"Avala Hejje" Women's Kannada Short Film Festival
"Avala Hejje" Women's Kannada Short Film Festival
Started in 2025, Avala Hejje Short Film Festival organised by Gubbivani Trust is not just a short film festival – it is a cultural movement dedicated to women empowerment, providing a platform for women’s experiences and perspectives, and promoting gender equality.
Without women behind the camera, we run the risk of limiting female characters to just glamour. As visual media holds the power to effectively portray women’s lives, stories, and viewpoints, the primary goal of this festival is to promote women directors and offer a strong platform for their narratives.
"Avala Hejje" Women's Kannada Short Film Competition & Festival – 2027 organised by Gubbivani Trust
Eligibility Criteria:
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Language & Direction: Films must be in Kannada and directed by a woman.
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Year of Completion: 2025, 2026, or 2027.
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Duration: 5 to 30 minutes, including credits.
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Themes: Films featuring female leads, women’s empowerment, or gender and social issues are preferred, though all themes by women directors are welcome. The festival aims to highlight these themes over time, with a special emphasis on exploring new themes and fresh perspectives.
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Subtitles: English subtitles are not mandatory, but strongly encouraged.
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Adaptations & Documentaries: Adaptations are allowed (originality and a strong directorial voice are key). Documentaries are welcome but will compete alongside all other submissions in the same category.
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AI & Emerging Tech: Women directors are encouraged to use AI tools in filmmaking. While AI is permitted for visuals and animation, the film’s story, creative concept, and direction must remain entirely human-led.
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Previous Submissions: Films previously submitted to any past edition of the Avala Hejje Short Film Festival are not eligible.
Submissions for short films are open from November 1, 2026, to March 14, 2027.
Entry Fee:
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Karnataka Rajyotsava Special Entry Fee Waiver: If submitted by Nov 30, 2026, entry fee is ₹0
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Regular Deadline to Submit Short Film: Feb 28, 2027. Entry Fee: ₹1,000
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Final Deadline with late fee: March 14, 2027. Entry Fee: ₹1,500
A jury panel will consider all short films that meet the eligibility criteria and select the best short films for competitive screening.
"Avala Hejje" Award
The best short film among the films selected for screening will win the Festival Grand Prize: "Avala Hejje Award" plaque along with a Winning Certificate and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000 (one lakh)
Screening Certificate
All films screened at the Short Film Festival will receive a Screening Certificate.
Special Recognition Prizes
There will be several Special Recognition Prizes, with one film in each of the categories below receiving a cash prize of ₹10,000 (ten thousand) along with a certificate.
Note: All submissions will be considered for the Festival Grand Prize. Additionaly, the special categories have been introduced to encourage short films that align with the mission of Gubbivani Trust, reflect the concept of "Avala Hejje," or are rooted in modern creativity and contemporary themes.
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Unbound Ambitions: Sports, Business & More
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Sisterhood stories of women lifting each other up
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Challenging Norms: Breaking Traditions & Expectations
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Inner Journeys: Identity, Existence & Exploration
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Film for Social Change
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Humour or Satire
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Sci-Fi
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Animation, AI and Emerging Tech
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Young Director - Films directed by women born in 2000 or later
The "Avala Hejje" Short Film Festival - 2027
The screening of selected films and prize announcement from the Kannada women filmmakers' short film contest will be held in Bengaluru.
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