WIFF Mumbai 2025 Wrap-Up: Five Days That Put Independent Cinema Centerstage in Versova

The Inaugural Waterfront Indie Film Festival Turns Aram Nagar Into India’s New Indie Cinema District

From October 2–6, 2025, Versova’s Aram Nagar came alive with the pulse of independent storytelling. The first-ever Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) transformed the neighborhood into a buzzing cinema district — running over 100 screenings, panels, and workshops across Rangshila Theatre, Versova Social, Silk Road Café, Sathe’s, and Maverick Studios.

The five-day festival didn’t just screen films — it built a real-world ecosystem for India’s indie creators to meet, collaborate, and dream.

What WIFF Set Out To Do

WIFF’s founding vision was simple yet powerful: to build a ground-up, neighborhood-based film festival that activates the spaces where cinema is actually made. Co-founded by Vinta Nanda, Deepa Gahlot, Avneesh Mishra, and Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, the festival championed inclusivity, accessibility, and community participation — while keeping an eye on the global indie landscape.

Its curtain-raiser at NGMA, in association with AVID Learning, featured Richa Chadha, Shoojit Sircar, Rajat Kapoor, and Sridhar Rangayan, signaling WIFF’s intent to become a serious, year-round market for ideas, collaboration, and co-productions.

Programming Spine: Films, Workshops, and Addas

The festival maintained a tight daily rhythm — screenings by day, discussions by evening, and addas by night.Each venue in Aram Nagar became a creative pit stop for filmmakers, critics, and enthusiasts.

Highlights by Day

• Oct 2 (Thu): Launch with WIFF Select packages curated by Kabeer Khurana; workshop on cinematography by Shanti Bhushan Roy.

• Oct 3 (Fri): Contemporary North-East Cinema showcase; co-production workshop; Round of Applause directors’ panel featuring Hansal Mehta, Sudhir Mishra, Rohan Sippy, Tushar Hiranandani. Opening film — Feminist Fathima.

• Oct 4 (Sat): Screenings of Hearth and Home (Alaav) and I Am Revathi (Njan Revathi); “Community Cinema” curation by Dr. Anjali Monteiro, Dr. K.P. Jayasankar, and Dr. Shilpi Gulati; cinematography deep-dive Chhayaankan – The Management of Shadows by Hemant Chaturvedi.

• Oct 5 (Sun): Conscious Storytelling masterclass with Sandra De Castro Buffington, Dr. Piyush Roy, Brahmanand Singh, Barnali Ray Shukla; “Zindagi Paradiso” adda with SMM Ausaja and Rahul Rawail; Applause Entertainment panel “The Outbreak of Breakout Stars” featuring Amit Sial, Pratik Gandhi, Priya Bapat, Surveen Chawla, Shweta Basu Prasad.

• Oct 6 (Mon): Screenings of Body, Sangeeta Manisha, Warm Film, and Victoria before the awards night at Versova Social.
  

Curated Sections That Stood Out

• India Gold – Featuring National Award-winning titles like Shyamchi Aai.

• North-East Focus – Curated by Parthajit Baruah and Joshy Joseph, spotlighting regional cinema’s renaissance.

• Community & Queer Cinema – Showcased films engaging with social realities.

• Teen Indie Awards – Youth-made shorts that underscored WIFF’s mentorship focus.

• WIFF Select / Fresh Frames – Micro shorts and experimental works curated by Kabeer Khurana.
  

Panels and Masterclasses That Defined WIFF

Round of Applause — The Directors’ Panel

Hansal Mehta, Sudhir Mishra, Rohan Sippy, and Tushar Hiranandani, moderated by Shravan Shah, examined how indie and mainstream cinema can co-exist through shared craft and courage.

Conscious Storytelling

Sandra De Castro Buffington’s session with Dr. Piyush Roy, Brahmanand Singh, and Barnali Ray Shukla explored how purpose-driven narratives can reshape societal mindsets.

