The 42 finalists of the Animation Film Makers Competition (AFC), organized as part of the ‘Create in India Challenge Season-1’ under the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, were announced in the second week of April. Dancing Atoms Studios, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has curated a comprehensive creative catalogue featuring the top projects, which will be showcased during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai from May 1 to 4, 2025.
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This unique initiative is designed to connect talented creators with producers, distributors, and like-minded collaborators, aiming to foster global partnerships that transcend geographical boundaries. The shortlisted projects emerged from a rigorous nine-month evaluation process and reflect original storytelling across animation, VFX, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and virtual production.
The creative catalogue highlights 12 feature films, 18 short films, nine TV/limited series, and three AR/VR experiences. These 42 projects will be presented to key industry stakeholders during the summit.
The shortlisted 18 short animation film creators and their projects include: Ms. Shreya Sachdev (‘Vani’), Mr. Shrikant S Menon (‘Odiyan’), Mr. Prasanth Kumar Nagadasi (‘Best Friends’), Ms. Shweta Subhash Marathe (‘Melting Shame’), Ms. Anika Rajesh (‘Achappam’), Mr. Martand Anand Ugalmugle (‘Chandomama’), Ms. Kiruthika Ramasubramanian (‘A Dream’s Dream’), Mr. Harish Narayan Iyer (‘Karabi’), Ms. Triparna Maiti (‘The Chair’), Ms. Arundhati Sarkar (‘So Close Yet So Far’), Mr. Gadam Jagadish Prasad Yadav (‘Symphony of Darkness’), Mr. Vetrivel (‘The Last Treasure’), Ms. Gargi Gawthe (‘Godva’), Ms. Shreeyaa Vinayak Pore (‘Kali (Bud)’), Ms. Harshita Das (‘Luna’), Ms. Sandhra Mary (‘Missing’), Ms. Richa Bhutani (‘Climatescape’), and Mr. Hirak Jyoti Nath (‘Tales From The Tea House’).
The 12 feature film finalists are: Ms. Catharina Dian Wiraswati S (‘Fly!’), Mr. Shubham Tomar (‘Mahzun’), Mr. Srikanth Bhogi (‘Rudhra’), Mr. Anirban Majumder (‘Babar Aur Banno – A Friendship Saga’), Mr. Nandan Balakrishnan (‘The Dream Balloon’), Ms. Jacqueline C Ching (‘Lykke and the Trolls’), Mr. Rohit Sankhla (‘Dwarka: The Lost City of Shree Krishna’), Mr. Bhagat Singh Saini (‘Red Woman’), Mr. Abhijeet Saxena (‘Arise, Awake’), Mr. Vamsi Bandaru (‘Ayurveda Chronicles – Search for the Lost Light’), Mr. Piyush Kumar (‘Wrong Programming…The Unleashed Wars of AI’), and Mr. Khambor Batei (‘Kharjana – Lapalang: A Khasi Folklore Reimagined’).
The nine shortlisted TV/limited series projects include: Mr. Jyothi Kalyan Sura (‘Jackie & Jilal’), Mr. Tuhin Chanda (‘Chupi: Silence Behind Laws’), Mr. Kishore Kumar Kedari (‘Age of the Deccan: The Legend of Malik Ambar’), Ms. Bhagyashree Satapathy (‘Pāśa’), Mr. Rishav Mohanty (‘Khatti’), Mr. Sukankan Roy (‘Sound of Joy’), Ms. Atreyee Poddar, Ms. Sangeeta Poddar and Mr. Bimal Poddar (‘Moray Kaka’), Mr. Prasenjit Singha (‘The Quiet Chaos’), and Mr. Segun Samson and Mr. Omotunde Akiode (‘Maapu’).
The three AR/VR experiences are: Mr. Sundar Mahalingam (‘Ashvamedha – The Unsealed Fate’), Mr. Anuj Kumar Choudhary (‘Liminalism’), and Ms. Isha Chandna (‘Toxic Effect of Substance Abuse on Human Body’).
Ms. Saraswathi Buyyala, Founder and CEO of Dancing Atoms Studios, remarked that bringing together all 42 projects in one creative catalogue is a testament to the exceptional talent discovered through this competition. She noted that the WAVES Advisory Board, comprising industry veterans and key figures in media and entertainment, will play a pivotal role in guiding these projects toward production and distribution.
Highlighting the growth of the animation sector, Ms. Buyyala said that in 2024, the global animation market saw substantial gains. Short films generated an estimated USD 20 billion through online streaming and festivals, while educational content is projected to reach USD 70 billion by 2032. Feature films contributed between USD 30 billion and USD 32.3 billion at the global box office and ancillary markets. Animation TV series have thrived, driven by the streaming boom, accounting for around USD 512 billion in production and licensing revenue. The AR/VR sector, including immersive animation experiences, has grown rapidly, reaching between USD 22.12 billion and USD 79.36 billion, with Asia-Pacific anticipated to witness the fastest expansion.
The inaugural WAVES Summit 2025, hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, aims to become a landmark event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector. The summit will focus on broadcasting, print media, television, radio, films, animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, music, advertising, digital media, social media platforms, generative AI, AR, VR, and XR technologies, further positioning India as a global hub for creativity, content creation, and innovation.
For more information on the WAVES 2025 Animation Film Makers Challenge and to view the creative catalogue, interested participants can visit the official WAVES website.
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