WAVES Animation Filmmakers Competition

Here are the 42 finalists of AFC WAVES 2025

Short Films: 18 short film; here are the list of the projects and their creators :

Shreya Sachdev - Vani,Shrikant S Menon - Odiyan, Prasanth Kumar Nagadasi - Best Friends,Shweta Subhash Marathe - MELTING SHAME, Anika Rajesh - Achappam, MARTAND ANAND UGALMUGLE - Chandomama, Kiruthika Ramasubramanian - A Dream's Dream,HARISH NARAYAN IYER - KARABI, TRIPARNA MAITI - The Chair, Arundhati Sarkar - So close yet so far, GADAM JAGADISH PRASAD YADAV - Symphony of Darkness, Vetrivel - The Last Treasure,Gargi Gawthe - Godva,Shreeyaa Vinayak Pore - Kali (Bud), Harshita Das - Luna ,Sandhra Mary - MISSING, Richa Bhutani - Climatescape,Hirak Jyoti Nath - Tales From The Tea House

Feature Films: 12 feature films, here are the list of projects and their creators :

Catharina Dian Wiraswati S - Fly!, Shubham Tomar - MAHZUN, SRIKANTH BHOGI - Rudhra, ANIRBAN MAJUMDER - BABAR AUR BANNO - A friendship saga, Nandan Balakrishnan - The Dream Balloon, Jacqueline C Ching - Lykke and the Trolls, Rohit Sankhla - Dwarka The Lost City of Shree Krishna, BHAGAT SINGH SAINI - RED WOMAN, Abhijeet Saxena - Arise, Awake, Vamsi Bandaru - Ayurveda Chronicles - Search for the Lost Light, Piyush Kumar - Wrong programming..the unleashed wars of ai., Khambor Batei - Kharjana, Lapalang - A Khasi Folklore Reimagined

TV Series: 9 TV/Limited Series; here is the list of the projects and their creators :

Jyothi Kalyan Sura - Jackie & Jilal, Tuhin Chanda - Chupi : Silence behind laws,Kishore Kumar Kedari - Age of the Deccan - The Legend of Malik Ambar,Bhagyashree Satapathy - Pāśa, Rishav Mohanty - Khatti, Sukankan Roy - Sound of Joy, 1.Atreyee Poddar 2. Sangeeta Poddar 3. Bimal Poddar - MORAY KAKA, Prasenjit Singha - The Quiet Chaos, Segun Samson,Omotunde Akiode- Maapu.

AR/VR Experiences: 3 AR/VR experience; here is the list of projects and their creators

SUNDAR MAHALINGAM - Ashvamedha - The Unsealed Fate ,Anuj kumar Choudhary - Liminalism, Isha Chandna - Toxic Effect Of Substance Abuse On Human Body

WIN

The winning projects will get cash prizes of upto 5 lakhs.
Submit your stories for more detailed information.

Winners also get to travel to WAVES Event in Mumbai from May 1st to 4th 2025.

The ANIMATION FILMMAKERS COMPETITION, WAVES culminates in a high-stakes pitch session where finalists present their polished projects to a distinguished panel of film and TV producers, investors, and industry leaders—your gateway to turning cinematic dreams into reality.

Your stories will then receive widespread attention in both local and international media.

OVERVIEW:

ANIMATION FILMMAKERS COMPETITION - "WAVES ORIGINALS" is a nationwide search for India's storytellers.

In a groundbreaking initiative, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has partnered with Dancing Atoms to launch the inaugural Animation Filmmakers Competition, the flagship event of the upcoming World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES). This marks a historic collaboration, paving the way for a new era in India’s creative industry and heralding the beginning of Create in India Season 1.

Open to all levels, both amateurs and professionals, who only need an idea to submit. The competition guides participants through a journey of masterclasses and mentorship to polish their ideas and culminating in a final pitch session at the The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on May 1st to May 4th 2025. Here, finalists present their polished film concepts and pitch them to industry leaders for a chance to win the coveted title and launch their ideas into films.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Story Story Story!

Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment!

The judges will evaluate submissions based on the following key criteria:

Original story
Entertaining
Market Appeal
Audience Engagement
Presentation of material

Eligibility Criteria

Anyone from within India or globally is able to submit
No age restrictions. Minors need the approval of parents/guardians
Students, Amatuers and Professionals can all apply.
Applications can be submitted as both Individuals, Teams, or as part of a company

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit the following: Logline. A 2-page summary of your film idea. A poster that captivates your idea.
While the film can be made in any language, please ensure that the submission form is entered in English, as we will have international jury members reviewing the submissions.

Contact us at waves@dancingatoms.com for any clarifications or questions

Competition Dates

Embark on a transformative story-telling journey with the "ANIMATION FILMMAKERS COMPETITION - WAVES ORIGINALS.”.

Selected participants will refine their film concepts through intensive masterclasses and personalized mentorship from industry experts. The competition unfolds in stages, designed to nurture and elevate the most promising ideas.

Still debating between an animation epic or a VR masterpiece? No worries! We’ve extended the WAVES Originals deadline to give you a few more weeks to brainstorm, rewrite, let your imagination go wild!

Cash prizes, industry mentorship, and the chance to pitch at WAVES in New Delhi await—so grab your idea (no matter how wild) and dive in!

Questions? Fire them at us: waves@dancingatoms.com

Key Dates:

Submissions Open: September 10th - November 30th, 2024
Mentorship Phase 1: December 2024
Selection Round 1: December 2024
Mentorship Phase 2: January 2025
Selection Round Two: January 2025
Mentorship & Masterclasses - February - March 2025
Selection Round Three: February 2025
Final Selection: April 2025
In-Person attendance at WAVES is in May 2025

The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) will take place in Mumbai on May 1st-4th 2025!