Golden Ganges: India-Netherlands Short Film Pitch Prize
IFFR together with the Embassy of India in the Hague offer the €10,000 Golden Ganges prize as a script award and production grant for a student short film that places the connection between India and the Netherlands at its heart.
Every year at IFFR, India and the Netherlands feel that little bit closer together. The richness of Indian cinema always finds a home in Rotterdam, from the yearly selections of popular hit films, like Joram by Devashish Makhija (Big Screen Competition IFFR 2024), to independent gems like our 2021 Tiger Award-winner Pebbles, and offering support to breakthrough voices like Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light), Arun Karthick (Nasir) and Midhun Murali (Kiss Wagon).
Celebrating this relationship, IFFR together with the Embassy of India in the Hague launches the India-Netherlands Short Film Pitch.
Submit a script for a contemporary live action short film by Monday 18 August, and have a chance of securing a €10,000 production grant. Two runners-up will each receive €1,000 to advance their projects.
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Who can submit a project?
To submit a project you must be both;
- A student (or recent graduate, no longer than a year at the time of application) at any level and of any subject, enrolled in a Dutch institution, with proven filmmaking or audiovisual media experience and / or study track.
- A citizen or permanent resident of the Netherlands
Note that to award the winning grant, a producer must be attached to the film. If you have not submitted with a producer, IFFR together with the New Producers Academy will assist you to find a producer for your project.
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What do I need to submit?
- Your proposal should be for a minimum seven-minute contemporary live action short film, with a preferred max length no longer than 15 minutes.
- The narrative must demonstrate or throw light on a connection between India and the Netherlands. This can be overt or more subtle, but it should explore some form of connection between India and the Netherlands.
- The application should be submitted in English, but the final film can be in any preferred language.
- The application form requires the following:
- Working title
- Short description of your story (max. 60 words)
- Film script (PDF)
- Director’s statement (motivation, max. 250 words)
- At least one link to a piece of previous work (of the director)
- Additional remarks (optional)
- Language
- The deadline is Monday 18 August, 17.00 CEST.
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Who and how will the pitch be judged?
A jury of film professionals working between India and the Netherlands will judge the proposals. They will assess the projects based on their artistic vision, viability, connection to the brief and the talent of the director. A decision will be made by mid-September.
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What do I need to deliver?
Recipients of the €10,000 prize should submit their film (if necessary a rough-cut) by the start of December.
There will be no delivery requirement for the recipients of the runner-up prizes which are intended to help the filmmakers develop their scripts and advance their projects.
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Will the winning project screen at IFFR?
The pitch is organised by IFFR’s Education team and is designed to support student filmmakers at the start of their careers. It is not guaranteed that the winning film will screen at the festival.
Apply now
Contact us
If you have any questions please reach out to education@IFFR.com.