The Shades International Short Film Festival is an event dedicated to showcasing local and international independent short films across various categories, including narrative shorts, documentaries, music videos, and student productions. The festival aims to build and promote a healthy film culture and provide a platform for cultural exchange in cities like Bangalore and Kannur, India. It hosts live screenings, offers networking opportunities, and features discussions and workshops related to filmmaking. The festival accepts films in any language, provided non-English films have English subtitles, and typically has an acclaimed jury to decide awards in competitive sections.