TAMIL NADU FILM FESTIVAL

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The 3rd Tamil Nadu Film Festival (TNFF 2025) will be held from 10th to 19th August 2025 at multiple locations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Submit your film via FESTHOME or directly on our website www.tamilnadufilmfestival.com

ARTICLE 1: MISSION & OBJECTIVE

MISSION

Tamil Nadu Film Festival (TNFF) is an international competitive festival of its kind, hosted in Chennai City. TNFF is all about celebrating, educating, empowering, promoting, and proliferating amazing quality independent Cinema in Chennai (Formerly known as Madras), the capital city of the State of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Film Festival is a platform to promote inter-cultural relationships, discuss diversity in the current state of the Film Industry and help bring change in the future state of the Film Industry.

OBJECTIVE

TNFF will strive to acquire thought-provoking films and showcase excellence in filmmaking. TNFF will strive to ensure that Cinema will remain the most powerful vehicle for the freedom of speech and expression. TNFF will strive to discover new voices by being transparent in programming films mostly from submissions. TNFF will try to screen films with Closed Captioning and Audio Descriptions to enable people who are blind and deaf to enjoy films just like all the enabled people. TNFF will strive to become the Filmmaker’s Festival and the People’s Festival by being a platform that lets audiences be truly engaged and connected with every film through open questionnaire sessions after screenings. TNFF will promote both classic & contemporary films of all genres. TNFF will strive to help people appreciate and respect the ethnicity of the people and the places projected through the films. TNFF will strive to spread Hope, Peace, Joy & Love to filmmakers, producers, and fans alike. TNFF will strive to build strong alumni services for the filmmakers of all editions to come.

ARTICLE 3: FESTIVAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

TNFF offers 10 days of celebration, of amazing quality independent Cinema through the following programs; Live screenings of Local & International Cinema, press opportunities, networking occasions, industry attendance, markets, speed pitches, live reads, Discussion forums, and high-quality Workshops. Film forms include Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Animated Features, Short Documentaries, Short Films, Animated Films, Music Videos, Short-short films, and Student Productions from film schools.

The TNFF will begin with the Inauguration Ceremony & the Opening film on the first day and will conclude with the closing film & the Awards Ceremony on the final day.

The TNFF will comprise about 150 films of every genre, length, and format each year. All Films submitted by professional filmmakers will be showcased in INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION and films made by students will be showcased in STUDENT COMPETITION. The officially selected films will find their place in one of the following 9 sections:

1. International Mix (for international cinema)
2. World Panorama (for films by legendary filmmakers)
3. Indian Mix (for new discoveries and promising talents from the Indian film world)
4. Tamil Mix (for good stories and challenging new trends in Tamil Cinema)
5. Campus Student Mix (for student films from all over the world)
6. Generation Next – Grade Schooler: 5-12 yrs. (for films made for young audiences in the age group of 5 – 12 years.) & Generation Next – Teen: 13-18 yrs. (for films made for Teen audiences in the age group of 13-18 years.)
7. Retrospective & Homage (curated section which focuses on a great personality of cinema)
8. Indian Classics (curated section showcasing current restored film classics as well as rediscovered films)
9. Special Presentations (a few handpicked special films will be curated in this section)

The competitive sections are International Mix, Indian Mix, Tamil Mix, Campus Student Mix, Generation Next – Grade Schooler & Generation Next – Teen.

The non-competitive sections are World Panorama, Retrospective & Homage, Indian Classics & Special Presentations

Awards will be given under 6 major Categories Namely International, National, Regional, Generation Next (Grade Schooler & Generation Next –Teen), Campus Student & Special Mentions.

ARTICLE 5: GENERAL RULES FOR FILMS IN COMPETITION

• All films produced or coproduced four years before the date of the current edition of the TNFF are eligible.
• Films made in any language must have English subtitles. All films screened in the Competition Section will be in the Original Language with English subtitles.
• The date of completion for International films, where no proof is available, the date of the first theatrical screening will be considered. For all Indian films the date on the certificate issued by the Central Board of Film Certification will be considered. If no certificate is available a signed affidavit on Rs.100/- Stamp Paper stating the date of completion of film will be considered. Theatrical screening dates will not apply to Indian Films.
• For all Films without a Certification from the CBFC, the Festival will apply for an exemption from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India, for the period of the Festival. The film will be screened subject to receiving this exemption.
• Selection of films for competition, are done by a Selection Committee, set up by the Festival Committee. The decision taken by the Festival Committee on the recommendation of the Selection Committee will be considered as final and non-appealable. The Festival Director has a special right to waive any condition for participation in the Competition.
• No legal claim can be filed for participation in the competition.
• Once officially selected No film shall be withdrawn from the festival programme.
• TNFF does not pay rental/screening fees. Instead, our limited resources are invested in the production and promotion of the best possible showcase for your work.
• Previously submitted works are not eligible for re-submission.
• Films available on YouTube are not eligible. Films available on OTT platforms on a revenue-sharing basis are eligible and will receive an official selection but are not guaranteed screening in the respective edition of TNFF. The film contains no material, which is gory, obscene, libellous or defamatory.
• During the festival, before the official screening, none of the invited films shall be screened outside the festival venue by the filmmakers or entrants
• Selection at any other International festival does not ensure selection at TNFF.
• Films or revised versions of films submitted in a previous edition of the festival will not be considered for any of the Competition Sections but may be considered for inclusion in non-competitive sections.
• Films selected in the Competition sections will be screened by the organizer JD Media Promotions as part of its non-commercial screening activity in other parts of Tamil Nadu State. Prior information will be given to the respective film owners on such occasions.

