The Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) announces the selection of 22 Market projects as part of CinéV-CHD which will take place from March 20-23, 2025, alongside the festival.

The carefully curated selection features an eclectic mix of films from creators who have made significant contributions to the Indian film industry. The projects span a diverse array of languages, including Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada.

CinéV Market has also partnered with the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) to introduce CinéV-IFFLA, a collaboration designed to integrate South Asian projects from Cinevesture into IFFLA’s Industry Days program. Scheduled for May 6-10, 2025, IFFLA’s Industry Days will provide opportunities for South Asian filmmakers to connect with Hollywood producers through pitch competitions, panels, masterclasses, and networking events.

This year’s selection features 22 films, offering a diverse mix of genres, languages, and stories. The selection includes projects by established names like Vikramaditya Motwane, Hansal Mehta, Honey Trehan, Richa Chadha, Jeo Baby, Manju Warrier and Prasanna Vithanage. 12 out of 22 are women-oriented projects including films by Radhika Apte, Nandita Das, Shonali Bose, and Kani Kusruti. The lineup includes two projects based in Punjab, Honey Trehan’s The Blade Runner and Shashank Walia’s Hanere De Panchhi and a project by Punjabi filmmaker of Tabbar fame, Ajitpal Singh’s next feature Marx and Lenin.The line up includes 21 live-action features and an animation anthology Table for One produced by Little Things actor Dhruv Sehgal.

CinéV-CHD marks the first in a series of planned film markets aimed at bridging the gap between filmmakers, investors, and distributors. This initiative is the vision of Nina Lath, Founder & CEO of Cinevesture Pvt. Ltd.

Namrata Joshi, Curator Project Market says, “It was extremely heartening to find submissions growing exponentially from last year, both in number and quality. It has meant that we have been able to showcase a very rich platter of unique, compelling and engaging stories–from a mind-bending thriller to sweeping romance, from psychological drama to an animation series spun on food and an absurd comedy and a cross-border adventure. We even have two outstanding projects, meant for adults, where children are the real heroes. In a nutshell, lots to bet your money on.”

Founder & CEO, Cinevesture Nina Lath Gupta says, “Investing in a film and putting it out there in the market is akin to investing in a startup with a quick turnaround and exit strategy. We hope that this curation will mark the beginning of instilling investor confidence in the production of films as part of their diversification portfolios.”
CinéV Film Markets
CinéV is a series of market-driven platforms connecting investors with curated, pre-vetted film projects. It fosters cross-industry investment opportunities, bringing compelling stories to life with strong execution teams. The inaugural CinéV-CHD will take place at Hyatt Centric, Chandigarh, on March 20-23, 2025, alongside CIFF 2025. The next edition, CinéV-IFFLA, will follow in Los Angeles, May 2025.

https://cinev.in/

Cinévesture International Film Festival (CIFF) is building a wider film culture in cities with an appetite for cinema viewing and for investing in the business and creative aspects of filmic content. Chandigarh, situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India, is India’s first planned city designed by the renowned architect, town planner and artist La Corbusier. Chandigarh’s inherent understanding of art and design has been a thriving springboard for the first and second editions of CIFF. CIFF’s first edition, held from March 27-31, 2024, was a great success with a footfall of over 1000 delegates. For more details about the first edition.
CINEV-CHD Selected Projects
Projects include The Blade Runner by Honet Trehan,

1. Film title: The Blade Runner
Director: Honey Trehan
Producer: Varun Bajaj, Chirag Bajaj, Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey
Genre: Biography, Drama
Language: Hindi, Punjabi
Logline: War hero D.P. Singh defies death and systemic injustice, finding redemption and respect as India’s first Blade Runner, inspiring others through his relentless pursuit of justice and life.
Bios:
Honey Trehan, based in Mumbai, is a renowned film producer and director with extensive contributions as a casting director in the Indian film industry. His casting repertoire includes acclaimed films like Sonchiriya, Delhi Belly, Udta Punjab, Dedh Ishqiya, Detective Byomkesh Bakshi, Chittagong, and Beyond the Clouds. His pivotal collaboration with Vishal Bhardwaj in Mumbai led to notable works like Maqbool, The Blue Umbrella, Omkara, and Kaminey. In 2016, Trehan co-founded MacGuffin Pictures with Abhishek Chaubey. Their inaugural production, A Death in the Gunj, directed by Konkona Sensharma, garnered widespread acclaim. Trehan’s directorial debut, Raat Akeli Hai, released in 2020 as a Netflix Original.
