India and New Zealand collaborate for first Indian Film Festival in New Zealand
- The WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai facilitated business transactions exceeding Rs 800 crore.
- Key partnerships were established, including a proposal for an Indian Film Festival in New Zealand.
- The event was branded as a major success for international collaboration in creative industries.
India recently hosted the inaugural WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai, where significant business transactions were made, amounting to over Rs 800 crore, with expectations that the total will exceed Rs 1,000 crore as deal-making continues. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting highlighted the event as a success for fostering international collaboration in the creative industries, including fields like film, music, radio, VFX, and animation. In this context of budding relationships, a proposal was announced to strengthen ties between India and New Zealand through a collaborative initiative led by Petrina D'Rozario from the Film India Screen Collective and Screen Canterbury NZ. This endeavor aims to introduce the first-ever Indian Film Festival in New Zealand, inspired by the WAVES Bazaar. A notable partnership also emerged at the event, as Prime Video and CJ ENM declared a multi-year strategic collaboration to distribute premium Korean content globally, beginning with the launch of 'Head Over Heels' in June 2025. The show is set to be available in over 240 countries and will feature 28 subtitle languages and 11 dubbed versions, further enhancing cultural exchange in global entertainment markets. The WAVES Bazaar exemplifies India's growing influence in the creative sector, demonstrating potential for future collaborations and innovations across borders.