Iffi’s Film Bazaar to offer $20k cash grant

Panaji: The Film Bazaar, which takes place alongside the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) in Goa each Nov, has officially opened calls for a co-production market for its 19th edition, scheduled to take place from Nov 20-24. For the 2025 edition, Waves Film Bazaar will award a total of $20,000 in cash grants to three winning projects from the co-Production market.

The first prize will be for a feature project of $10,000, while the second prize will also be for a feature of $5,000. A special cash grant of $5,000 will go to a co-production market documentary.

Waves Film Bazaar boasts of being South Asia’s largest film market and has been an integral part of India’s international film outreach. A flagship feature of Waves Film Bazaar, it has invited submissions for feature and documentary projects. The market strives to unite film professionals worldwide for international partnerships and collaborative co-productions.

Running alongside Iffi, Film Bazaar was rebranded as Waves Film Bazaar as part of a strategic vision to position India as a global hub for content, creativity, and co-productions. Last year, it attracted more than 1,800 participants from more than 40 countries.

Several acclaimed films, including ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Dum Lagake Haisha’ and ‘Newton’ owe part of their success to Waves Film Bazaar. Launched in 2024, the cash grant initiative at Film Bazaar aims to bridge the gap between creative vision and production by offering crucial development funding.

The submission deadline for feature film projects is Sep 7, while documentary project submissions close on Sep 13. Selected filmmakers will gain valuable opportunities to engage with producers, distributors, sales agents, and financiers.

Waves Film Bazaar also offers market screenings, the Viewing Room — a video library showcasing about 200 new and unseen Indian and South Asian films — and several industry-focused events such as the Work-In-Progress Lab, Knowledge Series, Producers’ Workshop, Country Pavilions, and market stalls.

These activities reinforce Waves Film Bazaar’s commitment to elevating South Asian cinema on the global stage.