15 projects from 6 countries showcase a diverse array of Indian and International languages
The first edition of the Doc Film Bazaar unveils the official selection of Doc Co-Production Market, to be held between June 16-18, 2024 in Mumbai.
For its inaugural edition, Doc Film Bazaar presents 15 projects as a part of the Doc Co-Production Market that bring forth a pan-global narrative with a focus on the South Asian diaspora. The line-up represents a rich tapestry of narratives from across different cultures and regions originating from various countries, including India, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Switzerland and Nepal. The selected filmmakers will be pitching their projects to International and Indian producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers and sales agents at the Open Pitch. These projects will also get an opportunity to have One-to-One meetings with the guests and delegates.
Shri. Prithul Kumar – Festival Director, MIFF & Doc Film Bazaar, Joint Secretary & MD, NFDC said that “One of the Doc Film Bazaar’s most significant sections, the Doc Co-Production Market, provides funding and support for carefully selected projects. We received 62 concepts in 27 languages from 10 countries for the first Doc Co-Production Market at Doc Film Bazaar. Committee members from the film industry critically examined and selected 15 projects. We wish the chosen filmmakers all the best and hope that the right co-production partners will locate the projects, enabling them to successfully finish their artistic journeys”
The selected projects for Doc Co-Production Market 2024 are –
1 – Aravan Kooth- Performance of Life | India | English
Producer : Dr. Anupama K P – Anupama K P currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the department of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Calicut. She obtained her PhD in 2020 from the department of Communication at Hyderabad Central University, India. She has done her PhD on Aravan Festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India, and the inspiration for the current documentary stems out of this PhD research. She has also produced a Malayalam short fiction titled ‘Second Prize’ (Randam Sammanam).
Director : Sreeraj Rajeev S – Sreeraj Rajeev S is a writer hailing from Kerala and an alumnus of the Department of Feature Film Screenplay Writing at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Sreeraj serves as both the writer and director of ‘Randaam Sammanam/Second Prize,’ a Malayalam short film that premiered at the 11th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, 2018 (IDSFFK), and has been screened at various Film Festivals. During his stint with FTII, Pune, he won the Inlaks Foundation scholarship for Screenplay Writing in 2017. He is the co-writer of the National Award-winning (2016) short film ‘Kamuki/Sweetheart,’ directed by Christo Tomy and produced by SRFTI, Kolkata. His debut Malayalam novel, ‘Chillukannu’ (Glass Eye), was published in 2022 by H&C Publication, a prominent Malayalam publishing house, as part of their 75th-anniversary celebrations. He began his career as a broadcast journalist at Indiavision Satellite Communication, one of the pioneer news channels in Malayalam
2 – Bhaichung – The Story Of India’s Football Legend | India | Aboriginal,English, Hindi,Nepali
Producer : Anadi Athaley & Arffi Laamba
Anadi Athaley graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India specialising in Film Editing in 2014. Right after the film school, he began producing films as part of a film collective, HumanTrail Pictures. He has been involved with non-fiction and fiction films and exploring the medium of film making through various forms and narratives. His first film as a producer, ‘Mor Mann Ke Bharam’ won the Jury special prize at the 17th Mumbai Film Festival. His second film, ‘Ralang Road’ premiered at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, as part of the main competition. His latest short film as a co-producer, ‘The First Film’, premiered recently at BogoShorts Film Festival, Colombia. Currently he is working on various films, in the capacity of a producer and editor.
Arffi Laamba is the co-founder of Bombay Berlin Film productions (BBFP) which is based out of Mumbai and Berlin. BBFP started its journey in 2011 and they have produced/co-produced three feature films, line produced for a host of European TV Channels in India and Germany, and produced some short films and advertisements until now. Their first feature LOEV (Tallinn Black Nights, SxSw, BFI Flare, Netflix) has completed a 5 year licensing deal with Netflix. Their second Feature was The Road To Mandalay (Venice, TIFF, BFI, Tokyo), by Midi Z, where they were the German Co-Producers, released in 30+ countries. Next was Akshay Indikar’s debut, Trijya (Shanghai International Film festival, Tallinn Black Nights, 3 ANTA nominations, National and State Award for Sound Design) which is on MUBI right now.”
