Creative Minds of Tomorrow 2025 Concludes with India’s Young Creators Taking Centre Stage

25 November 2025: The fifth edition of Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) concluded in Panaji with youthful conviction, cinematic curiosity and the fresh confidence of emerging creators on full display. Featuring five films developed by participants across five groups, the edition showcased diverse ideas shaped through collaborative effort. Held under the aegis of the 56th International Film Festival of India, the programme once again reaffirmed its purpose, discovering emerging storytellers and giving them the canvas, mentorship, and momentum to grow.

The ceremony began at Marriott with screenings for the Grand Jury and Great Grand Jury, followed by deliberations that shaped the final list of awardees. Participants, mentors, jury members, and representatives from the film fraternity gathered for a heartfelt celebration of craft and collaboration. Members of both juries were felicitated by Joint Secretaries of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting – Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan and Dr. K K Nirala, Managing Director, NFDC Sh. Prakash Magdum, and CEO, ShortsTV Carter Pilcher.

Award recipients of CMOT 2025 are as follows:

• Best Film: The Paper Sky (Blue Team)
• Runner-Up Film: The Spit Show (Green Team)
• Best Director: Raghu Arav – The Paper Sky (Blue Team)
• Best Script: Vishwas K – The Spit Show (Green Team)
• Best Director of Photography: Ramiz Naveeth (Green Team)
• Best Actor: Arpit Raj (Blue Team)
• Best Actress: Sajumi Hamalkar – The Spit Show (Green Team)

Certificates were presented to all participating teams in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, NFDC, IFFI, CMOT leadership, and ShortsTV.

Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Great Grand Jury, Sh. Dharmendra praised the participants for their innovative approach, urging them to continue building stories with courage and sincerity. The evening concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by General Manager, NFDC Sh. Ajay Dhoke.

A defining highlight of this year’s CMOT was the remarkable performance of creators from the Create in India Challenge (CIC) – Season 1, an initiative of the WAVES programme. Eleven CIC winners entered CMOT as wild-card participants and went on to secure national recognition, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the country’s brightest young filmmakers.

Six CIC participants were part of Team Blue, the CMOT 2025 winning team:

• Anjali Verma (WAM! Challenge)
• Hussain Abbas
• Aditi Dixit
• Varun Sapkal
• Elango
• Amit Sonawane

(all from WAVES Awards of Excellence)

Their team secured top honours, receiving national acclaim and cash awards for their performances in the 48-hour challenge.

Five CIC creators were part of the Runner-Up Team, receiving recognition in major craft categories, including Best DOP, Best Writer, Best Actress and Best Animation:

• Vidit Singh
• Herram
• Manish
• Ayush Singh (Young Filmmakers Challenge)
• Chinmay Narote (WAM! Challenge)

Their achievements underscored the growing strength of the Create in India Challenge, a platform designed to elevate India’s next generation of storytellers, technologists, and creators. Their presence across winning teams and award categories reaffirmed CIC’s role in shaping the country’s creative economy and nurturing talent equipped for global opportunities.

About Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT)

CMOT is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), aimed at discovering, mentoring and showcasing the next generation of Indian storytellers. Designed as a launchpad for young talent, the programme offers participants a unique opportunity to create films within a 48-hour challenge and present them at one of Asia’s most prestigious film festivals.

The fifth edition of CMOT brought together around 125 emerging creators across 13 film crafts. Since its inception in 2021, CMOT has grown steadily, with alumni screening at major global festivals, earning national recognition, and contributing significantly to India’s creative economy.

About the Create in India Challenge (CIC)

The Create in India Challenge (CIC), a flagship initiative under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has rapidly grown into a global platform for emerging creative talent. Season 1 received nearly one lakh registrations, including over 1,100 international participants from more than 60 countries.

From this pool, 750 finalists showcased their work at Creatosphere during WAVES 2025, representing innovation across animation, gaming, AI, XR, comics, music and other creative disciplines. The cohort also included 43 international finalists from over 20 countries.

CIC recorded participation from all 28 States and 8 Union Territories, with creators ranging from 12 to 66 years of age. With challenges spanning education, culture and cutting-edge digital creativity, CIC reflects India’s growing leadership in the global creative economy.