Ending the stereotype of watching films in theatres and indie filmmakers not getting the attention they deserve from everyone. Gangtok International Film Festival - Gangtok is on a mission to present quality films from around the world as well as support, recognize and honour indie filmmakers.

It is dedicated to the film fraternity of the North-eastern region of India. This initiative aims to build a platform for the new as well as professional filmmakers to come together and explore different aspects of movie-making. Everything with just the right amount from a blend of cultural identities to urbanization, Gangtok is a breathing and dynamic bit of paradise of the northeast. It is the known as the exotic capital for a reason. It has an amazing view of mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain peak in the world.

The Mission of this project is to discover exceptional art-house cinema from all over the world. The project has been initiated to provide a supportive platform for the exceptionally talented independent indie filmmakers who have taken the risk of making films that are offbeat. But the most important aspect of the project is to introduce more people to indie cinemas and develop love for them.

VISION

Vision of Gangtiok International Film Festival is to give the indie filmmakers a global platform to exhibit their projects. Our ideology is to promote the films of low-budget filmmakers that dissent radically in form or content from the mainstream, challenging the boundaries of the commercial distribution, and to present imaginative works that dare to spark off heated discussions and transcend audience expectations. Sole purpose of GIFF is to celebrate WORLD CINEMA in the land monasteries of India, a city with unparalleled natural beauty, not only recognition our aim is to encourage and support the filmmakers by providing them REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, SCORES and other Promotional facilities.

AWARDS

The officially selected project in each month will receive a laurel and certificate and the winners will receive a customized certificate and laurel and are rated at their respective IMDb pages (if applicable). The monthly winners will be automatically nominated for our annual live screening and Golden Yak Award. ( Best of the Best)

The awards are given in the following categories:

1. Short Films (Less than 30 minutes)
2. Narrative Features (Above 40 minutes)
3. Documentary Films (Any length)
4. Experimental Films (Any length)
5. Student Films (Any length)
6. Extra consideration: Best Director (Any Length)
7. Extra consideration: Best Cinematography (Fiction & Documentary) (Any Length)
8. Extra consideration: Best Editing (Fiction & Documentary) (Any Length)
9. Extra consideration: Best Sound Designing (Fiction & Documentary) (Any Length)
10. Extra consideration: Best Actor (Fiction) (Any Length)
11. Extra consideration: Best Actress (Fiction) (Any Length)
12. Extra consideration: Best Supporting Actor (Fiction) (Any length)
13. Extra consideration: Best Supporting Actress (Fiction) (Any length)
14. Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) and 360° Video (Any length)
15. Drone Films (Any length)
16. Web and New Media (Any length)
17. Mobile Film (Any length)
18. Performing Arts
19. Amateur Film
20. Best VFX Artist
21. Best Producer
22. Crime short
23. Romantic short
24. Comedy short
25. Selfie video
26. Young Filmmaker (Under 18) (Any length)
27. Debut Filmmaker (1st or 2nd Film) (Any length)
28. Horror / Science Fiction / Genre Feature Film (Above 40 minutes)
29. Women’s Films (Any length)
30. Film on Women (Any Length)
31. LGBT Film (Any length)
32. Animated Films (Any length)
33. Family/Children Films (Any length)
34. Educational Film (Any length)
35. Films on Disability Issue (Any length)
36. Film on Religion (Any length)
37. Film on Nature / Environment / Wildlife (Any length)
38. Travel Film (Any length)
39. Silent Film (Any length)
40. One Minute Film
41. Postmodern Films (Any length)
42. Free Speech (Any length)
43. Television / Pilot Program or Series (Any length)
44. Commercial / Advertisement (Any length)
45. Music Video (Any length)
46. Best Film Score – Soundtrack
47. Trailer/Teaser (5 minutes or less)
48. Film/Video Poster
49. Photography (Photos from film set included)
50. Treatment / Synopsis
51. Short Script
52. Feature Script
53. Fashion Photography
54. Review (Short Film)
55. Review (Narrative Feature)
56. Review (Short Script)
57. Review (Feature Script)
58. On-Demand Interview Publication

Besides the BEST of the category AWARDS, there are also OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, which are given in different categories.

Please read these Rules & Terms carefully before you submit your film. By submitting your film into competition in the Gangtiok International Film Festival (GIFF), you expressly acknowledge and agree that you shall be bound by the terms of these Rules & Terms.

GIFF is open to any film, regardless of content, subject, or origin. Submitting your film to the GIFF is not a guarantee of selection. All the official selection, nominees and the winners will be listed on our website permanently. We treat every filmmaker equally.