Oscar submission entries from Aug 15-Sep 10, movies should have 'Indianness': FFI

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The final entry from India will be decided by a vote after all the screenings are done and will be announced on September 28.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) on Tuesday announced that the process of submission of movies for India's entry to Oscars this year will be from August 15 to September 10.
The eligible entries should have a theatrical run of at least a week and have the theme of 'Indianness', it said.
'This is an important year for the Film Federation of India, this is the 75th year. It was formed in 1951 and this is the 98th Oscar year and we've been doing the procedure of Oscar since 1957,' FFI president Firdausul Hasan said.
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'We've been authorised by the academy to select one film from India that will represent our country in Oscar. So, the first film that we sent was 'Mother India', and the last film in 2024 was 'Laapataa Ladies',' he told reporters here.
The final entry from India will be decided by a vote after all the screenings are done and will be announced on September 28.
'Mostly, films should've Indianness in it, and it should be a film which is idea-driven and not content-driven. Earlier, star-driven films were made, we would see who features in the film, and then decide whether we want to watch it or not,' Hasan said.
'The FFI will provide all the help to the producers to have a smooth, democratic and transparent nomination process. We welcome more and more films to participate in the run to get nominated as India's entry into Oscars this year,' Hasan said.
The FFI, which is the parent body of the all the leading film associations of India, will nominate the chairman of the jury along with senior qualified people from various creative fields - from acting to directing, producing to costume, music, playback singer, sound recordist, and editing, to form a 25-member jury, according to the protocol of the Oscar Academy.
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'It should be Indian origin film and about 90 per cent film should be shot in India, and the film should've Indianness. We've tried to cover every field while appointing the (jury) person. The person should be well-known, should have good experience, and must be a National award-winner,' Hasan said.
The content of the films must be 60 per cent in local dialect in any of the Indian languages. They should also have the proof of release with a minimum of one week run in theatres in India.
In addition to this, details of film festival entries or awards received for the film and payment of Rs.1,25,000 plus GST will be charged during the submission procedure.
Films which are unreleased as of September 10, which is the last date of entry, and wish to apply for the Oscar entry will have to submit an undertaking and confirmation from the production and distribution company that the said films will be released for minimum of 7 days in theatres before the deadline of September, 30, the FFI said in a press statement.
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Speaking of the support from the government for the Oscar campaign, Hasan said they've often sought financial assistance.
'We often appeal to the government for support. We had a meeting with NFDC a few months ago, and they will be sending two-three films to Oscars this year, they're working on it,' he said.
Last year, Kiran Rao's 'Laapataa Ladies' was chosen to represent India at the 97th Academy Awards but failed to make it to the shortlist.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.