By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 21: Khambor Batei Kharjana from Meghalaya has been named among the top 42 finalists in the Animation Film Makers Competition (AFC) of WAVES 2025 for his project ‘Lapalang: A Khasi Folklore Reimagined’, as part of the Create in India Challenge Season-1.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Kharjana shared that the Master Classes conducted by national and international experts were immensely valuable.
“This feels like a huge step forward for animation in India. The door’s wide open — now it’s up to us to take that leap of faith and see where it leads,” he said.
The 42 selected projects highlight original storytelling across the full spectrum of animation, including traditional animation, VFX, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), and virtual production. These finalists will present their projects during the WAVE Summit, scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 1-4, 2025.
The top three winners will receive cash prizes of up to INR 5 lakh each.
The selection process spanned nine months and was led by the Dancing Atoms team in collaboration with the WAVES team. The participants’ dedication was matched by the discerning evaluation of a distinguished jury comprising national and international experts.
The potential economic impact of their projects is significant, with each animated VFX feature film capable of generating employment for 100-300 individuals. WAVES AFC 2025 represents a crucial investment in creative talents of India, fostering job creation and global opportunities. The competition’s ambition extends to fostering international co-productions.
This pioneering global initiative, supported by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and driven by Dancing Atoms, is the first of its kind to bring together all four AVGC sector verticals under a single platform.
WAVES AFC 2025 received an enthusiastic response with around 1,900 registrations and 419 diverse entries from amateurs, students, and professionals worldwide.