Explained: How Indian Films Are Shortlisted for The Official Entry to The Oscars

The Film Federation of India (FFI) today kicked off the process to choose India’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. FFI, an officially recognised trade body, has been handling India’s Oscar submissions since 1957, with Mother India being the country’s first official entry. Last year, the jury selected Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies for the honour. At a press conference led by FFI President Firdausul Hasan, the body announced that the applications are now open. Let’s take a look at what the entire process looks like:

Call For Entries

The FFI is authorised by the Academy to send one film as India’s official entry. This year, the submission window is from August 15 to September 10. Producers and filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films for consideration.

Eligibility

To be eligible for selection this year, a film must have its first theatrical release between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025, in India. It must run in the theatres for at least seven consecutive days, either in India or anywhere else in the world. The film’s producer and technicians should be from India with a valid passport. At least 60% of the dialogues should be in an Indian language.

Films that are complete, have a confirmed release date on or before September 30, and have been censored with distributor and theatre confirmation can also apply. However, these entries will be subject to verification and approval by the FFI.

Submission Fee

A submission fee of Rs 1,25,000 plus GST is applicable for entry each year.

Selection of Jury

The FFI forms a selection committee headed by a Chairperson to evaluate the entries. The committee is chosen with utmost care to ensure diversity in both regional and professional representation. As per the Academy’s rule, a jury can comprise a maximum of 25 members. In India, the number usually ranges between eleven and nineteen. Members are selected from various fields such as direction, writing, editing, cinematography, sound design, costume design, etc. Candidates must have substantial experience in their particular field, should be a well-known person in their area of work, and they need to have exposure to international cinema and preferably a National Award winner.

How the Jury Selects a Film

The submitted films are screened for the jury at a chosen venue. This year, the procedure will take place in Kolkata. The jury then evaluates the film based on several things such as story, artistic merit, technical aspects, cultural representation and international appeal. After the screenings, the jury votes and the film with the maximum number of votes becomes India’s official submission to the Oscars. The FFI submits the film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with all the required materials before the deadline.

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