When the 19th WAVES Film Bazaar wrapped on 24 November 2025 in Goa, it left more than just memories: the four-day marketplace of the 56th IFFI had quietly become a crucible for cross-border deals, creative partnerships, and a renewed push for Indian cinema on a global footing. Here’s what really changed, and what could reverberate long after the Bazaar lights dimmed.
Co-production Deals: Building Bridges, Not Just Scripts
Out of the 27 projects shortlisted in the Co-Production Market (22 feature films + 5 documentaries), several promising collaborations moved into serious financing discussions. Projects came from eight countries — India, France, the U.K., Canada, the U.S., Russia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Notably, filmmakers such as Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, Shakun Batra, Devashish Makhija, Ira Dubey, and Shaunak Sen, along with BAFTA-winning director Ben Crichton, used their meetings to explore cross-border co-productions.
A particularly striking case is the project Gloria, which came via a cross-exchange initiative with the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF). It exemplifies how WAVES is not just a local platform, but a true global bridge.
Three ‘Handpicked Focused Projects’ by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) — Shamed, Smash, and Tiger in the Lion Den, also aim to catalyze bold cross-border storytelling.
Thanks to curated Open Pitch sessions, these creators secured one-on-one meetings with international producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers, and sales agents — laying the groundwork for formal co-productions.
There was also financial incentive: WAVES offered cash grants (up to US$20,000) to its top Co-Production Market projects — $10,000 for the first-prize feature, $5,000 for second, and $5,000 to a standout documentary.
Distribution and Sales Deals: From Pitch to Pipeline
Beyond co-production, the Viewing Room played a central role in converting interest into distribution pipelines. The Bazaar’s online content library, featuring hundreds of films, enabled sales agents, festival curators, and OTT platforms to discover and acquire projects in real time.
While exact deal values are still under wraps, early signals suggest that multiple projects are in advanced stages of negotiation — not just for festival premieres, but also for commercial distribution across global markets. The presence of sales agents from 30+ countries facilitated many of these conversations, giving regional Indian voices a direct route to international platforms.
Regional Cinema Wins
One of the most striking features of the Bazaar was its linguistic diversity: the 27 projects spanned 19 languages, including Manipuri, Tangkhul, Haryanvi, Ladakhi, Konkani, Odia, and even Sanskrit, along with Hindi, English, and Malayalam.
This breadth reflects WAVES’ growing commitment to regional cinema. A stage where storytellers from India’s less-represented linguistic regions secured meaningful platform exposure. Their inclusion not only brought regional narratives into conversation with global financiers but also underscored the strength of India’s internal diversity.
Young Creators and Mentorship Milestones
The Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab emerged as one of the Bazaar’s human heartbeats. Among its selected films was Chevittorma and Khoriya, a debut India–Australia co-production, backed by Ashim Ahluwalia.
These young creators were mentored by a global editorial panel, including figures like Philippa Campbell, Sandrine Cassidy, Kiki Fung, Nitin Baid, and Sanyukta Kaza, receiving feedback not just on their scripts, but on production strategies, festival positioning, and creative identity.
Several first-time filmmakers said in private chats that this kind of guidance — one-on-one, deeply personalised was transformative. It was not merely about getting notes, it was about forming professional ties that could support them long after the Bazaar ends.
Panel-Driven Collaborations
WAVES Bazaar’s industry panels and masterclasses catalyzed not just discussion but tangible collaboration. Sessions around state-wise film incentives and international co-production treaties proved particularly productive: delegates from regions offering fiscal benefits (tax rebates, grant programs) connected with international producers seeking favourable co-production terms.
These structured discussions helped demystify bureaucratic hurdles and opened doors for deals that might otherwise have stalled. For instance, producers from Singapore and Russia reportedly began exploring co-financing partnerships in real-time during the panels — a sign that conversation was translating directly into commitment.
Overcoming Barriers
- Financing gaps: For many emerging filmmakers, securing funding remains the biggest hurdle. WAVES addressed this by combining cash grants with pitch facilitation and follow-up meetings with global financiers, reducing the risk for early-stage creators.
- Language and representation: By curating a slate in 19 languages, WAVES made sure regional voices were not just token inclusions. They were central to its identity. That inclusivity helped bridge linguistic divides and enabled meaningful dialogue across geopolitically and culturally diverse filmmaking communities.
- Trust and legitimacy: Bringing together established names (like Kiran Rao, Motwane) alongside newcomers built a sense of legitimacy. For young creators, being in a room with veteran filmmakers and serious financiers helped validate their vision. For international partners, it signaled that the Bazaar was a trusted, well-governed marketplace.
Measurable Impact: By the Numbers
- 27 selected projects in Co-Production Market (22 features + 5 documentaries)
- Participation from 8 countries, including India, France, UK, Canada, USA, Philippines, Russia, and Singapore.
- Projects in 19 languages, reinforcing India’s regional storytelling strength.
- Cash grants offered: up to US$20,000 across feature & documentary categories.
- Over one-on-one meetings through Open Pitch sessions between filmmakers and producers, financiers, festival programmers, and agents.
The impact of WAVES Film Bazaar 2025 is likely to be felt well beyond Goa. By facilitating real co-productions, the Bazaar is positioning itself as a key driver of India’s emergence as a global co-production hub. Its linguistic and cultural scope signals new respect for regional cinema — not just as local stories, but as global assets.
The success of the WIP Lab suggests future editions might scale mentorship programs further, offering even deeper support to first-time filmmakers. And with the Bazaar helping structure policy conversations on incentives, future editions could produce even more synergistic partnerships between state film boards, international financiers, and creative producers.
If 2025 has shown anything, it’s that WAVES is not just a film market. It’s a marketplace for change, a place where ideas, capital, and creativity collide to make cinema that matters. For Indian filmmakers, global collaborators, and policymakers alike, the real waves may just be beginning.
Also Read: Inside WAVES Film Bazaar 2025: The Craft Behind Adolescence – A Netflix Web Series
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