The Odisha government has announced a national short film festival, Samarthya 2026, to showcase the inspiring success stories of persons with disabilities. The initiative aims to promote inclusion and encourage filmmakers to highlight the achievements, resilience, and talents of people with disabilities through impactful short films.

The festival is being organised by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD). It is open to filmmakers, directors, media students, production houses, and independent creators from across India.

According to an UNI report, the short films should be based on real life success stories of persons with disabilities and must have a maximum duration of five minutes. To ensure accessibility for all audiences, the films should include features such as subtitles or closed captions, sign language interpretation, and audio descriptions.

The last date for submitting entries is July 7, 2026. The films will be judged on July 8, and the winners will be announced on July 11.Through Samarthya-2026, the Odisha government hopes to spread awareness about disability inclusion and encourage more conversations around equal opportunities by celebrating the achievements of persons with disabilities.