Student Film & Audio-Visual Competition
Co-Create:
Films for
Shared Futures.
15–19 March 2027 · Pearl Academy, Mumbai, India. The Challenge: What future can we create together? Show us through film.
The Creative Rule
One film. One idea.
One future worth
imagining.
You do not need expensive equipment. A smartphone, a camera, original footage, animation, recorded conversations, clean sound, performance or AI-generated elements (fully declared) can all become part of your film.
The Theme. Fashion is not created by designers alone. It is shaped by people, communities, makers, materials, technologies, cultures, ecosystems and the choices we make every day.
Pearl Academy, hosts of IFFTI 2027 with the theme, "Co-Creating Futures — Shaping Fashion Through Shared Imagination," invites students from around the world to make a short film that asks us to imagine, question or experience a different future for fashion, design and society.
Your film may document a real story, invent a possible future, capture an overlooked practice, challenge an existing system, explore a relationship between humans and technology, or simply reveal a new way of seeing.
Don't just predict the future. Show us how we might co-create it.
Key Dates
2 Feb 2027
Submission Deadline
1 Mar 2027
Winners Announced
15–19 Mar 2027
Showcase · Pearl Academy, Mumbai
Submit via Oxford Abstracts →
Choose Your Lens
Your film must respond meaningfully to at least one of the four IFFTI 2027 subthemes.
01
Plural Ways of Being Human
Who gets to define what it means to be human? Explore identity, culture, indigenous knowledge, inclusion, bodies, belonging, coexistence, more-than-human relationships and multiple ways of living and knowing.
Possible directions: Identity · Decoloniality · Indigenous knowledge · Inclusivity · Cultural sustainability · More-than-human worlds · Coexistence
02
Capability, Care & Creativity
What remains uniquely human when machines can do more? Explore care, empathy, craft, learning, creativity, judgement, embodied knowledge and the skills we need to navigate an uncertain future.
Possible directions: AI and human capability · Craft intelligence · Care · Education · Creativity · Learning · Post-AI skills · Human judgement
03
Regenerative Systems & Economies
What if fashion did more than reduce harm? Imagine systems that restore rather than extract — regenerating materials, communities, cultures and ecosystems.
Possible directions: Circular fashion · Regenerative materials · Craft futures · Ecological systems · Resilience · Sustainable communities · Life-centered economies
04
Co-Agency with Instruments & Technologies
What happens when technology is no longer simply a tool? Explore the relationships between people, machines, AI, materials, smart textiles, wearables, craft tools and other systems.
Possible directions: AI · Smart textiles · Wearables · Material intelligence · Human–technology relationships · Co-agency · Ethics · Responsible technology
What Kind of Film Can You Make?
Your film can be any of the following genres. The strongest films will not simply illustrate a subtheme — they will offer a distinct point of view.
01
Documentary
A real person, practice, community, place or system.
02
Narrative / Fiction
A story set in the present or a possible future.
03
Experimental / Visual Essay
Image, sound, movement and ideas.
04
Fashion Film
Fashion, body, material or identity as the primary language.
05
Social / Observational Film
A real-world issue seen through a personal lens.
06
Animation / Motion Film
2D, 3D, stop-motion or mixed media.
07
AI / Technology-led Film
Where AI or emerging technology is part of the creative concept.
08
Hybrid Film
Any combination of the above.
Film Specifications
Duration
Minimum: 60 seconds. Maximum: 5 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
Every film submitted should have two versions: a) 1–5 minutes for screening, and b) a 60-second cut of the film for the global digital showcase.
c) A film poster & photograph.
Video
Preferred resolution: 1920 × 1080 Full HD
Minimum resolution: 1920 × 1080
Preferred aspect ratio: 16:9 landscape. Other aspect ratios are permitted — including 9:16 vertical, 1:1 or 4:3 — should they contribute meaningfully to the creative concept.
Final Submission File
Format: MP4
Video codec: H.264 or H.265
Audio: AAC, stereo, 48 kHz
Recommended maximum bitrate: 15–25 Mbps
Maximum upload size: 500 MB. A higher-quality master file may be requested from shortlisted entrants.
Language
Films may be made in any language.
Films that are not in English must include English subtitles.
Who Can Enter?
The competition is open to currently enrolled students from IFFTI member institutions across all disciplines and levels of study.
Students of fashion, textile, communication design, film, media, photography, architecture, product design, technology, business, art and related disciplines are encouraged to participate.
Entries may be submitted individually or in teams of up to seven students. Students may submit more than one film, with each entry judged independently.
AI & Emerging Technology
AI is welcome as a creative collaborator, subject, tool or provocation. However, transparency is essential.
Any significant use of generative AI in image, video, voice, music, script or other content must be declared in the submission form and acknowledged in the end credits.
The use of AI will not automatically advantage or disadvantage a film. The jury will evaluate the idea, creative intention, authorship, execution and responsible use of technology.
What Are We Looking For?
The jury will evaluate films on six criteria:
Response to Theme
Depth and relevance of engagement with IFFTI 2027
20%
Originality & Creative Vision
Freshness of idea, perspective and imagination
20%
Storytelling & Communication
Ability to engage, provoke or move the viewer
15%
Visual & Aural Language
Cinematography, editing, sound, composition, design and overall film language
15%
Critical / Social / Cultural Insight
Thoughtfulness, relevance and ability to raise meaningful questions
15%
Craft & Execution
Coherence, pacing, technical control and effective use of chosen medium
15%
Jury principle. A powerful idea made and conveyed simply can beat an expensive production.
Technical Quality. Submitted films must demonstrate a basic level of technical proficiency rather than technical perfection. Clear visuals, intelligible and well-balanced sound, and competent editing, continuity and audio-visual synchronisation are essential for a film to be considered eligible.
Technical limitations inherent to the chosen creative style will be considered in context; however, avoidable technical errors such as distorted audio, unintelligible dialogue, severely compromised image quality or incorrect file formats may result in disqualification.
700 USD
Best Film — Co-Creating Futures
The overall winning film.
500 USD
Best Direction
For outstanding creative leadership and filmmaking vision.
500 USD
Best Visual Language
For exceptional cinematography, animation, design, editing or visual experimentation.
A Global Student Film Event
Selected films will become part of the IFFTI 2027 Student Film Showcase at Pearl Academy, Mumbai. Shortlisted films may also be featured through official IFFTI and Pearl Academy digital platforms and promotional channels.
Submission Requirements
Submit your film
by 2 February 2027.
Please provide a high resolution Unlisted YouTube link to your film and the 60-second cut.
Your film must remain accessible through the submission link throughout the judging process. Do not delete, replace or change the privacy settings of your video after submission.
Winners will be announced on 1 March 2027.
Rights & Responsibilities
All submitted work must be original or appropriately licensed. Participants are responsible for obtaining permission for any copyrighted music, footage, images, performances, locations or identifiable individuals where required.
By submitting, participants grant IFFTI 2027 and Pearl Academy permission to screen, exhibit, communicate and promote selected works in connection with the conference and its educational and promotional activities.
The filmmaker retains ownership of their work.