Varun and Chirag Bajaj produce under the banners ‘Knight Sky Movies’ and Reel Euphoria’ respectively. Their recent release is Mrs. Undercover starring Radhika Apte on Zee5.
Abhishek Chaubey started as an associate director and co-writer, contributing to films like ‘‘Omkara’ (2006), and ‘Kaminey’ (2009). He made his directorial debut with the dark comedy ‘Ishqiya’ (2010), followed by ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ (2014), both of which received critical acclaim. His 2016 film ‘Udta Punjab’ explored the drug crisis in Punjab and was lauded for its bold storytelling. As producer, he co-founded Macguffin Pictures with Honey Trehan. Chaubey has continued to innovate, producing and directing the Netflix series ‘Killer Soup’ (2024), and producing Monsoon Walk (Short Film/2024) and Malayalam film ‘Ullozhukku’ (2024) amongst others.

2. Film title: Chronicles of a confession
Director: Prateek Vats
Producer: Ranjan Singh
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu
Logline: A young shawl seller’s confession to a crime he didn’t commit spurs an investigation revealing truths as absurd as everyday life in Kashmir.
Bios:
Prateek is an independent filmmaker based in Mumbai, India. A graduate in Film Direction from FTII, Pune, he has directed both fiction and non-fiction movies. His debut feature, Eeb Allay Ooo!, supported by the NFDC Film Bazaar and PJLF Arts Fund (Paris), was showcased at film festivals across the world, including the Panorama Section of the Berlin International Film Festival 2020, before being released theatrically in India and Singapore. The film was awarded the Best Film (Critics) at the Filmfare Awards 2021, and Best Film & Best Director at India’s Critics’ Choice Awards 2021. His documentary, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, received the Special Jury Award at the 65th National Film Awards. An alumnus of the BAFTA Breakthrough India program, he produced and directed a short film which was part of a program between Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) and Apple.
Ranjan Singh is an independent producer, marketer and distributor of films. Over the last two decades he has produced content and handled Marketing and PR for leading entertainment brands like Phantom Films, PVR Pictures, INOX. He has co-produced some of the most path-breaking Indian films like Masaan, Queen, NH10, Udta Punjab, among others, in addition to handling the release of acclaimed documentaries and independent films as a Marketing-cum-Distribution consultant. His last feature, Kennedy (Dir. Anurag Kashyap) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2023. Same year he incorporated Flip Films, a film production company with a focus on independent voices across multiple Indian languages. The company’s first feature, Tiger’s Pond (Dir. Natesh Hegde) opened at Berlinale 2025 (Forum).
The film is backed by Anurag Kashyap and Payal Kapadia.

3. Film title: Avi & Smi (Working Title)
Director: Nandita Das
Producer: Nandita Das
Genre: Drama
Language: English, Hindi
Logline: After 6 months of separation, Avi and Smi revisit their 16-year marriage over a day and night – what held them together, what drove them apart. Will they find closure?
Bio:
Nandita Das has acted in more than 40 feature films (Fire, Earth, Bawandar) with eminent filmmakers in 10 different languages. She made her directorial debut in 2008 with Firaaq which received many accolades and appreciation, both in India and abroad. In 2011, she was conferred the ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ by the French Government. In 2016, she founded Nandita Das Initiatives (NDI), a creative platform which co-produced her feature films Manto and Zwigato.
4. Film title: Beyond The Border Lines
Director: Bijukumar Damodaran
Producer: Manju Warrier
Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
Language: Chinese, English, Hindi, Malayalam
Logline: An archaeology team stranded at the Indo-China border negotiates a tough journey back home.
Bios:
Dr. Biju is a three-time National Award-winning filmmaker and one of the most influential contemporary voices in Indian cinema. His debut film, Saira, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 under the “Cinema of the World” section. His films showcased at many prestigious international film festivals, winning several accolades, including the Golden Goblet Award for Best Artistic Achievement at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2019. His films screened at major festivals such as Cannes, Montreal, Shanghai, Telluride, Moscow, Chicago, Cairo, Jeonju, Tallinn etc. Dr. Biju has served on the jury of several renowned film festivals worldwide.
Manju Warrier is an Indian actress, who works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. She is one of the highest paid South Indian actresses and completed more than 50 movies. She is a recipient of a National Film Award and a Kerala State Film Award. Movie Bucket is the name of her production house.
5. Film title: Black Mountain Monpa
Director: Shonali Bose
Producer: Anshulika Dubey
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi, Marathi
Logline: A linguist sent to propagate Hindi in Arunachal Pradesh tries to “save” an endangered language by coaxing two enemies to speak. A sudden death makes him realize language is not power but memory, identity, belonging.
