Meta has announced the launch of the first edition of the Edits Film Festival, an initiative aimed at celebrating India’s emerging creator talent and their ability to transform everyday footage into cinematic Reels using Edits, Instagram’s standalone video creation app.
The festival invites creators across India to create and submit original Reels made entirely on Edits over the next 45 days. The initiative is designed to encourage creators to reimagine ordinary, unpolished moments and turn them into visually compelling short-form content using the app’s creative tools and features.
As part of the festival, a selection of the top 10–20 entries will be screened at an exclusive Edits Film Festival event. Select creators will also be recognised by a jury comprising actor Ahsaas Channa, creator Dolly Singh, Yuvaa co-founder Nikhil Taneja, and Dharma Cornerstone Agency COO Rajeev Masand.
Commenting on the initiative, Ankit Rihal, Head of Global Partnerships, Meta India, said, “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 aims to showcase the range of features introduced on the Edits app over the past year, including filters, effects, fonts, audio effects, overlays and music tools that creators can use to enhance their storytelling.
Submissions must feature original content created within the festival’s 45-day submission window, which runs from the launch date until October 8, 2026. Participants are required to publish their Reel using Edits, describe the content and app features used in the caption, include the hashtag #EditsFilmFestival, and tag @metaindia and @weareyuvaa.
According to Meta, the jury will evaluate entries based on the originality of the story, the creator’s ability to transform ordinary footage into compelling content, and the creative use of Edits features.
Speaking about the festival, Nikhil Taneja, Founder of Yuvaa and jury member, said, “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.”
In addition to being screened at the festival, selected creators will be showcased on @metaindia’s social media channels. A few creators will also receive early access to upcoming features on the Edits app.
The jury panel brings together expertise from content creation, film criticism, youth media and entertainment. Alongside Channa and Singh, the panel includes Taneja, a writer, producer and youth media entrepreneur, and Masand, a film critic and media personality who currently serves as COO of Dharma Cornerstone Agency.
With the Edits Film Festival, Meta aims to provide a platform for emerging creators to showcase their storytelling skills while highlighting the creative possibilities of its video creation app.
