PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand emerged as a key attraction for filmmakers and directors at the IFFI Waves Film Bazaar 2025, which took place from November 20 to 24 in Goa. This festival was organised as part of the 56th International Film Festival of India, featuring pavilions from various countries and State governments across India.
The joint chief executive officer and nodal officer of the Uttarakhand Film Development Council Nitin Upadhyaya said that the State actively participated in the Film Bazaar. He said that filmmakers and directors from both India and abroad visited the Uttarakhand Pavilion to learn about the State’s film policy. Directors from Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi and other language film industries expressed interest in shooting films in the State. The support and facilities provided by the Uttarakhand government were highly praised, with many foreign producers and directors agreeing to consider filming in the region.
Upadhyaya said that Uttarakhand’s film policy is receiving recognition both nationally and internationally.
Additionally, an Australian filmmaker plans to visit Uttarakhand in February to explore filming locations. Representatives from various international organisations, including Film Art from Hong Kong, Vega from Finland, the State Cinema Centre of Kyrgyzstan, Jetro from Japan, the New Zealand Film Commission and zero gravity pictures, sought information about the State’s film policy. International film producer and CEO of Bombay Berlin film productions Arfi Lamba also commended the film policy, expressing his commitment to attracting foreign filmmakers to Uttarakhand.
Director of films at the ministry of Information, Rajesh Kumar Sharma and his team visited the Uttarakhand Pavilion and appreciated the State government’s film policy.
Notably, at the Film Bazaar, filmmakers were informed about the upcoming Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra in 2026, with several international filmmakers discussing the potential for creating documentaries about the event.
