Every MSME founder has a story worth telling. Film it, animate it, or draw it as a comic. Tell it however you tell it best. Entry is free, and you can send in as many stories as you like.
A flagship storytelling initiative by NI-MSME Hyderabad in collaboration with CINICA Creators Council and Cinematica Expo® under the RAMP Scheme.
You pick a founder whose story moved you, and you tell it your way, as a documentary, an animation, a comic, or a mix of all of them. It costs nothing to enter, it is open to everyone, and you can submit more than one story.
Our visionTo build the largest living archive of founder stories in the country, and to put the next generation of creators behind the camera, the pen, and the keyboard telling them.
Give inspiring MSME founders and business builders their due.
Capture these journeys before the details fade.
Real stories move people to start something of their own.
A stronger MSME community, one story at a time.
The founder journey, told as a comic. Six panels, one blueprint, and now a category of its own. Submit your story as a comic, or use this as the shape for your film.
There is no single right format. Choose the one you love working in, or blend several. What matters is that the work is yours: shot, drawn, written and edited by you and your team.
Real people, real places, real voices. Shoot it on whatever you have. A phone works just as well as a cinema camera.
Draw it, rig it, render it. Any style you like. Original artwork and sound design go a long way here.
Refuse to pick just one. Mix live footage, animation, motion graphics and VFX into a single film.
Tell the whole thing on the page. Digital comics, web comics, graphic novels, manga-style strips and illustrated storyboards, drawn by hand or digitally. Submit as a PDF, 4 to 20 pages, 300 DPI, A4 or A3, under 100 MB. A cover page with the title and the founder's name is a nice touch.
Anyone who wants to document an inspiring MSME founder story is welcome. Registration is free, you can enter alone or as a team, and you may submit as many entries as you like, so long as you register before you submit. Every entry should be your own original work. Registering does not guarantee selection; the jury reads and watches everything, and judges on the criteria below.
Five to ten minutes for films, 4 to 20 pages for comics. Everything else is refreshingly flexible.
A quick run-through so nothing trips you up at the last minute.
Three documents are non-negotiable: the Founder Consent & NOC (permission to interview, film, edit and showcase their story), a participant declaration confirming the work is yours, and a copyright declaration covering every visual, track, voiceover and graphic you used. One more thing. Upload everything to a Google Drive folder, set sharing to "Anyone with the link, Viewer", and paste that link into the form. Locked folders cannot be judged.
Presented together by NI-MSME Hyderabad, CINICA Creators Council and Cinematica Expo.
An official invitation to the flagship showcase.
Everyone gets a participation certificate. Finalists get a Certificate of Excellence.
Trophies and recognition for winning entries.
Time with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and government representatives.
Entries close 31 October 2026. Here is how long you have:
None at all. Entering is completely free. You can register on your own or as a team, and you just need to register before you submit.
Pretty much anyone: students, content creators, filmmakers, media professionals, animation artists, freelancers, videographers, photographers, entrepreneurs, educational institutions, creative agencies, startups, MSMEs, professionals, designers, illustrators and comic artists. If you want to document an inspiring MSME founder story, you qualify.
As many as you want. Each one needs its own complete submission though, with its own founder NOC and declarations.
Four: Live Action Documentary, Animation (2D/3D), Hybrid Storytelling, and Comics & Graphic Storytelling. The comics category takes digital comics, web comics, graphic novels, manga-style strips and illustrated storyboards as a PDF.
Films run 5 to 10 minutes, landscape or portrait, at least Full HD 1920×1080, as MP4 or MOV. Comics are a PDF, 4 to 20 pages, 300 DPI, A4 or A3, under 100 MB. Any language is fine, and subtitles are recommended so the story travels further.
The Founder Consent & NOC, a participant declaration that the work is original, and a copyright declaration covering all visuals, music, voiceovers and graphics. You will also upload a poster or thumbnail, plus one or two high-resolution photos of the founder or business.
31 October 2026. The organisers can extend or modify it, but plan for that date. The submission form link goes out by email to everyone who registers, so keep an eye on your spam folder too.
You keep ownership of your work. By entering, you give CINICA a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, edit, subtitle, translate, archive and display your entry on its YouTube channel, social platforms, website, exhibitions and festivals, for educational, promotional and non-commercial purposes, with credit wherever practicable. You will need to confirm you have the founder's permission and that nothing in your entry infringes anyone else's rights.
Want to nominate a founder, partner with us, or just ask something? We would love to hear from you.
Behind every MSME is a founder story worth telling properly.
