The CCF Bioscope on Cities

The Nagari Film Competition is an annual competition designed to guide and develop films that focus on urban issues, specific to Indian cities. Nagari intends to be a bioscope for the city, and through this lens we explore diverse conditions and engage with urban issues. Nagari is unique as it has been conceptualised as a guided exercise, with a panel of Mentors on board to help participants on their journey to creating a film.
These films can be made using different mediums, fictional and non-fictional narratives are both encouraged. The film can be live-action, animated, or a combination.
We recommend that all entries be submitted by teams led by 2 principal members. The teams can be multidisciplinary. We recommend that one member of the team must have some prior filmmaking experience. We appreciate collaborations but are open to projects where these may not be possible.

Click on the images to learn more about each edition of the Nagari.

Click on the image to watch the films made as a part of the Nagari Short Film Competition.
Nagari ReRuns is a public retrospective, showing the 10 short films that were made for the 2020 competition. The programme will consist of a screening, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, moderated by the Charles Correa Foundation team as a launch of Nagari 2021 — ‘People and Livelihoods’ in Indian cities. Click on the image to read more.


2021
- People and Livelihoods in Urban India
- Livelihoods & the COVID-19 Crisis
- Bioscopes on People and Livelihood in Urban India
2020
You may read all our blogs, we write short essays about diverse architectural and urban phenomena here.
Nagari in the news
‘A New Script for Cities’
Ajit John, Herald Cafe Pg. 1, 25 September 2020
‘City on Reel’
Christine Machado, Navhind Times Pg 6, 6 October 2020
‘Communities around jabalpur’s lakes and Goa’s Mandovi river pay steep price for progress‘
Neerja Deodhar, News9live, 22 February 2022
can students participate?
Yes, write to us at nagari@charlescorreafoundation.org if you have any query.
why did you choose the name Nagari for the Film Festival?
Dear Rob,
Nagari is a colloquial term in a few north and west Indian languages which means “the city.”
We thought a name like that would suit our theme of a bioscope on urban issues well.
Hello, can beginners/film students apply for the competition? Asking this as the form states that one of the participant has to be an experienced filmmaker.
If you check the form it mentions “prior filmmaking experience”, we have permitted entries from amateur filmmakers and film students, provided they have some experience in shooting, editing and producing film.
How does one enter the competition? When is the date that applications to enter go live?
Hi! I am interested but many questions on my mind…1) Would we have to pay or spend from our side? If yes then how much that would be? 2) What’s the exact process to participate? 3) Is it pan India compitition? 4) Who will make the team out of all the individuals? 5) Where (which state/city) we are suppose to gather for the making?
Dear Hemangi,
To answer your questions,
1. Nagari provides a grant of 50,000 to each selected team. The management of costs under or beyond this grant is the responsibility of the team.
2. The registration form is available on our website if youre interested.
3. Yes, we accept, and encourage, from across urban India.
4. We do not separate teams / applicants.
5. The process of filmmaking and similar intricacies is largely left to the filmmakers to coordinate.
If you have any more questions please feel free to email or call us.