OPPO India, in collaboration with Discovery, has announced the Filmmaker Accelerator Program, a new initiative designed to discover and support emerging Indian content creators through mobile visual storytelling.
Powered by OPPO’s LUMO Image Engine, the program focuses on helping young talent transition their culturally focused concepts into cinematic narratives.
Program Overview and Themes
The accelerator program marks the third year of OPPO’s ‘Culture in a Shot’ initiative. This year’s contest theme, “Meet Culture Anew, Make Your Moment,” follows previous themes “Portraits of Legacy” and “Celebrate the Moment.” The current theme encourages creators across India to produce short-form videos that explore culture as an evolving, everyday experience shaped by personal connection, fashion, food, and daily interactions, rather than strictly focusing on traditional heritage.
In conjunction with this event, OPPO India launched the OPPO LUMO Creator Program. This platform is targeted at accelerating mobile creativity, specifically supporting micro and nano creators who rely on smartphones as their primary medium of expression.
Filmmaker Accelerator Contest Details
The program provides participants with mentorship from industry professionals covering storytelling, filming, and post-production, alongside grants and access to OPPO devices.
Entry Requirements and Timeline:
- Submission Period: May 5, 2026 – July 15, 2026.
- Eligibility: Participants must be Indian residents aged 18 years or older.
- Format: Original video entries ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, shot on any smartphone.
- How to Enter: Submissions must be posted via public Instagram profiles as reels or video posts using the hashtags #OPPOxDiscovery, #CultureInAShot, and #ShotOnOPPO.
Judging and Selection: A shortlist of the top 10 creators will be compiled. The final winner will be selected by Vikram Channa, Vice President, Co-Lead, and Editorial Chief at Warner Bros. Discovery. Entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Cultural relevance and thematic alignment
- Visual aesthetics and shooting quality
- Originality and creativity
- Emotional impact and authentic cultural expression
Recognition and Rewards
The winner will be officially announced on July 30, 2026, via OPPO India’s Instagram channels. The selected creator will receive:
- An exclusive opportunity to direct a collaborative short film with OPPO x Discovery during the second half of 2026.
- A cash prize of ₹5,00,000.
- A new OPPO Find X9 Ultra smartphone.
- An official OPPO x Discovery Certificate.
Additional Cultural Initiatives and Global Competitions
#SuperFestivalMoment Campaign OPPO India has also initiated the #SuperFestivalMoment campaign. This ongoing platform focuses on regional storytelling surrounding India’s festivals, including Holi, Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Poila Boishakh, Puthandu, Bihu, and Baisakhi. The campaign features local creators documenting unique community expressions of these festivals while utilizing OPPO’s AI-powered imaging capabilities.
Global OPPO Photography Awards 2026
In addition to local programs, OPPO has announced the return of its global Photography Awards for 2026, which is open to Indian creators.
- New Category: This year introduces a Super Video category, marking the first dedicated video segment in the awards’ history to highlight the medium’s role in mobile storytelling. It joins the existing categories: Journey, Me, Live, Snap, and Super Zoom.
- Prize Pool: The competition features a total prize pool of US$76,500 distributed across 38 awards and recognitions.
- Submission Details: Indian creators can submit photo and video entries captured specifically on OPPO devices through the official OPPO Photography Awards platform until December 31, 2026.
Commenting on the occasion, Goldee Patnaik, Head of Communications at OPPO India said:
At OPPO, we believe technology should empower people to tell stories that matter. As we enter our third year of collaboration with Discovery, our shared vision of celebrating authentic human stories continues to grow stronger. Through our newly introduced LUMO Creator Program, we are creating meaningful opportunities for young creators to showcase India’s cultural richness through cinematic storytelling. ‘Culture in a Shot’ reflects our belief that culture is living, evolving, and best expressed through real people and everyday moments. With the introduction of a dedicated video category this year, we aim to inspire a new generation of creators to tell powerful stories through short-form visual content and share them with the world.
Vikram Channa, Vice President, Co-Lead, and Editorial Chief at Warner Bros. Discovery said:
Discovery has always championed authentic stories that spark curiosity, inspire connection, and celebrate the diversity of human experiences. Our continued partnership with OPPO India reflects a shared commitment to nurturing emerging storytellers who can capture culture through fresh, meaningful perspectives. We look forward to strengthening this long-term collaboration, discovering new creative voices, and helping take their stories from India to audiences around the world.