India’s International Film Market of Kerala has unveiled its selections for the Project Market 2025, along with the inaugural Curator’s Pick from its newly launched Video Library segment, set to take place Dec. 13-16 in Thiruvananthapuram.
The market received submissions from around the world, ultimately selecting 12 projects representing 11 countries for its Project Market. The lineup features films in 13 languages, including Hindi, English, Spanish, Bengali, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Assamese, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bangla and Bhojpuri.
Selected producers and filmmakers will pitch their projects to international and Indian producers, distributors and financiers during the four-day event.
Among the Project Market selections is “Apodartho” (A Foolish Man), a Bangladesh-Taiwan co-production in Bangla directed by Abu Shahed Emon, whose debut feature “Jalal’s Story” became the first Bangladeshi film to premiere in Busan’s New Currents Competition in 2014. The project is produced by Patrick Mao Huang, Tahrima Khan and Emon.
India-Nepal co-production “Bagh Chal” (4 Tigers & Goats) will be presented by director Saadgi Gupta, with producers Nila Madhab Panda and Akshay Kumar Parija. Panda’s previous work includes “I Am Kalam” and climate-fiction web series “The Jengaburu Curse.”
Devashish Makhija, whose films “Joram,” “Bhonsle” and “Ajji” have screened at Busan and Rotterdam, will pitch “But First, The Burning,” a Hindi-Marathi project produced by Anshuman Jha. Makhija won an Indian National Film Award for “Bhonsle” in 2021, while “Joram” earned two Filmfare Awards in 2024.
Other notable selections include “Error#404,” directed by two-time Indian National Film Award winner Farha Khatun and produced by Bauddhayan Mukherji and Monalisa Mukherji; and “Kathakali Diva: A Ritual of Transformation,” directed by Indian National Film Award-winning editor Bina Paul, who has previously served as director of the International Film Festival of Kerala.
Sanju Surendran’s “Kothiyan” (Fishers of Men) marks another Malayalam-language project in the lineup. Surendran’s recent feature “If on a Winter’s Night” premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, winning the HyLife Vision Award.
The Australia-India co-production “Mongoose,” directed by Indian National Award winner Nikhil Mahajan and produced by Suhrud Godbole, joins the roster alongside “Sukoon” (Solace), directed by Film and Television Institute of India graduate Gul Dharmani, who recently directed episodes of Netflix’s “Class.”
Additional selections include “Calf-Umir Ladikaiyan” in Bhojpuri and Hindi, directed by Balaka Ghosh; Kenny Deori Basumatary’s “Local Bhoot” (Local Ghost) in Assamese and Hindi; Armenia-India co-production “The Day of the Feast” in Telugu, directed by Di Sica Ray; and “Vilai: The Price Paid” in Malayalam and Tamil, directed by Menon Krishnadev.
The market has also unveiled 13 films selected for the inaugural Video Library Curator’s Pick. These projects, spanning various stages of production and post-production, are seeking distributors, gap financing and festival visibility.
The Curator’s Pick selection represents India, Bangladesh and the U.S. The complete lineup includes Anuradha Bansal’s documentary “A Good Wife” in English, Hindi and Marwari; Abhay P’s Malayalam short film “Aadhunika Mithyabhasam” (Burning Roots, Blooming Fire); Gridaran MKP’s Tamil documentary “Dalit Subbaiah – Voice of the Rebels,” produced by Manoj Jahson; and Sandeep Paul’s “Ekanto Byaktigoto Bishoy” (About an Intimate Matter), an India-U.S. co-production in Bengali produced by Apoorva Bakshi.
Also selected are Rahul Pawar’s “Golu Gappi Aur Charkhi Chor” (Golu Gappi And Charkhi Thief) in Bhojpuri and Hindi, produced by Anurag Kumar Mourya; Thanvir Chowdhury’s Bengali feature “Kaffarah” from Bangladesh, produced by Barkat Hossain Polash; Aayushman Pandey’s Hindi short film “Kamathipura,” produced by Wasim Khan and Priya Sreedharan; and Chahat Mansingka’s “Like A Feather In The Wind” in Chinese and Hakka, produced by Sanjay Mansingka.
Rounding out the selection are Vignesh Kumulai’s Tamil feature “Neela Aththi Kili” (Blue Fig Parrot), produced by Jeyachandran Karthikadevi; Sanchay Bose’s Hindi feature “Phas Gayi Jal Machri” (The Golden Catch), produced by Wafa Refai; Shreekara Bhat’s Kannada feature “Purushaavathara” (Shades of Men), produced by Prakash Raj; Sreekanth EG’s Malayalam feature “The Judgement,” produced by Adith US; and Siddharth Kalkal’s “The Writer’s Inn” in English and Hindi.
“The International Film Market of Kerala has become a dynamic ecosystem that brings together creators, investors, and industry professionals,” said Priyadarsanan P.S., managing director of Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). “This year’s curated selection reflects our commitment to nurturing diverse cinematic voices and positioning International Film Market of Kerala as a significant hub for global film business and creative collaboration.”
K. Madhu, chairman of KSFDC, added: “In just three years, the International Film Market of Kerala has grown into a credible, forward-looking industry forum. The selected projects and films demonstrate the tremendous creative potential and we are proud to host a platform that enables meaningful engagements and opportunities for filmmakers.”
IFMK is designed as an integral component of the International Film Festival of Kerala, one of India’s most artistically respected festivals. While IFFK celebrates cinema as a cultural force, IFMK adds a business dimension focused on co-production infrastructure, financing and market access.
