BISFF 2026: India’s Only Oscar-Accredited Short Film Festival Returns To Bengaluru

The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) returns this August for its 16th edition, bringing filmmakers, cinephiles, students, and industry professionals together for one of India’s largest celebrations of short-form cinema. The festival will run online from August 6–16, 2026, followed by a three-day on-ground programme from August 14–16 across multiple venues in Bengaluru.

As India’s only Oscar-accredited short film festival, BISFF has grown into an important platform for independent filmmakers from India and around the world. This year, the festival received a record 3,340 submissions from more than 100 countries and is expected to bring together over 5,000 delegates and more than 1,000 filmmakers and artists.

The festival programme spans an expansive range of forms, geographies, and perspectives. Its International and Indian competitive sections are joined by dedicated programmes for animation and Karnataka cinema, alongside the Women’s Cinema Collective, which foregrounds stories by and about women; Queer Qorner, spotlighting LGBTQIA+ voices; and Let’s Include, centred on accessibility and inclusion. Asian Eye, meanwhile, turns its attention to filmmaking from across South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Among the standout international titles screening this year are ‘LA LIGNE DE VIE’ (The Lifeline) by Hugo Becke (France), ‘Close Your Eyes Hind’ by Amir Zaza (Netherlands), ‘I Gaze at the Sky’ by Alexandra Strunin (Poland), ‘The Written Hour’ by Coke Arijo (Spain), and ‘Round and Round’ by Hayato Otogi (Japan). The Indian Competition features acclaimed films including ‘Small Clouds’ by Shubham Sumit, ‘Aasmani’ by Sayani Gupta, ‘Bandini’ by Deepti Chawla, and ‘Mehta & Co.’ by Rohit Sen. This year’s line-up will also host the world premieres of ‘Hudke Ki Pyaang Pyaang’, ‘Dhol’ Ki Ghamaika by Arun N. Fulara, ‘JATI’ by Sarthwik Bollu, ‘Journey’ by Manoj Bhumananda, ‘The Photograph’ by Priya Sridhar, ‘Tulsi’ by Om Chaphekar, ‘Swimmer Girl’ by Anil Güldoğan (Türkiye) and ‘The Final Appeal’ by Arthur Dupont De La Motte (France).

Two new categories join the programme in 2026. ‘AI – Machine Made Movies’ explores emerging experiments in artificial intelligence and filmmaking, while ‘Dancing Lens’ examines the relationship between movement, dance, and the moving image.

Beyond screenings, BISFF will host masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, industry conversations, and networking sessions, creating opportunities for emerging filmmakers to engage with established practitioners and peers from across the world. The on-ground edition will take place across more than six locations around Bengaluru, including SUCHITRA, Jain Knowledge Academy, Indian Heritage Academy, and Alliance Française de Bangalore.

For details and registration, visit www.bisff.in or follow @bisffblr on Instagram.

If you enjoyed reading this, here’s more from Homegrown:

Short Film ‘Abracadabra’ Turns A Mumbai School Bus Ride Into A Tender Coming-Of-Age Story

Ashish Shah’s ‘Chaap’ Is An Experimental Short Film Blurring Folklore & Reality In Jaipur

After The Meet-Cute: ‘Halves’ Is A Rare Short Film That Gets The Second Date Right