Pacific Plot: Australia, New Zealand, and India Collaborate at WAVES Film Bazaar

By Pickle November 23, 2025

IFFI’s 19th edition proves that with a dash of Aussie grit and Kiwi charm, Indian film partnerships can be as spicy as they are smart.

The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa marked a watershed moment for the Indo-Pacific creative economy, as the newly rebranded WAVES Film Bazaar emerged as the region’s beating heart for transnational collaboration. Now in its 19th edition, the Bazaar has grown beyond its South Asian roots to become the premier conduit for cross-continental partnerships, with Australia and New Zealand embracing the Indian market with unprecedented ambition and strategic intent.

Australia’s Transformative Leap: From Diaspora Bonds to Industry Deals

Australia’s engagement at WAVES Film Bazaar was headlined by a high-powered delegation, led by the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), that set the tone for a new era of industry cooperation. On November 21, the signing of three historic Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) established a robust three-year partnership between IFFM and IFFI. The agreements promise expanded festival linkages, collaborative academic exchanges, increased distribution pipelines, and a fertile ground for creative co-productions.

This is more than just paperwork. With one of the largest Indian diaspora communities outside India, Australia’s affinity for Indian cinema has transformed domestic entertainment trends. As Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece of Melbourne emphasized at the event, “This partnership is about more than films—it’s about creating jobs, fostering global exposure, and deepening the cultural and economic relationship between India and Melbourne.”

Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange, who pioneered much of this momentum, describes the current phase as “transformative,” cementing a holistic ecosystem that benefits filmmakers, producers, students, and audiences in both countries.

Co-Production in Action: Punjabi Cinema Goes Global

The spirit of collaboration translated into action as PTC Punjabi and Australia’s Temple Forge unveiled a major three-film co-production deal, leveraging the Australia–India Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty. These Punjabi-language features—set to roll out across India, Australia, and New Zealand over the next 18 months—represent one of the largest regional-language collaborations under the bilateral agreement. It’s a recognition that the appetite for Indian cinema in Australia is not just a diaspora phenomenon, but an emerging mainstream trend: Indian-language films have, in recent years, outperformed many local productions at the Australian box office.

New Zealand: Incentives, Festivals, and a Fresh Approach

Not to be outdone, New Zealand arrived at WAVES with a bold recalibration of its India engagement strategy. The New Zealand Film Commission revealed sweeping changes to its International Screen Production Rebate, slashing the minimum spend threshold for Indian features, TV, and streaming projects from NZ$15 million to NZ$4 million. This opens the gates for a far broader range of Indian productions to leverage New Zealand’s world-class facilities and landscapes.

Annie Murray, CEO of the NZ Film Commission, made it clear: “These incentives make New Zealand more competitive than ever for Indian producers, offering streamlined access to our infrastructure, locations, and crew.”

But the vision extends beyond economics. The proposed Indian Film Festival in New Zealand—announced by the Film India Screen Collective and Screen Canterbury NZ—will deepen cultural exchange, promote tourism, and create new co-production opportunities that transcend borders. Petrina D’Rozario, driving the initiative, credits the inspiration to the collaborative energy witnessed at WAVES Film Bazaar.

A Regional Narrative: Cinema as a Bridge

The simultaneous, high-level engagement of Australia and New Zealand at WAVES signals a strategic pivot in Indo-Pacific creative relations. No longer content to serve as mere end-markets for Indian content, both nations are embedding themselves as co-creators, production partners, and global amplifiers of Indian stories. Their moves are calculated: with India’s film industry booming and business transactions at this year’s Film Bazaar surpassing ₹800 crore, the stakes—and the potential rewards—are higher than ever.

The Big Picture: A New Era for Asia-Pacific Storytelling

For India, these developments represent an emphatic validation of its ascent as a global production hub and storytelling powerhouse. For Australia and New Zealand, they are a gateway to India’s deep well of creative talent and cost-effective production capacity, as well as a way to bring authentic Indian stories to their own diverse audiences.

Institutional partnerships, co-production treaties, festival circuits, and financial incentives are no longer just diplomatic gestures; they are the scaffolding of a new Indo-Pacific cinema ecosystem—one that promises not only box office growth and job creation, but also deeper mutual understanding through the universal language of film.

As the curtain rises on IFFI 2025, the Indo-Pacific region is moving beyond transactional exchanges. At WAVES Film Bazaar, Australia and New Zealand are scripting a new chapter—one where cinema serves as both bridge and beacon, illuminating a shared future grounded in collaboration, cultural diplomacy, and the magic of storytelling.