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From WAVES Bazaar to Bharat Pavilion: India to showcase its creative prowess at BIFF 2025 in South Korea
India will make its strongest-ever presence at BIFF 2025 with its first ministerial delegation led by Dr. L. Murugan. Showcasing over ten films, WAVES Bazaar, Bharat Pavilion, and new India–Korea collaborations, the visit highlights India’s growing creative economy and cultural diplomacy.
The Bharat Pavilion, themed “India – Creative Economy for the World”, will spotlight WAVES Bazaar and feature B2B meetings to connect Indian creators with global markets.
India is set to make a significant cultural and diplomatic mark at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2025 and the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in South Korea with its first-ever ministerial delegation, led by Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting.
The high-level delegation will include senior officials from the Ministry of I&B, representatives of NFDC, FICCI, FTII, SRFTII, IIMC, and select creators from the WAVES Bazaar initiative. The move underscores India’s growing focus on positioning itself as a global hub for the creative economy while expanding co-productions and international collaborations.
“Our presence here reflects India’s resolve to expand co-productions, create new opportunities in AVGC, and strengthen cultural bonds with South Korea,” Dr. Murugan said ahead of the visit. “Through WAVES Bazaar and Bharat Parv, we showcase not only our creative economy but also India’s timeless heritage and talent.”
This year marks India’s most diverse slate at BIFF, with over ten films spanning multiple sections. Highlights include Spying Stars by Padma Shri awardee Nila Madhab Panda in the Inaugural Competition, alongside If on a Winter Night, Kok Kok Kokoook, and Shape of Momo in the Vision Asia section. Other notable projects include Bayaan, Don’t Tell Mother, Full Plate, Karinji, and I, Poppy.
At ACFM’s Asian Project Market, five Indian co-production projects have been selected, including Difficult Daughters, The Last of Them Plagues, Lanka (The Fire), Moon, and The Magical Men.
The Bharat Pavilion themed “India – Creative Economy for the World”, will spotlight WAVES Bazaar and feature B2B meetings to connect Indian creators with global markets. A panel on “India–Korea Synergies: New Horizons in Co-Productions” will bring together policymakers and industry leaders. Additionally, the Bharat Parv cultural evening will showcase Indian music, arts, and cuisine, fostering deeper people-to-people connections between India and Korea.
Dr. Murugan is scheduled to hold a G2G meeting with South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism to launch a structured dialogue for an India–Korea AVGC & Film Co-Production Framework. Letters of Intent are also expected to be signed between NFDC, FTII, IICT and Korean counterparts, including KAFA, KOFIC, KOCCA, as well as Korean OTT platforms, covering training exchanges and content distribution.
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