WAVES Film Bazaar 2025 Ends With Big Wins, Bigger Money & A Bold AI Revolution

By ultapaltakhabar Nov 24, 2025 0

From Ladakh’s “Kakthet” to futuristic AI films, India’s biggest movie market turns into a battleground of creativity, cash rewards & cinematic innovation.

India’s premier film market, WAVES Film Bazaar, wrapped its power-packed five-day cinematic carnival in Goa on November 24, and trust us — it ended with more drama, surprises, and applause than a Bollywood awards night. From high-voltage grants to the rise of AI-powered filmmaking, this year’s edition proved why Goa is now the beating heart of South Asia’s film business.

Held under the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the event sprinkled millions worth of grants, distribution deals, post-production perks, AI awards, festival slots, and opportunities that emerging filmmakers can only dream of. And yes — Netflix, Red Sea Fund, LTIMindtree, and some of the biggest names in Indian cinema were all part of the action.

“Kakthet” Steals the Spotlight — Ladakh Takes the Throne

The biggest roar of the night? The $10,000 top prize in the Co-Production Features category went straight to the Ladakhi-language gem “Kakthet” (Idiot). Directed by Stenzin Tankong and produced by Ritu Sarin, Tenzing Sonam, and Rajesh Thanickan, the India–France co-production impressed the jury with its regional authenticity and bold storytelling.

Second place wasn’t far behind in excitement. Paromita Dhar’s Hindi indie “Ulta” (Madam) — a rare India-France-Canada collaboration — grabbed a cool $5,000. Filmmakers cheering, hugs all around, tears of joy — the indie space truly owned the night.

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Netflix Joins the Party With a Surprise Grant

As part of its mission to nurture documentaries in India, Netflix awarded a $5,000 grant to the powerful documentary “Simhastha Kumbh,” directed by Amitabha Singh. And who presented this award? None other than celebrated filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, making the moment extra glamorous.

Red Sea Fund Expands Its Global Reach

The Red Sea Fund continued planting its flag across international film markets by presenting:

$2,500 to development project “The Manager” (Dir. Sandeep Sreelekha)
$5,000 split between Work-in-Progress titles “Azhi” and “Ustad Bantoo.”

Emad Eksander, head of Red Sea Fund, personally handed out the awards — ensuring the buzz was global.

Screenwriting Gets Sexy — And Rewarded

Platoon One Studio went all out to support writers by giving its Script Development Grant of ₹2,00,000 to “Nazma Ka Tadka”, written by Sapan Taneja. Founder Shiladitya Bora presented the prize as part of the Screenwriters’ Lab initiative — proving that content really is king.

Casting mogul Mukesh Chhabra also doubled the excitement, offering free casting services to:

“Teacher’s Pet” (Dir. Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy)
“White Guy” (Writer: Niharika Puri)

And trust us — free casting services from MC are no small deal.

UNESCO Honors “7 to 7”

The UNESCO City of Film award — presented with NFDC and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation — went to “7 to 7”, directed by Nemil Shah and produced by Rajesh Shah. Chanda Jadhav delivered the award to thunderous applause.

Post-Production Awards Take Over

This year’s Film Bazaar made one thing clear — post-production is the new battleground. With millions in services on offer, the race was fierce:

Nube Studio

Awarded ₹6 lakh in DI and color grading to “Khoriya” (Dir. Vishwendra Singh)

Prasad Corporation

Gave 50 hours of free 4K DI to “Azhi (Estuary)” and “The Ink Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb.”
Extended 50% discounts to “Ustad Bantoo,” “Chevittorma,” and “Yarsa Gambu.”

The awards were presented by filmmaker Garth Davis, making it one of the most photographed moments of the ceremony.

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Moviebuff

Moviebuff selected three standout projects for ₹3 lakh each in post-production and trailer support:

“Born Yesterday”
“Khamosh Nazar Aate Hain”
“Aakkaatti”

Presented by Hollywood star Rachel Griffiths — pure star power on stage.

Matchbox GAP Delivers the Biggest Whopper

Matchbox GAP brought the house down by offering its massive ₹20 lakh soft financing grant to “Echoes of the Herd” by Dipanker Jain.

A special jury prize for complete post-production was awarded to “Like a Feather in the Wind” by Chahat Mansingka.

More Industry Support Rolls In

M5 Global Film Fund: ₹4 lakh for festival strategy to “Soul Whispers.”
Reborn India Film Distribution: 10-screen theatrical release worth ₹7 lakh for “Chingam”
IICT: ₹50,000 facility credits for “Azhi” + 35% tuition scholarships for all WIP participants

This year truly was a jackpot for Indian indies.

AI Takes Center Stage — And Steals the Show

One of the most fascinating shifts this year was the spotlight on artificial intelligence filmmaking.

Sponsored by LTIMindtree, the AI Film Festival and CinemAI Hackathon brought futuristic storytelling to the heart of Film Bazaar.

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AI Film Festival Winners

Total Awards: ₹6 lakh

Best AI Animation — “Kyra”
Most Innovative Use of AI — “The Cinema That Never Was”
Best AI Short Film — “Nagori”

Special mentions:

“The Last Backup Final Part”
“Miracle on the Kachua Beach”

CinemAI Hackathon Awards

Total Awards: ₹9 lakh

Best Sound Design — “Final Monsoon Echo”
Best Visuals — “Being”
Best Storytelling — “Lost and Found”
Most Innovative Use of AI — “Remory”
Best AI Film — “The Red Crayon”

With submissions from over 18 countries, Goa turned into a global AI creativity hub overnight.

Student Talent Shines Bright

Student filmmakers brought raw energy and fresh vision — and the festival rewarded them generously.

Top winners included:

Kaashviy Ommkaar — Outstanding Pitch for “Tengina Nadu”
Aniket Joshi — Special jury mention for “Homework.”
Aditya Maheshwari — Active Engagement Award
Radhika Kinare — Outstanding Project Development (“Baba Aani Ti”)
Riya Varghese — Outstanding Producer Talent (SRFTI)
Sakshi Mishra — Outstanding Producer Talent (Whistling Woods International)

A proud moment for India’s next-generation storytellers.

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A Star-Studded Finale

Indian cinema legends such as Shekhar Kapur, Rajkumar Hirani, Rachel Griffith, Sriram Raghavan, and top government officials shared the stage. Netflix, Marriott Goa, LTIMindtree, Jio, Pulz, Qube, and Variety were among the major partners.

Goa didn’t just host a film market — it hosted an entire ecosystem of tomorrow’s cinema.

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