ARTICLE 7: ENTRY FEES, DEADLINES & SELECTION OF FILMS

ARTICLE 9: JURIES & AWARDS

JURIES

1. A category-specific jury, comprised of studio/network/streaming executives, entertainment attorneys/managers/ agents, content creators, and other industry experts will be appointed by the Festival Committee. Also, an independent international Jury will be appointed by the Festival Committee. The appointed jury selects the winner (and any deserving honourable mentions) in each category. The decision of the Jury will be final.
2. The Jury will judge the films chosen by the Selection Committee for the Competition.
3. In addition to the Cash Awards, the Jury is free to award Special Jury Awards and Mentions to any aspect of filmmaking. These will not carry any cash prizes.

OFFICIAL AWARDS

1. The Festival Jury will be the final and only authority to judge the films for competition.
2. The total number of awards given in each edition of the festival will depend on the number of films received as submissions and the financial situation of the organizer.
3. Each Best Award will receive a memento, certificate, and cash award (Note: the cash amount depends on new sponsors. It will be shared equally between the Producer and Director of the Best film.)
4. Festival Attendees Poll: In addition to the above, TNFF festival attendees vote in an Audience Poll to select an Audience Award winner in the Best Feature and Best Short categories.
5. Winners are announced via press releases to the key industry trade outlets. Each year, various award categories are sponsored by companies that provide cash and/or in-kind prizes to the winners.
6. Following awards will be given for films in a competitive category provided there are at least 50 films in each competitive category;

INTERNATIONAL MIX AWARDS

1. Best Narrative Feature
2. Best Long Documentary Feature
3. Best Animated Feature
4. Best Short Documentary
5. Best Short Film
6. Best Animated short
7. Best Music Videos
8. Best Short-Short film
9. Best Debut Director (For International Feature)

INDIAN MIX AWARDS

1. Best Narrative Feature
2. Best Long Documentary Feature
3. Best Animated Feature
4. Best Short Documentary
5. Best Short Film
6. Best Animated Short
7. Best Music Video
8. Best Short-Short film
9. Best Debut Director (For Indian Feature)

TAMIL MIX AWARDS

1. Best Regional Narrative Feature
2. Best Regional Long Documentary Feature
3. Best Regional Animated Feature
4. Best Regional Short Documentary
5. Best Regional Short Film
6. Best Regional Animated Short
7. Best Regional Music Video 
8. Best Regional Short-Short film
9. Best Cinematography (For Regional Feature)
10. Best Editing (For Regional Feature)
11. Best Music (For Regional Feature)
12. Best Background score (For Regional Feature)
13. Best Screenplay (For Regional Feature)
14. Best Director (For Regional Feature)
15. Best Debut Director (For Regional Feature)

GENERATION NEXT AWARDS

GENERATION NEXT – GRADE SCHOOLER

1. Best Narrative Feature
2. Best Long Documentary Feature
3. Best Animated Feature
4. Best Short Documentary
5. Best Short Film
6. Best Animated Short
7. Best Music Videos
8. Best Short-short Film

GENERATION NEXT –TEEN

1. Best  Narrative Feature
2. Best  Long Documentary Feature
3. Best  Animated Feature
4. Best  Short Documentary
5. Best  Short Film
6. Best  Animated Short
7. Best  Music Videos
8. Best Short-short Film

CAMPUS STUDENT AWARDS

1. Best Student Feature
2. Best Student Documentary Feature
3. Best Student Animated Feature
4. Best Student Short Film
5. Best Student Short Documentary
6. Best Student Animated Short
7. Best Student Music Videos
8. Best Student Short-short Film

SPECIAL AWARDS

Special Honourable Jury Mention Awards, Special Festival Mentions Awards, Social Relevance Awards & Audience Awards (based on festival attendees votes) in each category.

ARTICLE 13:

No cuts or changes will be made to the films by the festival management for any reason. The Festival undertakes to abide by International Regulations not to screen an entry more than three times.

ARTICLE 15:

The import, distribution & commercial exhibition of all films to be presented in any section of the festival will be exempted from customs duty.

ARTICLE 17: ANNOUNCEMENT OF OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

The list of films selected for the festival will be posted on the Film Festival website https://tamilnadufilmfestival.com/ by 10th June 2025. All the entrants of films will be informed in writing about their Official Selection Status.

ARTICLE 19: PRESSKIT

All relevant information regarding a film should be furnished in the submission for inclusion in the official festival book.

ARTICLE 21:

1. One representative either one director or one producer of the officially selected film for the competition will be invited to participate in the festival.
2. If he/she is unable to attend he/she may nominate any other member of the cast or crew, in writing.
3. The Festival Director reserves the right to invite any person or persons connected with the film as guests to participate in the festival.