The Hyderabad International Short Film Festival will be held from December 19 to 21, 2025, at Prasads Multiplex in Hyderabad, bringing together emerging filmmakers and established voices from across the country.
The dates were announced by veteran filmmaker Uma Maheshwara Rao, a member of the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards jury committee and patron of the festival’s organising committee. Addressing the media on Wednesday, he said the three day festival is being organised by the Telangana State Film Development Corporation and the Department of Culture, Youth and Tourism, in collaboration with the Dadasaheb Phalke School of Film Studies.
Film screenings will take place at Screen Four and Screen Five at Prasads Multiplex. Uma Maheshwara Rao said the inaugural edition of the festival received an overwhelming response, with seven hundred and four entries, a record number for a short film festival in India.
From these submissions, the organisers have selected sixty short films as official entries, along with eleven films for a special North East pavilion, and five classic films to be screened during the festival.
He said the festival aims to place Hyderabad on the global film map by providing a platform for young talent and encouraging meaningful interaction with experienced professionals from the industry. The organisers also plan to institutionalise the festival as an annual event, enabling Hyderabad to carve a niche for itself in the international film circuit.
The festival will be formally inaugurated on December 19 at five thirty in the evening at Screen Four, Prasads Multiplex. The awards ceremony, marking the valedictory of the festival, will be held on December 21 at six in the evening.
Noted filmmakers and creative professionals Nagesh Kukunoor, Nassar, Mythili Rao, Leema Das, Alexander Leopoldo, Dalton and Shashi Kumar will serve as jury members for the festival.
A special pavilion showcasing films from the North Eastern region will highlight emerging voices and diverse cultural expressions from the region.
In addition to film screenings, the festival will feature panel discussions on contemporary issues related to content, form and expression in Indian cinema. A masterclass for aspiring filmmakers will also be organised to provide basic guidance in filmmaking.
The organisers have sought the cooperation of the media to ensure extensive coverage of the three day event.
