KNIFF is open to any film completed after January 1, 2020, regardless of content, subject, or origin. Submitting your film is not a guarantee of selection. All official selections, nominees, and winners will be listed on our website permanently. All winning films will receive a laurel, congratulations letter, certificate — and a Trophy is also available for winners. Please note that we do not offer application fee waivers. We treat every filmmaker equally.

Language: Films made in languages other than English must include English subtitles, otherwise they will be summarily rejected.

Resubmission: A film submitted for a particular month can be re-submitted at any time for a second chance, as we have different judges' panels for each season.

Multiple Submissions: A director or producer may submit more than one film in a category and more than one category at a time. KNIFF reserves the right to refuse entries. KNIFF will not refund any fees if the filmmaker fails to submit in the correct category. Films submitted without correct fees or proper submission media may be deemed ineligible at the discretion of the KNIFF programming director or executive director. The festival does not cover any expenses incurred by the filmmaker.

Official Selection: After a film is officially selected, the filmmaker will be notified and the film will be listed on the festival website under Official Selections. Official Selection status does not mean your film will be screened publicly — it means your film has been appreciated by our judges and you may use the festival laurel on your poster.

Screening: Nominee films will be privately screened for the KNIFF judging panel and will not be screened to the public initially.

Winners: "Best" films in each category will receive a laurel, certificate, and congratulations letter. Winning trophies are also available for monthly winners.

Non-Refundable: A filmmaker's submission fee will not be reimbursed if they decide to withdraw their submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.

Free Telugu Film Submission: Free submission is available for the Telugu film category only — exclusively for Andhra Pradesh & Telangana filmmakers. Telugu film submissions are accepted from January to September each year. The annual award ceremony is held in December every year.

Category Selection: Please select the correct category while submitting to avoid disqualification. KNIFF reserves the right to re-assign films to the appropriate category.

Amendments: KNIFF may without advance notice amend these Rules & Terms from time to time. Each amendment becomes effective immediately. It is your responsibility to periodically check for updates.