Director : Karma Takapa – Karma Takapa graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, specializing in Direction and Screenplay writing. He co-directed the Chhattisgarhi language feature ‘Mor Mann Ke Bharam’ (2015) that premiered at the 17th MAMI, 2015 winning the Special Jury Prize. His debut film as a director, Ralang Road (2017), premiered in the main competition at 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF in Czech Republic and went on to several festivals around the globe. His earlier films include a series of short fiction and documentary films, experimenting with narrative forms and exploring spaces, including his hometown in the state of Sikkim. His next film, Upar Neeche, starring Sayani Gupta and Shubham is currently in Post Production. He recently portrayed the lead character of Dev in the Amazon Prime series, The Last Hour, directed by Amit Kumar. He also portrays the character of Sundar in Netflix’s film Jaane Jaan (2023), directed by Sujoy Ghosh.
3 – Bhalu Aa Gaye | India | Chhattisgarhi, English , Hindi
Producer : Agastya Bhatia – Agastya has been working as a Producer in Mumbai, India for the last eight years. He has conceptualised & produced various projects with a diverse set of production houses. His experiences as an independent filmmaker have provided him with an in-depth understanding of managing projects from seed to execution, giving him a front-row seat to understanding how to create content pieces, and manage and develop teams. This has led to collaborations with companies with global outreach like Meta, Vice Media, Google, Viacom 18, Conde Nast Traveller, L’Oreal, etc. Agastya has been passionate about creating non-fiction stories that directly impact conversations and policies in the region. This has resulted in a decade-long partnership with a peace-building organisation in the region of Jammu and Kashmir called “Yakjah” to help transform the youth from active participation in violent radicalisation to developing practices through the medium of storytelling, healing, and dialogue between communities.
Director : Naman Saraiya – Exploring the intersections of culture and identity, Saraiya’s work moves across music, gender, mental health, politics, caste and class, technology and food. He is the director of ‘Kya Bolta Bantai’, which charts the rise of gully rap in India and a feature length exploration of India’s gun culture, part of a pan-Asia series for VICE World News, titled ‘Point Blank.’ Most recently, Naman
directed ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’ for Discovery+, an award-winning 3 part docu-series investigating the crimes of Swami Nithyananda. Naman’s documentaries and photo work have been shown at various festivals across India and the world. His recent work, ‘this is a photo dump,’ created alongside Nikita Rana, was commissioned by St+art India Foundation for the Mumbai Urban Art Festival 2022-23. As a producer, his debut ‘Goodbye, Hello’ has screened and won numerous accolades at film festivals across the world, and had its Asia Premiere at MAMI 2023.
4 – Himalaya Ki Peeth Par | India | Garhwali, Hindi, Kumaoni
Director & Producer : Arun Fulara – Arun Fulara is a writer and filmmaker based out of Mumbai, India. His short films SUNDAY (2020), MY MOTHER’S GIRLFRIEND (2021), and SHERA (2022) have traveled widely to festivals around the world and won multiple awards at festivals including at Kashish MIQFF in 2020, REELING: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (2021), International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (2021). He’s currently working on his debut feature film – MY HOME IS IN THE HILLS – a coming-of-age drama set in a north Indian Himalayan village, and steeped in magical realism in the context of migration. His documentary ‘WALDEN’, on an old couple living in a remote Himalayan village, tending to their orchard as they survive a harsh winter, is currently in post-production. He’s previously assisted acclaimed filmmaker Devashish Makhija on award winning films like AJJI & BHONSLE, which played at festivals in Busan, Rotterdam, Tallinn, and Gothenburg.
5 – Kalari | India, Switzerland | Malayalam
Producer : Esther Van Messel – Born in Vienna in 1965 and raised in Switzerland, Esther van Messel studied Film & TV and History at the University of Tel Aviv. In 1990, she joined Warner Bros. Israel Distribution and soon took over the management position there. Esther van Messel founded FIRST HAND FILMS in Zurich in 1998 and in Berlin in 1999. The world sales company represents around 150 hand- picked films and over 200 producers from all over the world. The company has been distributing films in Swiss cinemas since 2013 and has also acted as a producer since 2018. Esther van Messel regularly teaches workshops, moderates events and serves on juries and as a decision maker worldwide, was on the evaluation committees of the ÖFI for three years and the BAK for four years and will be on the jury of the European Film Award in 2023, where she is an appointed member.
Director : Satindar Singh Bedi & Maria Kaur Bedi
Satindar Singh Bedi, born in India, is a film director and author. He shuttles between Switzerland and India since January 2022. After working in the financial sector, he turned to film making in 2008. He completed his training at the renowned Film and Television Institute of India (FTII,Pune) in 2015. His medium-length film KAMAKSHI premiered at the Berlinale, was shown at 40 festivals around the world and won 20 awards. He also took part in the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab in 2016 and the Zurich Film Festival Master Class in 2019. Together with Maria Kaur Bedi, he shot the poetic documentary THE CURSE in 2022, which was nominated for the Prix de Soleure and the German Camera Award and won the Zurich Film Award 2023 for the artistic concept.
