as and when requested.
- The Critics’ Choice Awards reserves the right to reject a film without assigning a reason.
- In the event that the Short Films, in whole or otherwise, have been sold or otherwise exploited at any point by a studio or network or otherwise restricted in any media worldwide, proper disclosure and acknowledgement of the same is mandatory.
- In case a Participant(s) wishes to submit multiple entries, each entry shall be submitted separately i.e. only ONE Short Film link per entry form.
- The process of submission of Short Films shall commence from 15th September to 20th October 2023, not later than that.
- All short films/entries must be accompanied by a correctly filled entry form available on ccssa.in. Incomplete, invalid, late, unintelligible, misdirected or incorrect entries would not be eligible for participation in the contest and shall be disqualified. Organisers shall not be responsible for lost, late, undelivered, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, incorrect or corrupted Short Films. The internet is not a secure medium and information submitted via it may be accessed by third-parties. On request, Participant(s) must submit the following or any such documents as are reasonably necessary to effectuate the terms contained herein.
- a. Age Proof (Self attested copy of Pan Card/Aadhar Card/ Passport);
- b. Address Proof (Self attested copy of Aadhar Card/ Passport/ Rent Agreement); and
- c. Storage of the Short Films upon selection: it would be the Participant’s responsibility to submit the final HD version as per the specification to the address shared with them.
- Once a Short Film has been selected/shortlisted it cannot be withdrawn from the Awards.
- Short Films that are not in accordance with the requirements will be disqualified without prior intimation.
- Organizers reserves the right to refuse and/or to accept Short Films i) that contains any material which is reasonably likely to be defamatory, obscene, offensive, contrary to standards of decency, (ii) that has been submitted in bad faith, or (iii) which the Organiser has reasonable grounds to believe infringes the intellectual property rights (including moral rights) of a third party.
- The Organizers shall not return a Submission once it is delivered/submitted for consideration of the Critics’ Choice Awards.
- Organisers accepts no responsibility for late, incomplete, incorrectly submitted, delayed, illegible, corrupted or misdirected entry whether due to error, omission, alteration, tampering, unauthorized data hacking, deletion, theft, destruction, virus attack, transmission interruption, communications failure, hardware failure or otherwise. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Organisers hereby excludes all warranties, representations, covenants and liability (whether express or implied) regarding the Awards.
- No responsibility can be accepted for entries which are not properly received. At times participant(s) may not be able to access the website to submit your entry. Organisers are not liable to persons who are unable to fill out their details or submit their entries.
- Organisers reserves the right to replace any winner/s if she is disqualified by Organisers.
- Organisers reserves the right to amend the submission requirements process from time to time.
- Organisers are entitled to use any of the entries/ Short Films and content thereof including Participant(s) and winner’s names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information, posters, images etc. for publicity and promotional purposes across media, worldwide in connection with “The Critics’ Choice Awards 2024” and shall be entitled to use portions thereof in the program to be produced and broadcast based on and/or in connection with “The Critics’ Choice Awards 2024”. Without being liable to make any further payment or consideration. The right so granted shall be worldwide and in perpetuity.
- Organisers will be entitled to retain the submitted Short Films videos for all purposes in connection with the “Critics’ Choice Awards 2024.”
- The Participant(s) must be the present exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Short Films (including the script) and must have an unconditional right to submit the Short Films (including the script) to the Organiser as per terms hereof and grant rights to the Organiser as stated herein and agreed by the participant (s) from time to time. The Short Films/entries submitted by Participant(s) must constitute original work and not be an infringement of any other copyrighted work/s and further do not infringe the Intellectual Property Rights including the moral rights, privacy and publicity rights of any third party. The Short Films (including the script) shall not infringe any law or regulation or any third party right, including (but not limited to) the law of copyright, defamation or trademark and shall not be obscene or attract contempt of court or breach of contract or breach of privilege, violation of any provisions of the statute, nor hurt the sentiments of any religious group/s and/or breach or be against any declared public policy of any nation or state .
- The participant(s) submitting entries of the films alone shall be liable for any claims, actions, damages etc. arising out of Short Films including literary work, artistic and musical work associated therewith, to the extent these assert a claim for slander, defamation, infringement or misuse of any proprietary rights, piracy, plagiarism, idea misappropriation or invasion of rights of privacy or publicity and that the organisers shall not be liable in any manner for any such claims, actions, liability, damage, suits, costs and expenses whatsoever arising out of such Short Films. The participant(s) agree to indemnify and hold the Organisers, Directors, Partners, officers, employees, representatives and person(s) claiming through them harmless from and against all third-party claims, losses, damages, cost, expenses and liabilities suffered or incurred (including without limitation legal expenses and any amounts paid or payable by Organiser to a third party in settlement of a claim or dispute) in connection with, resulting from or arising out of a breach by the Participant(s) of these rules and regulations.
- No requests by Participant(s) for private screenings for the selection committee members will be entertained. All entries/ Short Films must be submitted directly for to the Critics’ Choice Awards 2024 to the organisers and/or persons appointed by them for this purpose only in the manner as detailed herein.
- The Participant(s)/winners shall not raise any objection to screening of clips from the Short Films at any of the Awards’ partnering platforms.
- Winners shall make themselves available for various initiatives undertaken by the organisers in connection with the Awards at the appointed date, time and place as mentioned by the organisers.
- The Organisers shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations hereunder where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, technical, mechanical and electric malfunctions, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
- The relationship between the Participant(s) and the Organisers is one of independent contractors. Neither party will represent that it has any authority to assume or create any obligation, express or implied, on behalf of the other party, or to represent the other party as agent, employee, or in any other capacity, except as specifically provided herein.
- These rules and regulations are governed by the laws of India and the Participant(s) and Organizers’ agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Mumbai.
- Organizer’s reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Critics’ Choice Awards (and any of its terms) with or without prior notice for any reason.
- These rules and regulations are subject to change or updating, at any time without prior notice. The changes may include superseding terms and conditions or specific notices. YOU SHOULD REVIEW THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS FROM TIME TO TIME TO BE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES THAT ARE MADE.
- These rules and regulations are personal to the Participant(s). Organizers’ shall have the sole right in its discretion to assign these rules and regulations in whole or in part to any third party at any given time.
- The Organizers reserve the right to contact any Participant(s) for additional information, if required.
- The decision of the Organisers on the eligibility of the Short Films is final and binding.