Edit Note

By Pickle November 8, 2026

Pickle has been present on American Film Markets trade racks since 2008, connecting India’s creative businesses with the international independent film community. We are delighted to return for the 47th AFM edition, celebrating a marketplace where relationships can become projects and conversations can become lasting partnerships.

Bringing together professionals from more than 85 countries, AFM connects creators, sales agents, buyers and financiers across the independent screen business. Its appeal lies in that purposeful exchange: discovering stories, assembling finance, finding distribution and moving films towards audiences.

LocationEXPO connects filmmakers with film commissions and production partners, while the expanded Innovation Hub brings emerging technologies into the conversation. These encounters can help independent producers discover collaborators.

India deserves a place in those conversations from the beginning, not merely when a production needs a finishing service. Think of India as a creative collaborator, from story development to global distribution.

Namit Malhotra’s ambitions for Ramayana offer a compelling starting point: bringing an Indian epic to audiences worldwide through a collaboration of Indian and international talent. The proposition invites a broader conversation about developing Indian stories for global audiences, rather than viewing India only as a services destination. For AFM delegates, that is an invitation to explore partnerships around storytelling, technology and international reach.

India’s investment framework permits up to 100 per cent foreign direct investment through the automatic route in film production and several other entertainment activities, subject to applicable regulations. That openness offers a concrete starting point for international businesses considering deeper engagement.

India’s strength is the combination of creative talent and technology. Its artists, technicians and engineers underpin global visual effects, animation and postproduction, exemplified by DNEG’s substantial Indian workforce.

For international producers, India’s emerging AI film labs offer another avenue for collaboration. Explore their capabilities while protecting artistic control, rights and informed consent.

The second edition of WAVES Summit returns in October 2027, while the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies is developing talent through industry-driven training. Put WAVES on your collaboration calendar: identify Indian partners at AFM, begin project discussions and carry those relationships forward to India.

Please contact us if you want to connect with someone in the Indian M&E business.