Bios:
Shonali Bose has directed three acclaimed feature films – Amu, Margarita with a Straw, and The Sky is Pink, which have won major international awards and screened at prestigious festivals like Berlinale and TIFF. Her short film Raat Rani opened Modern Love Mumbai for Amazon Prime. Her documentary film A Fly on the Wall is screening worldwide to critical acclaim. Shonali is the Lead Director of Ziddi Girls, a new series releasing on Amazon Prime in February 2025. She is currently in prep for a comedy feature film with an A-list star.
Anshulika launched India’s first crowdfunding platform for creative artists called Wishberry. She has produced 8 regional Indian films. Her debut film ‘Aamis’ directed by Bhaskar Hazarika premiered at Tribeca in 2019 and then ‘Once Upon a Time in Calcutta’ directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta premiered at Venice Orrizonti in 2020. She has also produced ‘Mandela’, directed by Madonne Ashwin, which won a National Award and was also selected among India’s Oscar shortlist. Her films have traveled to prestigious international festivals like Venice, Tribeca, El Gouna, Calgary, Giffoni and many international Indian and South Asian Film Festivals and can be watched on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Mubi and Sony Liv.
6. Film title: Friends and Fascism
Director: Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy
Producer: Aishwarya Sonar, Shuchi Dwivedi (Co-producer)
Genre: Comedy
Language: English, Hindi
Logline: In an all-girls Catholic boarding school in India, a know-it-all Rinky is desperate to become the School Captain. Her dreams are disrupted by an election when she’s forced to compete against her former best friend.
Bios:
Sindhu is a writer, director, and actor from Bengaluru, India. A 2024 BAFTA Breakthrough Fellow, she began her theatre journey at the age of 16. Sindhu made her debut in film with BRAHMAN NAMAN, a Netflix Original that premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. She also directed and narrated JEEVALAHARI, a pandemic-shot documentary series for Doordarshan. Currently, she is working on 13 DAYS, her next Kannada feature, which won the SWA Script Lab 2022 and was selected for the South Bridge accelerator by The Storiculture Company. A passionate storyteller, Sindhu attended the AIB First Draft workshop, mentored by Satyanshu Singh, where she developed her first screenplay, AACHAR & CO. After directing a proof of concept, PRK Productions expanded it into a full-length feature. Released in July 2023, Aachar & Co. is the first Kannada film led by female technicians advocating for equal pay and opportunities for the crew.
Aishwarya Sonar, a producer from Pune, India, specializes in US projects centered on identity, humanity, and joy. A UCLA film graduate and a Film Independent Fellow, she has worked with Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Pictures. Sonar co-produced the features CHITRAKUT and NORMAL, available on Jio and Prime Video. She is currently in post-production on MEMENTO MORI, starring Amita Suman, and developing the podcast SHE SAYS SHE’S FINE into a series. Recent projects include HAPPY RAKHI, co-produced with CAPE and Janet Yang’s prod-co, which premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest, and HEMA, starring Rajshri Deshpande, which won the Audience Choice Award at IFFLA. Sonar was selected for Film London’s Production Finance Market, Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market in 2022, and The Blackmagic Collective for the Producers Lab ‘23. Inspired by the women around her, Sonar’s production company, Lambe Log, reflects these influences in the stories it tells.
Shuchi Dwivedi is a history major, criminal lawyer, and screenwriting graduate from the American Film Institute Conservatory. She is a WINNER of the IFFLA Launchpad Pitch Competition for her script FRIENDS AND FASCISM, which was also shortlisted for Cannes W Scripted and was a semi-finalist for the Emerging Comedy Writers Award. She is a recipient of two prestigious scholarships: an American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship and an AFI scholarship. An alumnus of the Rickshaw Mentorship Program for South Asian Writers, and is currently writing and producing a documentary on caste and education. In 2022, Dwivedi completed co-writing her first feature film, which was commissioned by Kunal Kapoor Productions in India. She has previously worked as a writers assistant on an adaptation of an Emmy Award-winning French comedy-drama series, now airing on Netflix India as CALL MY AGENT BOLLYWOOD EDITION. As an artist, she is drawn to the female experience and the absurdities of modern-day life. She believes laughter is an antidote to fear and aspires to create a braver world through her stories.
7. Film title: Guptam (The Last of Them Plagues)
Director: Kunjila Mascillamani
Producer: Jeo Baby, Kani Kusruti (co-producer), Pushing Buttons Studios (co-producer)
Genre: Drama
Language: Malayalam
Logline: When her daughter disappears in a graveyard, a single mother moves to a conservative rural town in Thrissur, Keralam. As disasters follow, she must prove to the locals that she isn’t causing God’s wrath.
