Waves Film Bazaar Makes A Splash With Cash, Culture & Cinematic Chaos!
IFFI’s revamped industry hub rolls out films, funding, and fun in a dazzling Goan kickoff
Panaji:The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has always known how to put on a show, but this year, it’s riding an even bigger wave — quite literally. The 56th edition of IFFI launched the freshly rebranded Waves Film Bazaar, and let’s just say, Goa hasn’t seen an industry market quite this lively.
Held annually from 20-28 November, IFFI continues to be India’s cinematic carnival, where filmmakers, cinephiles, distributors, dreamers, creators, and the generally movie-obsessed gather for nine days of screenings, chatter, deals, and the occasional creative meltdown. But this year, the heart of all the action, the Film Bazaar, has caught a sea breeze of its own.
In its 19th edition, now titled Waves Film Bazaar, the platform has not just revamped its name but its mission. Positioned as one of Asia’s most important film markets, it’s the meeting ground where scripts find financiers, directors find producers, and festival programmers find their next obsession.
The inauguration itself was the kind of star-studded, diplomatically sprinkled, culturally charged spectacle that only IFFI can pull off. The attendees include minister of state for information and broadcasting (I&B) L. Murugan, South Korean MP Jaewon Kim, I&B secretary Sanjay Jaju, additional secretary Prabhat Kumar, South Korean actor Kim Jaewon, Australian filmmaker Garth Davis (‘Lion’, ‘Mary Magdalene’), veteran actors Anupam Kher and Nandamuri Balakrishna, Waves Bazaar adviser Jerome Pilloard of France, and IFFI director Shekhar Kapur.
The real fireworks came courtesy of Sanjay Jaju, who unveiled the most exciting update yet. Waves Film Bazaar will, for the first time, award a $20,000 cash grant.
It will be a gleaming pot of hope for emerging filmmakers ready to surf their next project into existence. With over 300 films showcased, Jaju said that each segment of the Bazaar is carefully structured so creators at every stage of filmmaking can find room, guidance, and opportunity.
Echoing this energy, Dr L. Murugan laid out a bigger picture: India isn’t just part of the global content conversation — it’s leading it. “India is emerging as a global power in production, digital content, gaming, fashion and music,” he declared, adding that Waves Film Bazaar would help bridge Indian stories with world producers, while opening doors for young, hungry creators.
