Mumbai International Film Festival

Viewing Room & Work-In-Progress Lab

The Viewing Room presents films from around the world, which are recently completed or still in post-production, at the Waves Film Bazaar. These films are looking for film festivals, world sales, distribution partners and also finishing funds.
Viewing Room connects Sellers (filmmakers) with Buyers (film programmers, distributors, world sales agents and investors) from around the world. Buyers are able to watch the films, access details about the films as well as contact the filmmakers through the specially designed Viewing Room Software. This is a highly restricted zone with the aim of making it a safe space for filmmakers who submit their unreleased films. 
To create a more user-friendly experience, buyers can choose to view the films/film clips based on parameters like duration, language, stage of completion, type, and festival history, among others. The details of the films are compiled into the Viewing Room catalogue, which is distributed to all the registered delegates at the Market and will be available on the website prior to the Waves Doc Bazaar 2026.
Waves Doc BazaarRecommends (FBR), are films recommended specially by the Waves Film Bazaar programmer. This is a specially curated section of the Film Bazaar.

Before You Submit

Before you begin, please read the Rules | Regulations for guidelines on filling the online Application Form as well as Submission of Materials. Please also read the Undertaking which has to be submitted along with the application for it to be considered complete. For any further queries, please read the FAQs.

  • The Viewing Room is open to all short, documentary and animation films from all over the world.
  • The films can be of any genre and duration
  • Fiction Feature films are not eligible
  • The films can be complete or in any stage of post-production.
  • Ideally, these films should be seeking finishing funds, world sales, distribution partners and/or film festivals.
  • Films which were finished before 1st January 2026 will not be considered for Doc Waves Bazaar Recommends (Doc WBR).

In order to apply for the Viewing Room, please create a my MIFF Login account by clicking here. Once you create your account, hover over the Waves Doc Bazaar section and click on the Viewing Room & Work-In-Progress Lab section.

  • Details of the applicant (Director, Producer, Production company)
  • Synopsis (150 words max)
  • Director’s Note (150 words max)
  • Filmography of director and producer (Please mention the film name – duration – the year of completion of film. Only mention the films where the director has a ‘Director’ credit and producer, the ‘producer’ credit.)
  • A password protected, downloadable screener link of the film.
  • Three stills of the submitted film (These should be three images from the film and not production/working stills.)
  • Director’s photograph
  • Filmmakers can opt to showcase their films / film clips in the Viewing Room even if they choose not to register as a delegate.
  • The Viewing Room enables the person viewing the film to contact the filmmaker directly via email. Additionally, the email address the filmmaker provided in the application form will also be printed in the catalogue.
  • This application is only for submitting films to the Viewing Room. Filmmakers who have submitted their films to the Viewing Room and choose to attend Doc Waves Bazaar physically will have to register as a delegate
  • Films interested in Gap Financing | Finishing Funds should have all or a large part of the principal photography complete, but should not have had a theatrical release.
  • A filmmaker can also submit the film to the Viewing Room as well as the Work-in-Progress Lab section if the film submitted to the Viewing Room is not a completed film. (for more information, please read the RULES | REGULATIONS)
  • Doc Waves Bazaar has the right to reject the film if guidelines and regulations are not adhered to and/or submissions are incomplete/ in wrong format/ past due date or any other reason specific to the film submitted. The decision of Doc Waves Bazaar is final.
  • Regular Deadline for applications is April 30, 2026 (11:59 pm IST).
  • Extended Deadline for applications is May 30, 2026 (11:59 pm IST).
  • Applications will not be considered complete until the fee has been received.
  • Please note that the date of receipt of fee will be considered as the date of submission of your application.

For further clarifications, write to us at   miffdocfilms@nfdcindia.com

  • The Viewing Room has restricted entry, allowing only registered delegates who are buyers, world sales agents, distributors, film festival directors and representatives of digital platforms dealing with acquisitions to watch films/ film clips of the submitted films. This is decided by the Doc Waves Bazaar team
  • A participating filmmaker is not given access to the Viewing Room by virtue of having his/her film on the platform, even if he/she is a registered delegate.
  • After you have registered successfully as a delegate, if you wish to know whether you have access to the Viewing Room, you can write to miffdocfilms@nfdcindia.com

The NFDC Waves Doc Bazaaris a B2B platform aimed at promotion of South Asian films to an international and national market. The Viewing Room at NFDC Waves Doc Bazaaris a paid platform provided to filmmakers to individually promote their film to international film festivals, world sales agents and buyers. This platform shall neither be construed as a commercial exploitation platform for the films in any manner nor shall it be construed that NFDC owns any exploitation rights of such films being promoted on this platform. Participation on this platform is confirmed on receipt of completed application submission and payment and is not on a merit basis. The Waves Doc BazaarRecommends section is curated by an external consultant from amongst the submitted films to the Viewing Room for purposes of highlighting contemporary styles of filmmaking. NFDC does not guarantee the authenticity and credibility of the filmmakers exhibiting the films via Viewing Room.

The films submitted are either in the rough cut or claim to be completed films. The final cut or content of the films may change after promotional exhibition via the Viewing Room, at the sole discretion of the respective filmmakers. All content of the films is provided on an “AS IS” or “AS AVAILABLE” basis and NFDC does not control or vet user generated content for accuracy. NFDC does not make any representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, in relation to the films, its completeness, suitability, availability, accuracy, reliability, its contents or any other information made available in the Films or in the Viewing Room and any reliance you place on the same shall be strictly at your own risk.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the filmmakers through their individual films are their own and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of NFDC as an organization and NFDC does not endorse and cannot be held responsible for the same. NFDC shall not be held responsible for any content, views or opinions expressed by individual filmmakers via their films promoted at the Waves Film Bazaar.

NFDC shall not be held responsible if the films are not in conformity with the applicable laws including laws relating to intellectual property, racism, blasphemy, defamation and privacy and NFDC hereby disclaims all liability arising from exhibition of the films via the Viewing Room.