Bios:
Jeo Baby is a writer, director, actor, and producer from Kottayam, Keralam. His notable works include The Great Indian Kitchen, Freedom Fight, Kaathal – The Core.
Kunjila Mascillamani is a writer-director from Keralam with a PG Diploma from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) (2017). Her graduation film ‘Gi’, starring Kani Kusruti, had a successful festival run including selection in IFFI, Goa (Indian Panorama). She debuted on OTT platforms with ‘Asanghadithar’ (The Unorganised) in ‘Freedom Fight’. Her project ‘Guptam’ with Jeo Baby and Kani Kusruti as producers was in NFDC Co-Production Market, 2024. It is set to be her debut feature.
Kani Kusruti is an acclaimed actor from Keralam. A trained theatre artist, she won the Keralam State Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Biriyani. Kusruti gained international recognition with her performance in Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024. She trained in theatre at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, France, the Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre, Trivandrum, and the School of Drama, Thrissur, Keralam. She has starred in several Malayalam films, including ‘Urumi’, ‘Shikkar’, and ‘Cocktail’, as well as web series like ‘Poacher’, ‘Killer Soup’, ‘Maharani’, ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoons’, and ‘OK Computer’. A versatile performer, she has also starred in independent films like ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ by Shuchi Talati, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Founded by actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, Pushing Buttons Studios’ debut production Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2024.
8. Film title: Ghol (The Catch)
Director: Rishi Chandna
Producer: Rishi Chandna
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: Gujarati, Hindi
Logline: A struggling fisherman, yearning for a better life, sees a glimmer of hope in a rare, valuable catch. But life, with its usual sense of irony, has other plans.
Bio:
Rishi Chandna’s debut short documentary TUNGRUS was shown at Hot Docs, Visions Du Reel, BFI London Film Festival, IDFA and Oscar-qualified after winning at Slamdance Film Festival. It also won Best Non-Fiction, Best Director & Best Editor at the 2019 Critics’ Choice Short Film Awards, India. Tungrus released on New York Times’ OP-DOCS, PBS & Criterion. His second short documentary, PARTY POSTER, showed at Palm Springs, Krakow Film Festival, DocAviv, Glasgow Short Film Festival and also launched on OP-DOCS. His first short fiction film, The Feast (‘Virundhu’ in Tamil) won the Special Jury Award at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in February 2024. Rishi’s feature fiction film in development, GHOL/THE CATCH, has been at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Cannes Film Market, NFDC co-production market and Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum where it won the top HAF Fiction Award for a non – Hong Kong project.
9. Film title: Hanere De Panchi (Birds in the Dark)
Director: Shashank Walia
Producer: Hansal Mehta, Sahil Saigal, Reema Kaur
Co-Producers: Mauli Singh, Gagan Deep Kaur
Genre: Drama
Language: Punjabi, Urdu, Kashmiri
Logline: A disillusioned police agent and a wrongly accused man find unexpected love. Reunited in a caste-divided village, their bond navigates an unresolved past while forging new solidarities amidst a rising farm revolution.
Bios:
Shashank Walia is a cinematography alumnus from FTII and AJK MCRC. His debut short fiction ‘In the Month of Love’ was in competition at the 49th International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The film also had its premiere at international festivals of Kyiv, St. Petersburg and Mumbai. He was commissioned for an essay film titled ‘Somewhere Nowhere,’ by Public Service Broadcasting Trust, India, which was an official selection at various festivals. He was awarded for best cinematography for his graduation film ‘The Spaceship’ (2016). He has also shot films for international broadcasters (NHK Japan), Netflix and other international production agencies. He is currently working on his debut feature film Birds in the Dark in Punjabi/Urdu as a writer and director.
Hansal Mehta is an Indian filmmaker known for directing films such as Shahid (2012), CityLights (2014), Aligarh (2015), Omerta (2017), and Faraaz (2023), each of which premiered at prestigious festivals in Toronto, Busan, and London. His recent film, The Buckingham Murders had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2023 and was subsequently the opening film at the 2023 JioMAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Most recently, Mehta has been engaged in creating and directing an eight-part biopic on M K Gandhi. He has made significant strides in longform storytelling with Scam 1992 and continued this success with Scoop, a Netflix series that garnered unanimous acclaim and numerous awards.
Sahil Saigal’s entry into filmmaking began six years ago with the family-backed digital series Ranjish Hi Sahi. After this initial venture, Sahil took an independent route, collaborating with acclaimed director Hansal Mehta on significant projects like Faraaz and The Buckingham Murders. He’s co-founder of the production house, True Story Films.
