From Vision to Reality: The Making of Indie Cinema

You have a vision for a film – your passion project – one you live, breathe and dream about. But how do you actually make it? The hurdles are many, the competition fierce, the challenges daunting. The five filmmakers on this panel have been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. Coming from diverse backgrounds and cultural contexts, they recently made waves at major international festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Busan. They reflect on what it takes to bring an indie film to life, and share hard-won insights – from navigating debut features and securing international co-productions to breaking new ground in their respective film industries.

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade is a self-made filmmaker raised in a Mumbai slum by a chauffeur father and homemaker mother. His debut feature, Sabar Bonda, was developed at the Venice Biennale College Cinema and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Dechen Wangmo Roder

Dechen Wangmo Roder is a Bhutanese filmmaker who founded Dakinny Productions and the Beskop Tshechu film festival. Her debut feature, Honeygiver Among the Dogs, premiered at the 2016 Busan International Film Festival.

Anuparna Roy

Anuparna Roy is a filmmaker and writer from Purulia, West Bengal. Her first feature, Songs of Forgotten Trees, was self-funded while she worked full-time in Mumbai. It won the Orizzonti Award at Venice this year.

Nidhi Saxena

Nidhi Saxena is an artist-filmmaker whose work explores emotional interiority, mythology and feminine solitude. Her debut feature, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.

Prathyush Parasuraman

Prathyush Parasuraman is a critic, journalist and contributing editor at The Hollywood Reporter India. He writes the Counter Culture column for The Hindu Frontline magazine.

Panelists

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