Justice Through the Lens

Justice Through the Lens 2025 is a short film competition organised by the Department of Private and Comparative Law, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Participants are encouraged to submit short films (either a fictional story or a documentary-style video) that reflect thought-provoking perspectives on justice, the rule of law, and the legal profession. The theme is deliberately broad to allow diverse interpretations. This competition aims to encourage creativity, critical thinking, and social awareness by portraying legal and human experiences through visual storytelling.

• Phase I – Participants must submit a short film script under the competition theme ‘Justice Through the Lens’ by November 16, 2025. The judging panel will review submitted scripts. Participants will receive comments and suggested improvements before producing their films.
• Phase II – Based on reviewer feedback, participants may revise their script and submit the final short film by December 31, 2025.

• The competition is open to all undergraduates and students of UGC-approved higher education institutions, as well as the Sri Lanka Law College.
• Participants are required to ensure that the duration of their short films is 5-20 minutes.
• In phase I, the short film script should be submitted together with the relevant application form.
• In phase II, the revised and finalized short films should be submitted in MP4 or an equivalent digital format with a recommended resolution of 720p or 1080p.
• Films may be produced in Sinhala, Tamil, or English. Submissions made in Sinhala or Tamil must include English subtitles.
• All submissions must be the original work of the applicant or team and must not have been previously exhibited, published, or submitted for another competition.
• Each film should be accompanied by a short synopsis of no more than 250 words and a lengthy synopsis of no more than 750 words.
• A complete list of credits must also be provided, including the names and roles of all contributors.
• Participants may enter individually or in teams of up to five members. Each participant or team is permitted to submit only one entry.

• The winners of the competition will be recognised with medals and cash prizes to acknowledge their artistic achievements.
• Special awards will also be presented for Best Short Film, Best Concept, and Most Popular Short Film.
• All shortlisted participants will receive certificates of participation.
• A curated public screening of the shortlisted short films will be held at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.