The Prize

Funding to Make Your Film and Get It Seen

No creative strings attached. You produce independently. US$7,500 Production Grant Fund your production. US$500 Festival Submission Stipend Get your finished film in front of audiences and industry. You retain full creative control and ownership of your script. Kinolime provides the funding and platform, not creative direction.

Eligibility

Open to Filmmakers and Screenwriters Globally

Telling South Asian stories — whether rooted in the subcontinent, the diaspora, or the spaces between.

You're 18 years or older
You hold 100% ownership of your script (or have written consent from all co-writers)
Your script has not been previously produced for commercial profit or under option
You have (or create) a free Kinolime account

Co-writers welcome. Designate one Primary Entrant for communication and prize disbursement.

How Kinolime Works

From Submission to Winner in Four Rounds

Community discovery meets industry judgment. Round 1: Submit March 30 – April 26. Upload your script. Round 2: Initial Review Kinolime team selects the Top 26. Round 3: Community Voting Our global filmmaker community votes. Top 26 → Top 10. Round 4: Judges Panel Industry judges deliberate. Top 10 → Top 3. Round 5: Final Vote Community selects the winner from the Top 3.

Submission Requirements

Your Script, Industry-Ready

Original work: Standard format. 5–20 pages.

Your Script:

5–20 pages
Industry-standard screenplay format
PDF only
Original work (self-adaptations of your own material accepted)
No images, watermarks, or personal info beyond the title page

Director's Statement: Include a brief statement with your submission. Limit: Up to 3 scripts per entrant. Previously submitted to Kinolime? Scripts not selected for active voting may be resubmitted once if substantially revised. Email scriptreview@kinolime.com with "Resubmission Request" before uploading.

Timeline

Make Your Calendar

Submissions open for four weeks. Winner announced June 2026. - Submissions Open: March 30, 2026 - Submissions Close: April 26, 2026 - Community Voting: May 2026 - Winner Announced: June 2026

Who We Are

An Indie Production Studio That Actually Produces

35,000+ member global filmmaker community. Scripts discovered through community voting, then made. Kinolime is an indie production studio. We discover scripts through community voting, and then we produce them.

THE WAIF (2024 Winner) — BAFTA-nominated director Stephen Fingleton attached. Expected release 2027.
MOB MENTALITY (2025 Winner) — Currently in development.

South Asian filmmakers are already one of the largest communities on Kinolime. The Shorts Competition is how we're building for you. Same model. Same commitment. Your stories.

South Asia Shorts Competition 2026
US$7,500 Production Grant + US$500 Festival Stipend

Submit a short film script rooted in South Asian experience. Earn community votes on kinolime.in. Get your film made. Open to writers everywhere — no entry fee, no geographic restriction.

Submissions Period
Duration: 27 days
Submission pause
Opens in 2 days
Public voting
Opens in 16 days
Judges Panel
Opens in 44 days
Public Voting on Final Production
Opens in 58 days

Competition

Company

Site Info

Resources

Funding to Make Your Film and Get It Seen

Open to Filmmakers and Screenwriters Globally

From Submission to Winner in Four Rounds

Your Script, Industry-Ready

Your Vision, Funded.

Make Your Calendar

An Indie Production Studio That Actually Produces

South Asia Shorts Competition 2026
US$7,500 Production Grant + US$500 Festival Stipend

Competition

Company

Site Info

Resources

Funding to Make Your Film and Get It Seen

Open to Filmmakers and Screenwriters Globally

From Submission to Winner in Four Rounds

Your Script, Industry-Ready

Your Vision, Funded.

Make Your Calendar

An Indie Production Studio That Actually Produces

South Asia Shorts Competition 2026US$7,500 Production Grant + US$500 Festival Stipend

South Asia Shorts Competition 2026
US$7,500 Production Grant + US$500 Festival Stipend