Reema Kaur is a producer/editor based out of New Delhi/Chandigarh. Reema co-founded an art collective ‘Two Black Squares Media’ in 2018. Her first production, short narrative ‘In the Month of Love’ (2019), made a mark at various international and domestic film festivals. Reema has also co-directed an essay film ‘Somewhere Nowhere,’ (2019) for PSBT. She has been the editor of feature-length documentary ‘Pearl of the Desert’ (2019) and a web film ‘Dharna Mana Hai’ as part of ‘Lantrani’ series on Zee5. Reema has also edited several short films, including the National Award-winning fiction Aushadh (2016).
Mauli Singh is an independent film producer and publicist with a passion for discovering and nurturing new storytellers with distinct voices. She has been associated with acclaimed films such as Titli (2014), Masaan (2015), and Newton (2017). She produced the Oberhausen winner short film Rammat Gammat (2018) and Fire In The Mountains (2021) which premiered in Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Sony LIV. She is the co-producer of Hanere De Panchi (Birds In The Dark) in which she plays one of the key characters. After a successful stint as the Creative Head at Matchbox Shots, Mauli is currently developing projects for her production house, Jugni Films LLP.

Gagan Deep Kaur is a seasoned expert in artificial intelligence, data computing, and cloud management, based out of Singapore. She has been associated with top international MNCs, contributing to cutting-edge AI solutions and scalable cloud infrastructures. Gagan Deep is now expanding her creative horizons by venturing into film production for the first time with Birds in the Dark. Passionate about storytelling, she aims to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to filmmaking, particularly by the use of new-age technology in films. She wishes to support and empower independent filmmakers from South and Southeast Asia, helping them bring their unique narratives to a global audience.
10. Film title: Ko Ko Ko
Director: Venkatesh Maha
Producer: Venkatesh Maha
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Language: Telugu
Logline: In a village where pride and prejudice hinge on victory or defeat in brutal cock-fights, a constant loser challenges the violent tradition, forcing his community to embrace compassion over competition.
Bio:
Venkatesh Maha (screen name) is a celebrated Indian filmmaker known for his work as a director, screenwriter, and producer. Hailing from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, he gained widespread acclaim with his debut film C/o Kancharapalem. The film topped IMDb’s list of highest-rated Telugu films and ranked 15th among India’s best-rated movies. It earned six Filmfare Award nominations, including Best Film and Best Director, and won the Critics’ Choice Film Award for Best Telugu Feature. His second film, Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, premiered on Netflix in 2020, earning an FC Gold from Film Companion and five SIIMA nominations. Maha also directed Finding Your Penguin for Modern Love Hyderabad on Amazon Prime.
11. Film title: Koyta (Sickle)
Director: Radhika Apte
Producer: Vikramaditya Motwane
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Language: Hindi, Marathi
Logline: When a forced medical procedure unexpectedly gives her superpowers, a young migrant sugarcane cutter incurs the wrath of the local powers as she uses her new abilities to pull her family out of debt.
Bios:
Radhika Apte is an award-winning Indian actress known for her work across films, television, and streaming platforms. She has delivered acclaimed performances in projects like Parched, Andhadhun, Sacred Games, and Lust Stories. Her role in Lust Stories earned her an International Emmy nomination for Best Actress. In 2020, Radhika made her directorial debut with the short film The Sleepwalkers, which she also wrote. The film was an official selection at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and competed for Best Midnight Shorts.
Vikramaditya Motwane is an award-winning Indian writer, director, and producer. His directorial debut Udaan was selected to compete in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Vikramaditya has since directed Lootera, Trapped, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, and AK vs AK. He is the showrunner and co-director of Sacred Games, Netflix’s first Indian original series as well as the creator and director of Jubilee on Amazon Prime. His most recent film is the screenlife thriller CTRL, and his most recent series, Black Warrant, a prison drama for Netflix, released to rave reviews in January 2025. He’s also an ex-partner at Phantom Films and has produced films like Queen, Ugly, NH10, Masaan, and Udta Punjab.
12. Film title: Marx and Lenin
Director: Ajitpal Singh
Producer: Jugni Films LLP
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller, War
Language: English, Hindi
Logline: In 2008, two ambitious friends—a journalist and a filmmaker—venture into a Maoist-controlled jungle for a career-defining story, but brutal realities force them to choose empathy over ambition, emerging as better human beings.
