For Film Schools
We are pleased to invite you to join the inaugural edition of People’s International Film Festival of India (PIFFI) 2026 as an Academic Partner. The festival will be held from 17 to 20 December 2026 at Ravindra Bhawan, Bhopal. The festival, featured internationally in Variety, is guided by an Advisory Board comprising Padma Vibhushan Shri Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shri Sudhir Mishra and Shri Tripurari Sharan (former Director, FTII Pune), with Anwar Jamal as Festival Director and National Award-winning critic Saibal Chatterjee as Head of Programming. Every officially selected film receives a public screening at Ravindra Bhawan.
Film schools today rightly expect masterclasses, talent programmes and delegations from a major festival. PIFFI offers all of this, and then adds a combination of benefits that no other festival in India currently brings together for its academic partners.
Exclusive student facilities for designated students from associated institutions during the festival:
- Free accommodation for three nights (17 to 19 December 2026)
- Complimentary meals: breakfast at People’s University, two meals at the festival venue
- Free venue transport
Choose Your Level of Association
Three engagement levels. No partnership fee. An institution can step up in the coming years.
| Deliverable | Campus Associate | Academic Partner | Founding Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission fee waiver for students | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Festival passes (students + faculty) | 10 + 2 | 25 + 4 | 40 + 6 |
| Faculty masterclass / panel slots | None | 1 | 2 |
| Curated institutional showcase | None | 45 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Catalogue, website and venue branding | Name listing | Logo | Logo + exhibit table |
| Feature in People’s Samachar + People’s Update | None | 1 story | Story + interview |
| Radio + social media promotion of selected films | Included | Included | Included |
| Post-festival campus event (screening / workshop) | None | None | 1 event |
| Internship priority on People’s film projects | None | Included | First priority |
Faculty participation and institutional showcases are subject to programming, scheduling and curatorial approval.
What the Institution Commits To
Each level carries a matching commitment. PIFFI confirms the level after reviewing the institution’s response, and levels can be revised by mutual agreement.
Nominate a nodal person. Circulate the call for entries to all students. Minimum 5 student film submissions. Delegation of at least 8 students and 1 faculty member.
Written institutional confirmation. Campus promotion through posters, social media and one pre-festival orientation session. Minimum 10 student film submissions. Delegation of at least 20 students and 2 faculty members. One faculty member available for a masterclass or panel.
Inaugural-year MoU with intent to continue for three editions. Minimum 15 student film submissions. Delegation of at least 30 students and 4 faculty members. Co-curate the 90-minute showcase with PIFFI programming. Host one pre-festival campus activation and one joint activity in the year after the festival.
Only at PIFFI
Print coverage in People’s Samachar (5 city editions), digital coverage on People’s Update, radio partner coverage, and dedicated social media promotion of selected student films.
An OTT platform is in People’s Group’s pipeline. Films screened at PIFFI, and deserving entries not accommodated in the programme, may be showcased when it goes live. The platform will regularly curate and license new content.
People’s Campus, Bhopal, works as a live film city with ready locations. Partner institutions get a 50% subsidy on location charges for future shoots.
Orientation on the MP Film Tourism Policy 2025: incentives up to Rs 2 crore for features and Rs 15 lakh for short films, with single-window permissions.
People’s Films Division regularly produces film and content projects. Partner institution students get internship and crew opportunities, subject to selection.
PIFFI is an annual festival. The association continues through campus screenings, workshops and filmmaker visits across the year.
How to Confirm Your Participation
Kindly fill the short Academic Partnership form at piffi.in/academic-partnership and nominate a nodal person from your institution. Our team will contact them within 3 working days to plan the participation. The regular film submission deadline is 5th October 2026 and the late deadline is 25th October 2026, so an early confirmation will help your students take full advantage of the fee waiver.
We look forward to welcoming your students and faculty to Bhopal this December.
Fill the Academic Partnership Form →