Independent Voices Take Centre Stage At The Waterfront Indie Film Festival 2025
Over five days, the festival brings together filmmakers, actors, and audiences to celebrate cinema that challenges, questions, and connects.
The Waterfront Indie Film Festival ( WIFF) Mumbai 2025 has officially kicked off in Versova, running from October 2 to 6. Spread across Rangshila Theatre, Silk Road Café, Versova Social and Maverick Studios, the festival is positioning itself as a fresh space for independent voices in Indian cinema, combining screenings with addas, panels and masterclasses.
Friday’s program highlights the festival’s diversity. At Rangshila Screen 1, audiences can catch Feminist Fathima, Fasil Muhammed’s Malayalam feature film that dives into questions of identity, empowerment and resistance in coastal Kerala. The screening runs in the prime evening slot and serves as a showcase of how WIFF is bringing bold, regional stories into the spotlight.
Maverick Studio’s afternoon lineup celebrates the winners of the 71st National Film Awards. The India Gold showcase screens Shyamchi Aai alongside acclaimed titles from Maharashtra, Meghalaya and Odisha, reaffirming WIFF’s commitment to regional storytelling and award-winning voices often underrepresented on mainstream platforms.
Silk Road Café’s WIFF Select lineup brings together shorts and documentaries from the North-East and the Teen Indie Film Awards package of ten films made by emerging voices. The lineup also features Monarch of the Blue Mountain, a documentary that bridges India and the UK while exploring cultural memory across borders.
Beyond screenings, WIFF Mumbai has built its identity around dialogue. The Directors’ Cut series at Versova Social brings together Hansal Mehta, Rohan Sippy, Vishal Furia and Tushar Hiranandani for a conversation on contemporary Indian filmmaking. A masterclass hosted by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber breaks down the practicalities of international co-productions, while an adda session with Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Rajesh Mapuskar and Siddharth Kak broadens the scope to storytelling across art, cinema and culture.
The wider festival calendar features names like Sudhir Mishra, Gauri Shinde, R. Balki, Jaaved Jaaferi and Pratik Gandhi, giving WIFF a balance of star presence and indie credibility.
For Mumbai cinephiles, WIFF 2025 offers more than a weekend of screenings. It’s a chance to watch award-winning features, discover new filmmakers, and take part in conversations shaping the future of independent cinema.
Tickets are available on BookMyShow.