Co-Productions & Co-Ventures Workshop

Led by Rashmi Lamba, Maneck Dastur, Gayathiri Guliani, and Arfi Laamba, the workshop bridged funding, IP, and creative collaboration pathways.

Brand x Indie Cinema Adda

An honest conversation on sustaining the indie ecosystem — featuring Indira Baikerikar, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Sonal Dabral, and Karthi Marshan, moderated by Gokul Krishnamoorthy.

Awards & Recognition

At the closing ceremony, WIFF announced its inaugural winners: Best Fiction Feature Film: Victoria – Directed by Sivaranjini Best Director (Fiction Feature): Sivaranjini – Victoria Jury Mentions: Nukkad Naatak (Tanmaya Shekhar), Body (Abhijit Mazumdar), Neither Donkey Nor Horse (Robin Wang), Tracker (Udit Khurana)

Who Came, Who Spoke, Who Inspired

WIFF’s guest list reflected its depth from celebrated filmmakers Hansal Mehta, Sudhir Mishra, Rohan Sippy, Tushar Hiranandani, and Shoojit Sircar to cultural icons Siddharth Kak, Pia Benegal, and Dolly Thakore.Actors Pratik Gandhi, Amit Sial, Surveen Chawla, and Shweta Basu Prasad joined in alongside academic and creative stalwarts.

The presence of NGMA Director Nidhi Choudhari and AVID Learning’s Asad Lalljee underlined the institutional partnership that powered WIFF’s success.

Why WIFF Matters

1. Hyperlocal Model:WIFF turned Aram Nagar — the real “cinema village” of Mumbai — into a walking festival where audiences moved from screenings to cafés to creative addas.

2. Cross-Industry Dialogue:Panels brought together filmmakers, advertisers, and investors to make indie cinema sustainable.

3. Inclusivity & Representation:From queer cinema to teen voices, WIFF ensured every narrative had a stage.

4. Skill-Building:Workshops on cinematography, sound design, and storytelling provided tangible pathways for emerging artists.
   

The People Behind the Movement

• Executive Director: Vinta Nanda

• Festival Director: Deepa Gahlot

• Co-founders: Avneesh Mishra, Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri

• Programming Director: Saagar Gupta

• Knowledge Partner: Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS), led by Neville Tuli

• Venue & Hospitality Partners: Rangshila Theatre, Versova Social, Silk Road Café, Sathe’s, Maverick Studios

• Promotion Partner: AltBollywood
  

The Verdict

For its first edition, WIFF Mumbai achieved something rare — it merged grassroots intimacy with industry seriousness. In five days, it established itself not just as a festival, but as a movement for Indian independent cinema — rooted in community, powered by collaboration, and ready to grow into a fixture on Mumbai’s cultural map.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What were the dates and venues of WIFF Mumbai 2025?

The festival ran from October 2–6, 2025 across Rangshila Theatre, Versova Social, Silk Road Café, Sathe’s, and Maverick Studios in Versova, Mumbai.

2. Who are the founders and curators behind WIFF?

WIFF was co-founded by Vinta Nanda, Deepa Gahlot, Avneesh Mishra, and Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, with Saagar Gupta as Programming Director. The festival’s curatorial ecosystem included Kabeer Khurana, Dr. Anjali Monteiro, Dr. K.P. Jayasankar, Dr. Shilpi Gulati, Parthajit Baruah, and Joshy Joseph.

3. How many films were screened at WIFF 2025?

Over 100 films — including features, documentaries, shorts, and experimental works — were showcased across curated sections like India Gold, North-East Focus, and WIFF Select.

4. Who won the top awards at WIFF Mumbai 2025?

Victoria directed by Sivaranjini won Best Fiction Feature Film and Best Director, with jury mentions for Nukkad Naatak, Body, Neither Donkey Nor Horse, and Tracker.

5. Why is WIFF considered important for India’s indie film ecosystem?

WIFF’s hyperlocal model, industry partnerships, and inclusive programming make it a new benchmark for how Indian indie cinema can thrive at both grassroots and global levels.