Maria Kaur Bedi (formerly Maria Sigrist) is a Swiss film director with a focus on film projects with inspiring heroines. After studying film directing at the Zurich University of the Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design (USA), she continued her education through workshops with experienced industry veterans such as Susan Batson, Slawomir Idziak and Judith Weston. Maria Kaur Bedi has worked in Switzerland, Germany, Poland and the USA and has achieved international festival success with short films such as Goodbye Boyfriend, Girl and Boy on the Rocks! and Beatrix. Her highly acclaimed television film Die Einzigen was broadcast several times on SRF 2 during prime time. Her poetic cinema documentary The Curse (2022) about addiction and love was nominated for the Prix de Soleure and the German Camera Award and won the Zurich Film Award 2023 for the artistic concept.
6 – Lam Houdong (Animation) | India | Manipuri
Producer : Kongbrailatpam Yasobanta Sharma – Kongbrailatpam Yasobanta Sharma, from Imphal, Manipur, is a versatile filmmaker excelling in sound design, film editing, cinematography, directing, and scriptwriting. With a foundation in mass communication and journalism, he furthered his skills at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. Yasobanta’s portfolio includes acclaimed works like “Jo Bhi Ho Soho” and “Community On Wheel,” showcasing his diverse storytelling abilities. Notably, his Malayalam short film “Ninachillakalil” won at the Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival. Additionally, Yasobanta’s co -production with Blow Brisas Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd for an NFDC-funded short animation film is nearing completion this April. Through his creativity and entrepreneurship, Yasobanta Sharma continues to make waves in Indian cinema, inspiring change and unity with his impactful storytelling.
Director : Trishul Yumnam Trishul Yumnam, from Imphal, Manipur, a filmmaker in animation, direction, and scriptwriting, with additional knowledge of Graphic design and 3D animation. Graduated from The English and Foreign Languages University, Shillong, and furthered his skills at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. His interests in storytelling stems from the stories from his childhood and Video Games. Currently, he is directing a short animation film under production by NFDC, and still working on new ideas and stories for more films. Recently, he was amongst the first batch of north east students, who completed training in 3D animation, conducted by
NFDC and had won many “student of the month” awards under guidance of MAAC, Rajouri Delhi. As a filmmaker and a storyteller, he aspires to tell new and original stories inspired from life itself and does not shy away from utilizing any modern medium and format available.
7 – Legend of Abbakka | India | English ,Kannada
Producer : Satavesha Bose – Satavesha Bose is a Writer-Director-Producer leveraging her expertise in storytelling and visual communication breathing life into impactful and meaningful narratives and re-defining ‘female defiance’ across various genres. With an extensive experience at Red Ice Films, Rising Sun Films, Film Philosophy and Vibrant Works, Satavesha Bose has successfully produced numerous ads, corporate films and music videos for Coca Cola, Hyundai, Unilever, Samsung, Domino’s Pizza, Cadbury’s, Marico, Dabur, Metro shoes, Tata Steel, IBM London, MTV & Viacom among others. Mohaan Nadaar has produced 50 films over the last 6 years with TPHQ (The Production Headquarters Limited) with offices in London Asia and Europe. From contributing to the production of high-grossing Bollywood films, Mohaan Naadar has been an influence in mainstream cinema, executing and distributing blockbusters, and curating his own array of independent and regional language films. His latest project ‘Lioness’ is the first official Indo-UK co -production, made under the bilateral treaty.
Director : Cyrus Khambata – Cyrus is from Mumbai. He did his B’Com at R.A. Podar College and majored in Direction & Screenplay Writing from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. Before film school, he worked for Zee Cinema where he edited more than 200 promos. His short film Chung Pao Chinese Chilli Sauce was selected at Berlinale Talent Campus and screened at MIFF. He has collaborated on documentaries like PSBT sponsored, Mysore Mallige & Coca Cola funded Water Project. He has worked on features, Bheja Fry, Kaccha Limboo and Mithya with directors Sagar Ballary and Rajat Kapoor. He has co-written, co-directed, co-produced and edited feature film Yahaan Sabki Lagi Hai, released 2015. At Vibrant Works, he has been instrumental in directing and producing numerous films, for clients such as Viacom, Parle, Pidilite, Cadbury’s, Coca Cola, Harper Collins, Raymond Group, Tata Vistara, Nalli, Harper-Collins, and O&M, BBDO, Coca-Cola & HAQ Holdings.
