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Register before   May 17th, 2023
Submit Videos   before May 30th, 2023

Registration Open!

Reg Form

GENERAL RULES

  1. Applications should be submitted online before Sunday, May 7th, 2023. Applications received after Sunday, May 7th, 2023, will not be considered. Only online registrations will be accepted for the competition.

  2. The registration fee for each participant for every single item will be $20.00, and the registration fee for each group item will be $15.00 per participant. Registration fees must be paid in full while registering the participant. Program registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable unless IMA cancels the program due to unforeseen situations.

  3. The competition is based on recorded videos submitted by the participants. A chest number will be given to all participants after payments are confirmed.

  4. The competition will be conducted in the following 3 age groups: Sub Junior (Kindergarten to Grade 4), Junior (Grade 5-8), and Senior (Grade 9-12) and is based on the school grades of children on the day of the Kala Mela. Participants should be permanent residents of Illinois and current students of any Illinois schools. Other non-Malayali descendants may participate in group items only. It is the responsibility of the participants/parents to make sure that the participants registering for each age category fall under the appropriate category. IMA reserves the right to request proof of age in case of any questions or concerns.

  5. There will be three sections for competitive items: Section A (Dances), Section B (Non-Dances), and Section C (Group items). Kalaprathiba (Male) and Kalathilakam (Female) must win at least one prize from both sections A and B. The winner with the highest points from both these sections will be awarded the titles of Kalathilakam and Kalaprathibha. He or she must score more points than any other contestant in single items. Points earned in group items will not be considered for Kalaprathiba and Kalathilakam. In the event of a tie, the points from both group items will be used. If there is no winner from both sections, the person with the highest points from all the single items will be considered for the titles.

  6. For any group item, one participant cannot compete more than once in the same item in the same age category. But they can participate in another age group if age permits. There should be a minimum of 3 participants in the group.

  7. The first, second, and third prize winners will be awarded 3, 2, and 1 point(s) respectively.

  8. The IMA Kala Mela committee reserves the right to make any changes or cancel the Kala Mela. Any appeals should be submitted in writing to the IMA Kala Mela appeal committee within 24 hours of the release of the result. The results will be posted on the IMA website  https://www.illinoismalayaleeassociation.org on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023. In case of any dispute regarding the Kala Mela, the Kala Mela committee will make the final decision.

  9. No karaoke will be allowed for the music competition.

  10. For the Malayalam reading competition, participants must have completed their entire schooling in the USA. One Malayalam passage will be provided for reading, which will be posted on the IMA website, illinoismalayaleeassociation.org, on Saturday, April 29th, 2023. It is the responsibility of the participants/parents to check the website for the topic.

  11. Elocution topics will be published on the IMA website by Saturday, April 29th, 2023.

  12. The maximum duration of each category is as follows. No exceptions:

    1. Bharatha Natyam - 10min

    2. Folk Dance - 5 min

    3. Cinematic Dance - 5min

    4. Western Dance - 5min

    5. Malayalam Film Song - 5min

    6. Elocution - 5 min

    7. Malayalam Reading - 3 min

    8. Fancy Dress - 3 

    9. Group Song - 5 min

  13. Video Upload: The last day to submit the video will be Saturday, May 30th, 2023. Only one submission will be allowed per participant per item, and videos cannot be swapped or replaced once submitted. Therefore, make sure that your final video is submitted for the competition. Do not include your name anywhere in the video, as this will disqualify the participant from the competition. The given ID should be displayed on the left side of the chest.

  14. IMA will not be responsible for the quality of the video and will not edit, convert, or clean the video.

  15. IMA will not accept any edited videos. Participants who submit edited videos will be disqualified from the competition.

  16. IMA recommends recording videos in 4K or high-definition quality, with a proper focus on participants' expressions and movements. Videos should be recorded in landscape mode.

  17. The background of the video should be plain or natural. Videos with added backgrounds will be disqualified. For example, do not add a background to the video after it has been recorded.

  18. The video should be recorded in full length so that the hands, legs, and expressions are visible to the judges at all times. Do not zoom in/out or change the camera position while recording the video.

  19. Videos can be uploaded to Google Drive or emailed to the following email address imasecretaryone@gmail.com and malayaleeia@gmail.com. If uploaded to Google Drive, please send a confirmation email to imasecretaryone@gmail.com and malayaleeia@gmail.com as well.

  20. The judge’s decisions are final with regards to the results of the competition.

  21. The IMA Kala Mela team reserves the right to disqualify a participant in the event that the participant or any of its associates are not in compliance with the program rules.

  22. If you have any concerns or complaints, please reach out via email to imasecretaryone@gmail.com.

For Registration

Treasurer

Shani Abraham 84.673.5299

President

Sunina M Chacko 847.401.1670

imasecretaryone@gmail.com

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