Marking a milestone moment for Indian cinema on the global stage, Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor’s initiative, ‘Women In Film India’ (WIF India), has made its official debut at the Cannes Film Festival with the launch of a powerful fellowship program to elevate female producers.

The program aims to nurture mid-career women in the entertainment industry with structured mentorship, global exposure, and leadership pathways.

According to an IANS report, the inaugural edition of ‘The Women in Film India Fellowship: Cannes Producers Edition’ will spotlight and support three standout women producers from India—actor-turned-producer Tillotama Shome, veteran studio executive Rucha Pathak, and socially conscious independent producer Dimpy Agarwal. The trio will gain exclusive access to the Producers Network at the Marché du Film at Cannes, one of the world’s most prestigious networking platforms for film professionals.

“This launch is just the beginning of a long-term commitment in investing in women—not just for today, but for the future of the Indian entertainment industry,” said Guneet Monga Kapoor, Founder of WIF India. “With WIF India, we’re putting real structure behind the idea of equality—mentorship, access, and leadership pathways,” she added. Shome, whose recent Bengali feature film ‘Baksho Bondi’ (‘Shadowbox’) marks her producing debut, joins Pathak and Agarwal, both of whom have worked on critically acclaimed and commercially successful projects in India.

WIF India is backed by ‘Women In Film Los Angeles’ (WIF LA) and now joins a global alliance of over 50 chapters across six continents, each dedicated to addressing gender disparity in film, TV, and digital media. In addition to the fellowship, WIF India has also extended an Accreditation Grant to Shefali Bhushan from the Marathi film industry, whose film Sthal is being showcased at the Cannes Film Market this year.

Kirsten Schaffer, Chief Executive Officer of WIF LA, commented, “Our partnership with Women in Film India marks an important step toward building a strong, interconnected community that supports women across all aspects of the screen industries. This fellowship is a key part of the solution to ensuring that women have equal opportunity to create high-quality film and television.”

WIF India is governed by a diverse and influential Board of Directors that includes prominent names from India’s film and media ecosystem, such as Siddharth Roy Kapur, Karan Johar, Faye D’Souza, Anupama Chopra, Tahira Kashyap, Gauri Shinde, Nikhil Advani, Jyoti Deshpande, Gayatri Yadav, Aparna Purohit, Varun Grover, Kanika Dhillon, Vani Tripathi, Miriam Joseph, Ekta Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, and Guneet Monga Kapoor herself.

With its impactful Cannes debut, Women in Film India sets the tone for a more inclusive future in storytelling and production, promising to open doors for women in cinema not only in India but across borders.