About SCO

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), three Observer States (Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) and fourteen Dialogue Partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, UAE and Turkey).

About the Festival

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival, during the Chairmanship of India at SCO, is being organized by the National Film Development Corporation,a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in association with the SCO Council of Heads of States. The film festival is scheduled from the 27th - 31st of January, 2022, in Mumbai, India.

The film festival will facilitate the organization of the SCO Film base while creating favourable conditions for creative cooperation with world filmmakers, distributors, film markets, potential investors and co-producers. As part of the SCO Film Festival in India, it is endeavoured to showcase selected films from the Members, Observer States and Dialogue partners States and also exchanges ideas on how to further relationships in this field amongst the participating nations.

The official language of the SCO i.e. Russian and Chinese will also be the official language of the Film Festival. English will also be included as the functional language of the Festival as it is being hosted in India. The films to be screened will be required to be dubbed or subtitled in English for the benefit of the jury and local audience.

Aims and Objectives

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival with an aim to build cinematic partnerships, have an exchange of programmes, nurture young filmmaking talent and act as a bridge between the cultures of the Shanghai Cooperation.

With a spirit to unite and promote the art of cinema and build cinematic partnerships, the SCO and NFDC aims at making the SCO film festival a collective cinematic experience for the Indian and International film fraternity, the budding filmmakers and cinema lovers across the SCO group of countries.

The goals and objectives of the festival is to showcase films from the SCO countries, build cinematic partnerships, have exchange of programmes, nurture young filmmaking talent and act as a bridge between the cultures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)members (8), Observer State (3) and Dialogue Partner States (14).

Sections

The festival will have a Competition, a Non-Competition Section, and a

i. COMPETITION SECTION - The section is open to the SCO Member States only.The Competition section Shall Carry the Following Awards:

1. Best Feature Film
2. Best Actor (Male)
3. Best Actor (Female)
4. Best Director (Feature Film)
5. Special Jury Award

The SCO Member states had to shortlist and send two thematically, performatively, technically excellent and aesthetically appealing films catering to the aims, objectives and sensibilities of the SCO Film Festival, 2023.

ii. NON COMPETITION SECTION - The SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partners States were eligible for participation in the following categories-

(a) SCO COUNTRY FOCUS - two films per country selected to represent the respective SCO countries at the film festival. Thus, enabling exchange among the different countries and acting as a bridge between the cultures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members.

(b) SCO DIRECTOR FOCUS- one film per director from each SCO country made by a well-known director, an acclaimed veteran who is well respected in the country for their craft and lineage of cinema, contributing to the heritage of the Country.

(c) SCO CHILDREN FOCUS- One film per SCO country that educates and entertains the young audience while being easy to understand. Thus developing the interest of young children and nurturing their minds.

(d) SCO SHORT FILMS- One short film per SCO country that is artistically and cinematically adept and captures the audience's imagination by applying original ideas.