WAVES Film Bazaar, organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, has announced that “Yayavar – The Migrating Bird”, a project selected for the WAVES Film Bazaar Screenwriters’ Lab 2025, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for an international collaboration.

The project has entered into a partnership with iRoller Media & Entertainment (India), and Norse Key Productions (Finland), to jointly develop, finance, produce and position the film for international audiences. Under the Letter of Intent, iRoller Media & Entertainment will serve as Lead Producer, leading financing, production planning and execution, while Norse Key Productions will lead and facilitate post-production activities in Finland and support the project’s international outreach and festival positioning.

The collaboration reflects the growing impact of the WAVES Film Bazaar Screenwriters’ Lab in nurturing promising Indian screenwriting talent and creating meaningful opportunities for global collaboration. The project’s progress from the Lab to an international partnership underscores the Lab’s commitment to supporting writers beyond script development and to facilitating pathways to production and international exploitation.

Managing Director, NFDC, Shri Prakash Magdum said, “The Screenwriters’ Lab was conceived to give original Indian voices the craft, the mentorship and the market access they need to travel. To see a project move from the writing room at the Lab to an international partnership is exactly the outcome the programme was designed for.”

Writer, Director and Producer of the project Dr. Darshan Ashwin Trivedi said, “I am thankful to NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab. I am excited about the collaboration with iRoller, India and Norse Key, Finland.”

WAVES Film Bazaar congratulates Dr. Darshan Ashwin Trivedi and the collaborating producers on this achievement and looks forward to seeing “Yayavar – The Migrating Bird” continue its journey towards the global stage.

The Call for Entries for the WAVES Film Bazaar Screenwriters’ Lab 2026 will open shortly. Details will be announced on the WAVES Film Bazaar and NFDC platforms.

About the WAVES Film Bazaar Screenwriters’ Lab

Instituted in 2007, the Screenwriters’ Lab is a flagship talent-development initiative of NFDC’s WAVES Film Bazaar. Selected writers work on their feature screenplays through an intensive, multi-stage programme under the guidance of acclaimed Indian and international mentors, culminating in a pitch at the Film Bazaar. Screenplays developed at the Lab include The Lunchbox, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Titli, A Death in the Gunj and Ullozhukku.

About WAVES Film Bazaar

WAVES Film Bazaar, organised by NFDC, is South Asia’s premier film market, held annually alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. It brings together producers, financiers, sales agents, distributors, festival programmers and buyers from across the world to discover and support new projects and talent. The 20th edition of WAVES Film Bazaar is scheduled to take place in 20 - 24 November 2026, building on the success of the previous year.

About NFDC

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), incorporated in 1975, functions under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. It is the nodal agency for the promotion and development of Indian cinema, and organises the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and WAVES Film Bazaar, alongside a range of talent-development, production and film-facilitation initiatives.

***

Nikita Joshi / Yash Rane / DineshYadav

Follow us on socail Media: @PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai    /pibmumbai  pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com  /PIBMumbai    /pibmumbai