Vinod Bhat
New Delhi:The second edition of WAVES Doc Bazaar concluded successfully at the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026, reaffirming its role as a key platform for documentary filmmakers to connect with mentors, producers, distributors, broadcasters and industry professionals from across the world.
Over three days, the event facilitated project pitches, networking sessions and industry interactions, providing selected filmmakers with opportunities to seek support for the development, post-production and distribution of their projects.
Several awards were presented to support promising documentary projects during the closing ceremony.
The Prasad Labs Awards, presented by Shri Nitin Pingle, General Manager of Prasad Labs, recognized outstanding projects by offering post-production support to selected works.
The Prasad Labs Post-Production Award provided free 4K Digital Intermediate (DI) services for up to 50 hours at Prasad Labs, Chennai, offering significant post-production support to the selected projects. The award recipients were:
- Winner: On a Good Note
- Director: Karishma Rao
- Producer: Vishwesh S. Prasad
- Winner: It Takes A Village
- Director: Indrajeet More
- Editor: Akanksha Kalhe
Further, The IICT Post-Production Awards were presented by Shri Satish Narayanan, Director (Academics), Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT). The awards recognized excellence in documentary filmmaking and provided support for further post- production development of selected projects.
The IICT Post-Production Award offered a 50 per cent discount on 50 hours of 4K Digital Intermediate (DI) services.The award recipients were:
- Winner: Adieu Dilli
- Directors: Nandan Saxena and Kavita Bahl
- Winner: Do Chaar Din
- Director: Saanya Anand
- Producer: Navya Bajaj
The Reborn India Films Distribution Award was presented by Rahul Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal of Reborn India Films. The award supports selected projects in reaching wider audiences through distribution opportunities, including a theatrical release across 10 screens with distribution support valued at ₹7 lakh.
The recipient was: On a Good Note by
- Director: Karishma Rao
- Producer: Vishwesh S. Prasad
For the first time, the NFDC instituted three cash grants of ₹1 lakh each for documentary and short film projects. The awards were presented by Shri Prakash Magdum, Managing Director, NFDC.
The grant recipients were:
- Kunchok and His Many Moons,
- Director & Editor: Ashok Meena
- The Girl Beneath The Sun,
- Director: Madhurima Maiti
- Tukro Tukro Prithbi
- Director: Asmita Pal
- Producer: Arunima Chowdhury
Addressing the ceremony, Shri Prakash Magdum said that the strong response to WAVES Doc Bazaar, with more than 150 entries received across categories, reflected the growing demand for a dedicated platform for documentary filmmakers. He assured that NFDC would continue to strengthen such initiatives and support emerging voices in non-fiction cinema.
The platform witnessed strong participation from the documentary community, receiving 155 submissions from 19 countries in 35 languages. Of these, 12 projects were selected for pitching and market activities. More than 100 business-to-business (B2B) meetings were held, creating opportunities for co-productions, funding and distribution partnerships.
“Hear from the IICT Post-Production Award winners in this X post :”
The second edition of WAVES Doc Bazaar concluded with a shared commitment to supporting meaningful documentary storytelling and enabling emerging projects to reach audiences across the world.
