Meta launches 45-day Edits Film Festival for creators

Mumbai: Meta has launched the Edits Film Festival in India, inviting creators to turn everyday, unpolished footage into short cinematic Reels using Edits, Instagram’s standalone video creation app.

The 45-day initiative, which opened on August 24, will accept original Reels made entirely on Edits until October 8. The festival aims to spotlight emerging creator talent while showcasing the editing tools and features added to the app over the past year.

The premise is simple: take an ordinary clip and give it a cinematic makeover. Creators can use Edits features including filters, effects, fonts, audio effects, overlays and music to turn an accidental clip, throwaway shot or everyday moment into a more distinctive visual story.

To enter, creators must publish their Reel and include a caption explaining the Edits features used. Each submission must also carry the hashtag #EditsFilmFestival and tag @metaindia and @weareyuvaa. Entries must be original and freshly created during the 45-day submission period.

A jury will select between 10 and 20 cinematic Reels for screening at an exclusive Edits Film Festival event. Some of the creators behind the selected entries will also be recognised by the jury and featured on Meta India’s social media accounts.

Selected makers will additionally receive exclusive access to some upcoming features on the Edits app, giving the creators an early look at tools that could shape their next edits.

The jury brings together voices from the worlds of acting, digital content and film. It includes actor Ahsaas Channa, content creator Dolly Singh, Yuvaa founder and writer-producer Nikhil Taneja, and film critic and Dharma Cornerstone Agency COO Rajeev Masand.

The entries will be judged on three factors: the uniqueness of the story, how effectively ordinary or unpolished footage is transformed, and how creatively Edits features are used to bring the idea to life.

Meta, head of global partnerships, India, Ankit Rihal, said the festival is intended to encourage creators to look at everyday moments differently.

“India’s creator community is redefining storytelling every day, and the Edits Film Festival is our way of celebrating that spirit. We want to empower creators to see the cinematic potential in their everyday moments and use Edits as their creative studio to bring those stories to life. This festival is a stage for fresh voices and bold ideas, all made on Edits.”

The festival also taps into the growing influence of younger creators on Instagram. Yuvaa, founder and Edits Film Festival jury member, Nikhil Taneja, said Gen Z creators and editors are increasingly behind trends on the platform.

“There’s always something new trending on Instagram, and more often than not, it’s a Gen Z creator or editor behind it. We’re constantly inspired by their creativity and honest storytelling, so I’m glad to be a juror for the Edits Film Festival and help more of this talent get discovered.”

With submissions open until October 8, the festival is putting the spotlight on a familiar creator challenge: making something memorable out of material that might otherwise remain buried in the camera roll. The best of those everyday moments could now make their way from a phone screen to a festival screening.