For Every Storyteller
Film Categories
20+ award categories spanning fiction, documentary, and animation — here is a first look at the honours of OISFF 2026.
Best Short Film
The festival's highest honour for a complete work of short cinema.
Best Director
For singular vision and command of the craft.
Best Documentary Short
Non-fiction storytelling that illuminates the real.
Best Student Film
Celebrating the boldest voices still in film school.
Best Cinematography
For images that stay with the audience long after.
Best Screenplay
Writing that gives a short film its soul.
Best Ensemble Cast
Performances that breathe together as one.
Best Animation Short
Imagination unbound by the camera.
Best Original Score
Music that becomes the film's heartbeat.
Best Editing
Rhythm, pace, and the invisible art of the cut.
Best International Film
An outstanding entry from beyond India's borders.
Audience Choice
The film the festival's audiences take home in their hearts.
The complete list arrives with the nomination forms
Eligibility rules, entry formats, and the full slate of categories will be published when the call for entries opens.
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