In a country with far too few festivals and industry touchpoints, every genuine opportunity to meet, pitch, listen, and grow becomes precious. That’s why the evolution of Film Bazaar into WAVES Film Bazaar feels so important — not as a rebrand, but as a step toward the kind of ecosystem our cinema urgently needs.

In a country with far too few festivals and industry touchpoints, every genuine opportunity to meet, pitch, listen, and grow becomes precious. That’s why the evolution of Film Bazaar into WAVES Film Bazaar feels so important — not as a rebrand, but as a step toward the kind of ecosystem our cinema urgently needs.

Mumbai’s Shift After the WAVES Summit

What makes this moment even more striking is the shift we witnessed earlier this year. Mumbai, our commercial heart — the city where deals are made in cafés and stories are born in tiny rooms — had never hosted anything on the scale or spirit of the WAVES Summit. For years, such large-format, globally aligned industry conversations were the domain of festivals abroad or occasional initiatives in Delhi.

The Summit changed that. It showed what happens when Mumbai finally gets a platform that matches its creative muscle and global ambition. That momentum now carries into WAVES Film Bazaar, shaping a marketplace that feels more fluid, more curious, and unmistakably future-facing.

Filmmakers Need to Show Up and Build the Ecosystem

And this is where filmmakers need to step in with intention. We often say we don’t have peer networks or mentors, or partners in India the way other industries abroad do — but we also don’t always show up when spaces like this open their doors. WAVES Film Bazaar provides us with exactly that opportunity. If we come to Goa, attend the meetings, sit through the screenings, talk to strangers, build peer groups, and nurture those bonds throughout the year, the industry we keep wishing for will slowly start to form. These ecosystems only grow when we participate in them, not when we watch from the sidelines.

A Marketplace Expanding With Intent and Future-Driven Focus

What excites me most this year is how intentionally the Bazaar has widened its scope. The AI Film Festival & Hackathon, global pavilions, a strengthened co-production market, and deep dives into emerging technologies aren’t just shiny additions; they reflect the realities our industry is already navigating. To have an Indian marketplace embracing these conversations with purpose is a big step forward.

Why WAVES Film Bazaar Can Change Careers

Having walked through markets across continents, I can say this with certainty: stepping into a space like WAVES Film Bazaar can change the trajectory of a film, a career, or even a filmmaker’s sense of what’s possible. It’s a place where India meets the world on equal footing — rooted in craft, open in spirit, and hungry for what comes next.

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A Wish for Filmmakers Attending This Year’s Edition

To everyone heading to Goa, may this edition bring you the right conversations, the right partners, and the momentum your stories deserve!