Short Film Trophy – 67th Year NASA India

The introduction of the Short Film Trophy in the 67th Year of NASA India marks an exciting intersection between architecture and cinema. Long fascinated by each other, these two disciplines share a deep relationship—architecture with its exploration of space, scale, and structure, and film with its narrative ability to capture time, movement, and memory. Together, they open a new medium for students to rethink how architecture is experienced, documented, and communicated.

This inaugural trophy invites participants to create an architectural short film that explores the theme “Architecture and Community.” The idea challenges students to look at how communities are shaped, defined, and performed in space. Communities are complex, formed through rituals, shared identities, and social practices—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict. Architecture often gives physical form to these dynamics, while communities, in turn, influence the making and meaning of architecture.

The competition is structured in two stages. In the Proposal Stage, teams must submit a written concept outlining their film’s interpretation of the theme, its narrative framework, stylistic approach, sound design, and choice of sites or locations. This stage focuses on clarity of thought, originality, and the ability to situate the film within broader architectural and social questions.

Shortlisted teams will then move to the Final Stage, where the film itself must be produced and submitted. Teams may use any medium of recording, from cellphones to DSLRs, emphasizing creativity over equipment. The expectation is not high-budget production, but rather imaginative storytelling and a strong architectural lens.

By merging the visual poetics of film with the analytical depth of architecture, this trophy pushes students to think critically about the spaces they inhabit and the communities they belong to. It celebrates the role of moving images in uncovering hidden narratives, memories, and identities tied to architecture.

The Short Film Trophy thus opens a new frontier within NASA India’s trophy landscape, offering students the opportunity to experiment with architecture beyond drawings and models—towards the lived, cinematic experience of space.

The introduction of the Short Film Trophy in the 67th Year of NASA India marks an exciting intersection between architecture and cinema. Long fascinated by each other, these two disciplines share a deep relationship—architecture with its exploration of space, scale, and structure, and film with its narrative ability to capture time, movement, and memory. Together, they open a new medium for students to rethink how architecture is experienced, documented, and communicated.

This inaugural trophy invites participants to create an architectural short film that explores the theme “Architecture and Community.” The idea challenges students to look at how communities are shaped, defined, and performed in space. Communities are complex, formed through rituals, shared identities, and social practices—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict. Architecture often gives physical form to these dynamics, while communities, in turn, influence the making and meaning of architecture.

The competition is structured in two stages. In the Proposal Stage, teams must submit a written concept outlining their film’s interpretation of the theme, its narrative framework, stylistic approach, sound design, and choice of sites or locations. This stage focuses on clarity of thought, originality, and the ability to situate the film within broader architectural and social questions.

Shortlisted teams will then move to the Final Stage, where the film itself must be produced and submitted. Teams may use any medium of recording, from cellphones to DSLRs, emphasizing creativity over equipment. The expectation is not high-budget production, but rather imaginative storytelling and a strong architectural lens.

By merging the visual poetics of film with the analytical depth of architecture, this trophy pushes students to think critically about the spaces they inhabit and the communities they belong to. It celebrates the role of moving images in uncovering hidden narratives, memories, and identities tied to architecture.

The Short Film Trophy thus opens a new frontier within NASA India’s trophy landscape, offering students the opportunity to experiment with architecture beyond drawings and models—towards the lived, cinematic experience of space.