Bios:
Ajitpal Singh is a self-taught filmmaker living in Mumbai and BAFTA Breakthrough Talent, India 2022. His award-winning debut feature film, Fire in the Mountains, premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2021in Competition. The film streaming on Sony LIV was New York Times’ Critics Pick and was in their list of best films of 2022. Singh’s debut web series Tabbar, also streaming on Sony Liv won eight Filmfare awards and is listed as one of the best International shows of 2021 by Variety magazine. His short film Rammat Gammat won an award at the Oberhausen International Short Film festival in 2018. Ajitpal’s first screenplay was part of Sundance Screenwriters Lab 2012 where it won the Sundance Grant. He is currently working as a writer-director on a web series produced by HRX Films by Hrithik Roshan and developing a feature for Jugni Films LLP.

Jugni Films LLP
Founded by Mauli Singh and Ajitpal Singh, Jugni Films LLP is a Mumbai based production house which is born out of passion and desire to tell nuanced, authentic, coming-of-age stories and female-centric narratives.
13. Film title: Masthishka Maranam (A Frankenbiting of Simon’s Memories)
Director: KRISHAND RK
Producer: KRISHAND RK
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
Language: Malayalam
Logline: A grieving father enters a VR game that lets users experience others’ memories, only to witness an actress’s private moments—and a shocking crime—forcing him into a mind-bending, comedic thriller of capitalism, content, and digital voyeurism.
Bio:
Krishand is a National Award-winning filmmaker. His web series Utsaha Ithihasam – Saga of the Spirited (Zee5) won Best Dramedy at the Seoul Web Fest (2018). His debut feature, Vrithakrithyilulla Chathuram, competed at IFFK 2019 and won the Kerala State Award for Best Background Music. In 2021, his web series pilot People in Transaction won Best Dramedy at the Asia Web Awards. His second film, Aavasavyuham (IFFK 2022), won the FIPRESCI /NETPAC awards for Best Malayalam Film, along with multiple state and national honors, including Best Film and Best Screenplay. It was released on SonyLIV in 2022. His third film, Purushapretham (SonyLIV, 2023), received critical acclaim and a strong audience response.
14. Film title: Papita
Director: Aakash Bhatia
Producer: Richa Chadha
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Language: Hindi
Logline: Porus Bisht, a paparazzi photographer in Mumbai, dreams of becoming a revered photographer. His life takes a dramatic turn when he captures a shocking incident involving a popular celebrity.
Bios:
Aakash Bhatia is the co-founder/Director of LoudMouth. He made his Bollywood debut in 2022 with the critically acclaimed Netflix feature film, “Looop Lapeta”, produced by Ellipses Ent. and Sony Pictures. He has also directed the Second season of the Emmy nominated series ‘Inside Edge’, an Amazon Originals show produced by Excel Entertainment. He started his film making career with a hybrid documentary that doubled up as a Music Video. Titled Suburban King/Top-Girl, the film had its World Premiere at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The film’s European Premiere was at IDFA, Amsterdam and it went on to be screened at festivals across the globe. He is also the producer of Buddha.mov that has played at Tallin Black Nights Film Festival.
Richa Chadha is a well-known actor in mainstream Bollywood films. She’s the founder of Pushing Buttons Studios, who made her debut production last year with Girls Will Be Girls.
15. Film title: Prem Patra (Love Letter)
Director: Atul Sabharwal
Producer: Atul Sabharwal
Genre: Romance
Language: Hindi
Logline: In the time of war, a forlorn postman tries to find love by manipulating the letters sent to a woman by her soldier husband.
Bio:
Atul started directing in 2007 with a short film, ‘Midnight Lost + Found’ which premiered at Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won the Best Short at IFFLA in 2008. Thereafter directed ‘Powder’ (TV Series) (2010) and ‘Aurangzeb’ (2013) for Yash Raj Films Pvt Ltd, and ‘Class of 83’ for Red Chillies Entertainment. Launched production house Yippee Ki Yay Motion Pictures LLP, with ‘Berlin’ (2023).
16. Film title: Punishment
Director: Jeo Baby
Producer: Jomon Jacob
Genre: Drama
Language: Malayalam
Logline: An arrogant teacher’s authority is challenged by an outspoken eight-year-old who rejects corporal punishment, turning their feud into a battle of wills that forces him to face his failures and changes his life forever.
Bios:
Jeo Baby is a writer, director, actor, and producer from Kottayam, Keralam. His notable works include The Great Indian Kitchen, Freedom Fight, Kaathal – The Core.
A leading name in Malayalam cinema, Jomon Jacob has produced films such as Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai (2025), Riptide (2024), Purusha Pretham (2023), Sree Dhanya Catering Service (2022), Freedom Fight (2022), and The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) which have been acquired by streaming platforms and gone to multiple international festivals.