8 – Lhasa Ma Soon Chha | India,Nepal, English ,Nepali,Tibetan Producer : Surbhi Dewan & Jasmine Lovely George
Surbhi Dewan is an independent film director, writer & producer. Her films explore intersections between socio-political conflict, displacement, memory and identity. Her notable films include A THIN WALL (65 mins, Doc, 2015), Daughter of Nepal (34 mins, Doc, 2018) and Trans Kashmir (62 mins, Doc, 2022). Surbhi has also produced award-winning social and commercial audio-visual content with her New Delhi-based production company, Painted Tree Pictures. She is an organising member at Video Consortium, New Delhi Chapter. She is also a member of Bitchitra Collective and the International Association of Women in Radio & Television, India chapter. Surbhi graduated with an MFA in Film from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, and received her BA degree in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.
Jasmine Lovely George is a feminist strategist working in south and south east Asia for the last 10 years. She founded Hidden Pockets Collective – an NGO focussed on reproductive and technological justice. She wants to raise funds and create financial infrastructures for social movements in global south
9 – Music From the Roof of the World | India, United Kingdom, USA | English, Hindi, Nepali, Tibetan
Director & Producer : Prachi Hota – Prachi Hota is a recent graduate of the London Film School (LFS), where she specialized in production, documentary direction, sound recording and editing under the mentorship of Oscar and BAFTA winning filmmakers. Since graduating from LFS, she has produced commercials for several British startups, managed games and film festivals in collaboration with the British Film Institute (BFI) and produced films in Italy, Czech Republic, France, UK and India. Her graduation film Past Imperfect, a short documentary about Richard Twose, an award-winning British painter who used his art to process his traumatic childhood was recently screened at the BFI for members of the British film industry.
10 – Romancing the Dance | India,Russia | English ,Russian
Producer : Anastasiia Voskresenskaia – More than 20 years of experience in the field of producing and PR promotion, including the last 5 years as a PR specialist in the film industry. Organization of more than 20 projects, including: producing and PR support for the national distribution of films “Holy Archipelago” (2023), “Celestial Tavrida” (2022), the Documentary Screen Festival for young creative professionals (2020), the organization of PR support for the participation of the Two Captains film company in major international and Russian film festivals, including: the Moscow International Film Festival (2022, 2020), Indian Film Bazaar (2023). As a result of the this work is a successful theatrical releases of documentary films, more than 3,500 news, TV reports and interviews were published, as well as reviews by leading film critics and film experts. The projects have received wide coverage on social networks.
Director : Sergei Debizhev – Award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter and social influencer. He is a trailblazer of the film style that creates poetic images of extraordinary emotional impact alongside with profound meanings for global audiences. Debizhev is prominent in the cinematic world as one of the most authoritative documentary directors of Russia. He has directed more than 30 feature films and documentary stories on key issues of modern times. Many of them were awarded prizes and diplomas of prestigious domestic and international film festivals. The Celestial Tavrida which is also on his list of masterpieces was shortlisted for 27th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards as the Best foreign film and 11th China Academy Awards of Documentary Film for Best editing.
11 – The Valley of Health | India | English , Rajasthani, Tamil
Director & Producer : Sankara Narayanan Krishnan – Sankara Narayanan is a former corporate professional who after years of working in a corporate landscape and probably a quarter life crisis embraced his true calling of filmmaking. Encouraged by his wife’s support, he began the journey to realise his filmmaking dreams. Sankara’s journey includes experiences as an assistant director to acclaimed filmmakers in notable Hindi and Malayalam feature films; collaborating with eminent directors such as Madhumita, Deven Munjal, and Ajay Govind. Furthermore, he also works extensively as a screenwriter. He has had experience in directing short films in the past, and is currently working on his feature film debut.
12 – Through a Broken glass | India | English
Director & Producer : Madhu Mahankali – Madhu Mahankali is a graduate from Film & Television Institute of India, Pune holding a Diploma in Cinematography. Madhu has worked as the Director of photography for 15 feature films, in various Indian languages. Directed a short film ‘The Journey’ that had participated at many International film festivals in 2007 like SHORT FILM CORNER at CANNES , Winning the Best Director award at HYDERABAD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & Special Jury award at FESTIVAL DU CINEMA DE PARIS Produced and directed a feature film
‘PARAMPARA’ (Regime) which was released 2014, screened at many International film festivals and won the platinum award at International movie awards, Indonesia in 2014. My project in development titled ‘SOLITUDE’ was selected for the Hongkong Asia film finance forum in 2016 (HAF-2016) where Madhu also participated as the Producer -Director.
