Pitch to Premiere – The First Frame Fund by Short Film Universe
Ever had a short film idea but no money to make it happen?
No contacts, no crew, no support?
We see you.
And we’re here to back your first frame with ₹10,000 funding, visibility, and real opportunities.
📣 What Is Pitch to Premiere?
Pitch to Premiere is Short Film Universe’s official short film fest — and it starts with your pitch.
We're choosing one pitch to fund and support with:
- ₹10,000 funding (no strings attached)
- A premiere on our platform + YouTube
- Massive visibility for your team
- A shot at being selected for paid brand collaborations
💬 Got Questions? Ask the Community on SFU Huzzle
Stuck anywhere? Don’t know how to submit?
Use the SFU Huzzle — our community forum — to ask questions, share updates, or get support from fellow creators and Team SFU. Available in your dashboard.
Simply log in → Click on "Forum" → Join the #PitchToPremiere conversation.
You’re not alone. We’re all in this together 🎥✨
💰 What Do You Win?
- ₹5,000 to start your shoot
- ₹5,000 when you submit the final film
- A platform premiere
- Promotion through Short Film Universe socials
- Potential paid brand collaborations for great pitches
- Full credit and rights stay with you
📅 Timeline At A Glance
- Pitch Deck Upload Starts: September 1, 2025
- Last Date to Submit: September 15, 2025
- Shortlist Announcement: September 25, 2025
- Live Pitch on Zoom: September 28, 2025
- Winner Announced: October 1, 2025
- Film Shoot & Submit: October 1–30, 2025
🛠️ Who Can Apply?
Anyone with a powerful short film idea! But there are just 3 conditions:
- Your film must have a minimum of 4 team members – cast or crew
- All team members must be registered on shortfilmuniverse.com
- Your final pitch deck must include the SFU IDs of all your team members
🎭 Language: Any
🚫 Content: No explicit / abusive / harmful content
🎞️ Film length: Max 10 minutes (including credits)
🧠 How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
- Register on shortfilmuniverse.com (Free!)
- Go to “Create Project” (Available now on your dashboard)
- Launch a Casting Call (from within SFU)
- Upload Pitch Deck (available Sept 1)
- Finalise your team → Add all team member SFU IDs
- Submit your final deck by September 15
You’ll get shortlisted based on:
- Idea originality
- Execution plan
- Relevance
- Team effort
- How you plan to spend the fund
- (A sample deck will be shared)
Shortlisted teams will pitch live on Zoom. Winner gets the grant!
🎯 Why Are We Doing This?
Because first-timers rarely get a shot.
We’re tired of seeing good scripts fade away because of money.
So, we’re doing what big production houses won’t — backing you, your crew, and your vision.
This is not just a contest. It’s your first launchpad.
💼 Bonus: Get Hired for a Brand Film!
Not selected? Don’t worry.
Some pitches that match our brand movie briefs may still get a call from us — for a paid project.
So your effort won’t go to waste!
❗Important Rules Recap
- One entry per team
- No-show at the live pitch = disqualification
- No extension requests allowed
- We reserve the right to cancel the contest if we receive fewer entries or low-quality submissions
- All decisions by SFU jury are final
- You retain the rights to your film; SFU will carry the logo and premiere it
🚀 Let’s Make Your First Film Happen
If you’re a student, indie filmmaker, actor, writer, or just someone with a powerful story — this is for you.
Let your first film be bold, beautiful, and seen.
🔗 Register now at www.shortfilmuniverse.com
📣 DM us or mail support@thesfu.in for help.
