New Delhi, April 10 (NationPress) In an effort to foster innovative cinematic expressions that advocate for and safeguard human rights, the NHRC has officially opened submissions for its 12th annual short film competition, as stated by a representative on Friday.

The deadline for entries is set for June 30, according to the statement.

The results of the competition will be disclosed through a press release, a post on X, and will also be made available on the Commission's official website. Last year's first-place winner was awarded Rs 2 lakh.

Submissions can be made in English or any Indian language, provided they include English subtitles. Each short film must have a duration of no less than 3 minutes and no more than 10 minutes.

The short films should revolve around broad themes related to various socio-economic, cultural, and political rights. They may take the form of documentaries, dramatizations of real-life stories, or fictional narratives, employing any technical format, including animation, while being within the scope of the rights to life, liberty, equality, and dignity,” the Commission noted.

Potential topics for the films include issues concerning bonded and child labor, women's and children's rights, the rights and challenges faced by elderly individuals, rights of persons with disabilities, manual scavenging, access to healthcare, fundamental freedoms, human trafficking, domestic violence, and human rights violations resulting from police misconduct or custodial violence and torture.

Additional themes may encompass socio-economic inequalities, rights of Nomadic and Denotified Tribes, prison reform, the right to education, the right to a clean environment (including the environmental hazards affecting life on Earth), the right to work, equality before the law, food security, rights of LGBTQI individuals, and human rights violations arising from displacement caused by natural disasters or human actions. The competition also seeks to celebrate human rights and values through the lens of India's diversity and developmental initiatives aimed at improving living standards.

There is no fee for entry, nor is there a limit to the number of submissions an individual can make for the contest. However, participants are required to submit each film separately along with a completed entry form, as stated.

Initiated by the Commission in 2015, the Short Film Awards competition is designed to encourage and recognize the creative and cinematic contributions of Indian citizens, regardless of age, in promoting and safeguarding human rights.

According to an NHRC circular, the Commission retains the right to utilize the awarded films for any purposes deemed necessary, including sharing them on its website and social media platforms. An undertaking will be required from the applicants for this purpose.

Participants may maintain their rights to their films and are free to enter other competitions or festivals while allowing the Commission to use their works.

Applicants whose films are shortlisted for the award will need to provide a colored poster (A3 size) featuring the film's title, a brief theme in English, and the names of the main crew members, all in digital format, as per NHRC guidelines.