17. Film title: Savvy Savitri
Director: Disha Rindani
Producer: Anushka Shah
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: English, Hindi
Logline: Gracy Gupta, secretary of Paryavaran Park, handles everything from leaky pipes to pests. When her husband becomes a sex offender, she’s ostracized and embarks on a journey of self-discovery at the failing women’s magazine, Savitri.
Bios:
Disha is a contemporary Indian writer-director based in Mumbai. Her short film Shimmy starring Pratik Gandhi and produced by Sikhya Entertainment released on Amazon MiniTV. Disha co- directed alongside Vasan Bala for the unscripted series on Amazon Prime – Cinema Marte Dum Tak. For her film Bombay 70, she won the Silver Gateway of India Award for Best Short Film. As a writer, she wrote additional screenplay for Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut, A Death in the Gunj. She co-wrote and associate directed Jai Mehta’s debut short film Paanipath, commissioned by National Geographic and presented by Hansal Mehta. Most recently, Disha was the associate director on The Mirror, the short film by Konkona Sen Sharma in Netflix’s Lust Stories 2. She is developing an unscripted series for Vice Studios as the creator and lead director, and is prepping for her debut feature with Abhishek Chaubey and Honey Trehan’s MacGuffin Pictures.
Anushka Shah is the CEO of Civic Studios. Anushka serves as a producer on a range of socially-driven films and series such as ‘Christmas Karma’ (Christmas musical by writer-director Gurinder Chadha), ‘In The Shadows’,‘Family Aaj Kal’ (streaming on SonyLiv), ‘Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust’ (animation feature film that premiered at International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2024), ‘Little Thomas’ (feature film starring Rasika Dugal and Gulshan Devaiah), an untitled Arabic-English feature film produced by Shudder Films, developed with BFI and BBC Film, Vakeel Babu (short film on Amazon miniTV), ‘Ye Saali Naukri’ (streaming on MXPlayer), and projects in development with talent like Pan Nalin (The Last Film Show) and Hitesh Kewalya (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan franchise).
18. Film title: Table for One
Director: Debjyoti Saha
Producer: Dhruv Sehgal
Genre: Animation
Language: Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi
Logline: ‘Table for One’ is an Indian adult animated anthology series that uses food as a prism to explore complex human narratives that are both, intimate and universal.
Bios:
Debjyoti Saha is an animation filmmaker and founder of Goppo Animation, an animation studio based in Mumbai. Over the past six years, he has directed short films, animated music videos, title sequences and various digital media with a strong focus on storytelling. He has directed music videos for DIVINE, Prabh Deep, and most recently, the Indian folk metal band Bloodywood. Along with this he has worked on the title animation of the Netflix film Looop Lapeta.
Dhruv Sehgal is an award-winning writer, actor, and director, best known for creating Little Things. He recently wrote and directed an episode of Modern Love – Mumbai for Amazon Prime Video. Sehgal has worked as an associate director and co-editor on documentaries like Baavra Mann and I Am Offended and won Best Short Film at MAMI for Kunal. His work on Little Things earned him CCSSA’s Best Writer and Actor awards and Filmfare’s Best Actor – OTT. He regularly conducts writing workshops at institutions like IIT-BHU, IIM-L, and MICA. His storytelling explores everyday relationships, urban life, and personal identity with sharp observation and a light touch. Sehgal was selected to pitch his animated series Table for One at the Annecy Festival in June.
19. Film title: Taimur
Director: Mohammad Gani
Producer: Atif Khan, Sanjay Gulati
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi
Logline: Kind-hearted Taimur keeps his infertility a secret from his wife. When she conceives another man’s child, his anguish pushes him to a breaking point, leading to tragedy.
Bios:
M. Gani, also known as Mohammad Ganif, is a distinguished theatre director and filmmaker hailing from Mathura, U.P. Throughout his illustrious career spanning three decades, he has passionately delved into the realms of documentaries, fiction, and short films, channeling his deep contemplation on themes of class, identity, and women’s issues into impactful cinematic narratives. Gani’s recent directorial venture, the Hindi feature film “Matto Ki Saikil” (Matto’s Cycle), premiered to critical acclaim at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival in 2020. Notably, this film marked the acting debut of renowned filmmaker Prakash Jha in a leading role. His cinematic journey began with the captivating short film “Gubbare”, which premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala and is now accessible to audiences on Amazon MX Player. Gani has also showcased his versatility as a director of photography, notably contributing to the acclaimed documentary “Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai,” available on Netflix.
