The WAVES Film Bazaar, South Asia’s global film market, opened yesterday in Panjim, Goa with an inspiring inaugural ceremony attended by a distinguished gathering of leaders, policymakers, filmmakers and global delegates.

Held annually alongside the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the 19^thedition of the Film Bazaar, now rebranded as the Waves Film Bazaar, serves as a global meeting point for filmmakers, producers, sales agents, festival programmers, and distributors seeking creative and financial partnerships. The market is scheduled from November 20 to 24.

According to an official statement put out by the government yesterday, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, while inaugurating the Bazaar, spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for making India a global hub of film production.

Calling it a “bridge between creators and producers”, the Minister praised the Bazaar platform for empowering young voices and new storytellers, noting the participation of 124 new creators in the bazaar this year and reaffirming its role in taking Indian culture and content to the world.

In his opening remarks, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju described the WAVES Film Bazaar as the natural and fitting beginning to IFFI’s celebrations. He called it a “complete ecosystem of screenings, masterclasses, and technology showcases,” and emphasised how the new identity of WAVES aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of “converting art into commerce.”

He, according to the statement, highlighted the world’s first e-marketplace for filmmakers and stressed that WAVES is “connecting creators and countries, making India a meeting point for global collaboration”. He enumerated the wide array of curated projects, cash grants and structured feedback processes, while also spotlighting India’s first-ever AI Film Festival and Hackathon as essential steps toward embracing the future of cinematic technology.

Those who were present during the bazaar inaugural ceremony included MIB Additional Secretary Prabhat, who gave a vote of thanks; IFFI Festival Director and celebrated filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actors Nandamuri Balakrishna and Anupam Kher; Jerome Paillard, Advisor to Waves Bazaar; Garth Davis, Australian film director Prakash Magdum, NFDC MD.

Guest of Honour Ms. Jaewon Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, applauded the organisers for their commitment and consistency since the first edition of the festival. Expressing hopes for active collaboration between India and Korea, she also delivered a soulful rendition of  India’s national song Vande Mataram, drawing warm applause and standing ovation from the audience.