Set to take place on 16 May at the Bangalore International Centre, Indian Scroll Festival will bring over 200 emerging creators and internet-native storytellers onto a theatre screen, showcasing short-form reels and films in the format audiences already consume most: 9:16.
At a time when vertical video has become the default language of the internet, ISF aims to give the format the scale and seriousness of cinema. From directors and editors to writers and creators, the festival is designed as a platform for the next generation of storytellers shaping culture through their phones, but rarely seeing their work celebrated beyond it.
Namrata Chawla and Varun Khiatani, co-founders of Talented Grid agency mktgstack, said: “Some of the most interesting storytelling today is happening in a format that hasn’t received its due appreciation. ISF is our way of taking that seriously by giving it a screen, an audience, and the kind of attention it deserves. Creators today are building narratives, formats and audiences at a speed traditional systems can’t keep up with. ISF is designed to meet that reality. It feels native to how content actually works today.”
The festival will award winners across categories, with lakhs in prize money up for grabs with Gajraj Rao, Vir Saini and Zervaan Bunshah as jury. Tickets to the event are available to purchase on District.
Through Indian Scroll Festival, Talented and mktgstack are expanding their broader ambition of building platforms and cultural properties that feel native to how modern entertainment and culture now move online. The festival itself is an acknowledgement of how the next generation of entertainment is being discovered, celebrated and experienced.
Get tickets: https://www.district.in/events/indian-scroll-festival-may16-2026-buy-tickets