13 – TRAPPED | India | English, Hindi
Producer : Arya Menon – Arya is a Producer based in Mumbai, known for Hardik Mehta’s documentary ‘Famous In Ahmedabad’ which won best non-feature film at the National Awards (India) in 2015. She was Series Producer on India’s first Netflix show ‘Sacred Games’ S01 & S02 and ‘Decoupled’ S01. She was Director’s Assistant to Vikramaditya Motwane on the feature ‘AK vs AK’ and is Producer on a yet to be released feature, ‘Control’ (2024). Other credits include ‘Wade,’ an animated short film about climate change by Upamanyu Bhattacharyya and Kalp Sanghvi, ‘I See You’ a short film by Manjari Makijany (American Film Institute – Directors Workshop For Women).
Director : Ajitesh Sharma – Breaking new ground, Ajitesh transitioned to directing with the widely acclaimed Facebook original series, “Homespun.” This documentary series shed light on the skilled artisans of Uttarakhand, capturing the cultural tapestry of the region and was acquired by Google Arts and Museum. His directorial prowess continues to shine with the critically acclaimed documentary film, “WOMB – Women of my billion.” It follows the journey of a woman walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, aiming to confront and understand the pervasive issue of violence against women in India. Produced by Awedacious Originals and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, WOMB is to release shortly on Amazon Prime. Ajitesh has also directed a documentary film for Warner Bros. Discovery titled “Divine Trails” about the temples of Uttarakhand. This poignant documentary, nominated at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2023, showcases his ability to bring compelling narratives to life on the screen.
14 – Umbrellas of the Acrobats | India,USA | Tamil
Producer : Saunak Sur – Shaunak, an alumnus of SRFTI, has a diverse background in film production, which includes experience in independent feature films, AD films and documentary programs. As Producer at Raging Films, he is currently CoProducing three Feature length films meant for an International audience.
Director : Mukesh Subramaniam – Mukesh Subramaniam, co-founder of Potato Eaters Collective, is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter based in Chennai, India. Currently, Mukesh is in the process of making his first-feature documentary titled ‘Umbrellas of the Acrobats,’ which is in the production stage. Recently, it received acclaim at the 2024 DocEdgeKolkata Asian Forum for Documentary, winning the prestigious DocEdge Lumiere Award as a promising first-time filmmaker and the Dhaka DocLab Award. Additionally, this documentary project was selected for the Let’sdoc Fellowship Programme in ’23. His translation work was published based on Arthur C. Clarke’s sci-fi short story at the Chennai Book Fair, 2023. His first feature screenplay, ‘Philomi,’ adapted from Vannanilavan’s acclaimed Tamil modern classic novel ‘Kadalpurathil,’ was shortlisted in NFDC Co-production market in 2021.
15 – Whispers of the Desert Wind | India | Hindi
Producer : Kavita Bahl – Kavita – a multiple award-winning independent filmmaker was nominated for the prestigious ‘Chicken & Egg Award’ (USA) in 2022. Her 6-year stint with Indian Express – India’s leading news daily, and two years of reporting from the insurgency-torn north-east India helped her readjust her lens. In 1996, she co-founded Top Quark Films with Nandan Saxena. Their films are a rich tapestry of the lives of the people living on the margins. Kavita has thrice received the National Film Award for the trilogy of films celebrating the grit of people caught in the vortex of insurmountable circumstances. Kavita researches, films, directs and is the producer for most of our films. She has twice been on the jury of the International Film Festival of India and once at Trento Film Festival – Italy. She is also a TEDx speaker. Passionate about skill-sharing, Kavita and Nandan set up ‘Quark Workshops’ in 2007.
Director : Nandan Saxena – Nandan Saxena is an award-winning independent film-maker and DoP with over 40 films to his credit. Besides other awards, he has thrice been conferred the National Film Award by the President of India. Nandan has worked as a Director / DoP / Cinematographer for Documentaries and Reality-based programming for Broadcasters like Al Jazeera, BBC World Service, Doordarshan, Zee. His films are poignant portraits of these times, often blurring the thin line between documentary and cinema. In 1996, he teamed with Kavita to form Top Quark Films. They have produced award-winning and sensitive films that have catalyzed social change and policy reform – made people laugh and cry in equal measure. Nandan actively mentors filmmakers and cinematographers from the skill-sharing platform Quark Workshops he and Kavita set up in 2007. He has taught Photography and Video- Production at Central University of Rajasthan. He is also an avid photographer and a TEDx speaker.