Atif was a seasoned journalist with The Hindu before he ventured into films. Atif started working as an assistant director on National Geographic’s “Science of Stupid”. Later he joined as Film Production Assistant for multi-award-winning director Rahul Jain, on Invisible Demons (produced by Academy Member Ikka Vehkalati and screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2021). He joined Arun Karthick’s feature film Nasir (supported by the prestigious Huberts Bals Fund and premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2020) as Production Assistant. In the following years, he directed his shorts Miqdaar and Aagah which were produced by Academy Member Michael Grobe and featured award-winning Nanda Yadav in primary roles. He was last working as a Producer in the commissioning team of Amazon MX Player.
Sanjay Gulati is the founder of Crawling Angel Films. A science graduate and post graduate in business management, he is successfully running a biotechnology company, Biogentek. His pursuit for creativity and cinema drove him towards producing Pushpendra Singh’s Lajwanti in 2014, which premiered at the Forum Section of the Berlin Film Festival. After that, Sanjay went on to produce many more films like Ashwatthama (2017), Once Again (2018), Nimtoh (2019), Laila aur Satt Geet (2020), Guras (2023), Tentigo (2023) and most recently, Girls will be Girls (2024). As a film enthusiast, he is consistent with international film and looks forward to discovering fresh independent film projects in the Indian subcontinent. He aims to produce films that have strong rootedness, emotional depth, and the potential to travel internationally.
20. Film title: Talaab (The Pond)
Director: Pranav Brara
Producer: Sanita Chittilappilly
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi
Logline: Sneha Kohli becomes aware of her schizophrenic behaviour caused by toxic parenting and traumatic dysfunctional family ties.
Bios:
Pranav has worked as a writer/Director/Actor and Casting Director in various projects since 2007 onwards. He has made short fiction films along with acting in two mainstream commercial films. His films include Bhookh and Where Do We Truly Belong.
Sanita Chittilappilly is a film producer who has been involved in the creation of several acclaimed films, which were produced under Newton Cinema during her tenure with the company. The films she’s been associated with include Family (2023), Paradise (2023), Lalanna’s Song (2022), and KISS (2022).
21. Film title: Ummeed (Hope)
Director: Karan Tejpal
Producer: Dimpy Agrawal
Genre: Drama, Horror
Language: Hindi
Logline: In a small town in India, a same-sex couple conceives through an illegal sperm donation, unleashing a mysterious force that feeds on hatred and threatens to destroy them.
Bios:
Karan Tejpal is a director and screenwriter, with two decades of experience working in the Indian film industry. His debut film Stolen (2023) premiered at the Venice festival. His short film No Anaesthesia (2016) played at NYIFF 2016 and was Shortlisted for Filmfare Short Film Awards 2017.
Dimpy Agrawal has worked with Phantom Films, Dharma Productions, Netflix Original and has been executive in charge of production of films such as The Archies, Monica O my Darling and series such as Guns and Gulaabs. She was at Berlin European Film Market’s Fiction Toolbox Program at Berlinale 2025.
22. Film title: An Unreal Story
Director: Utpal Borpujari
Producer: Prasanna Vithanage
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Language: Hindi
Logline: At a militant camp in India’s Northeast, a hostage breaks the ice with a child ‘soldier’ by telling a story. Will the hostage be able to escape manipulating the child? Or, is his fate doomed?
Bios:
Film critic ‘n’ journalist-turned-filmmaker Utpal Borpujari is known for his National Award-winning Assamese feature film “Ishu” (2017), which got screened at over 20 film festivals and won several awards and nominations. His short fiction film “Xogun” (Vulture, Assamese) and documentaries “The House of Baruas”, “Memories of a Forgotten War”, “Songs of the Blue Hills” and “Mayong: Myth/Reality” have also been screened in prestigious film festivals across the world (the first three documentaries have also been part of Indian Panorama at IFFI Goa). His script “An Unreal Story” was part of the NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab in 2021. Borpujari is a former member of FIPRESCI and is currently a member of NETPAC, and has served in international and national film juries.
One of South Asia’s most-prominent filmmakers, Prasanna Vithanage has made some highly-acclaimed feature films over the years. He debuted with “Sisila Gini Gani” (1992), which won nine OCIC (Sri Lanka) Awards. His second feature “Anantha Rathriya” (1996) won a Jury’s Special Mention in the First Pusan International Film Festival. His subsequent films, “Pawuru Walalu”, “Purahanda Kaluwara” (Death on a Full Moon Day), “Ira Madiyama” (August Sun), “Akasa Kusum”, “Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka” (With You, Without You), “Silence in the Courts”, “Gaadi – Children of the Sun” (2019, winner, Cultural Diversity Award at Asia Pacific Screen Awards) – all have been earned worldwide acclaim. “Paradise” (2023), his first Indian language film (Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Sinhala, won the Kim Jeseok Award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival.