Payal Kapadia Joins South Asian Documentary Collective for Pioneering Lab Initiative (EXCLUSIVE)

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Documentary filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prix at Cannes for her film “All We Imagine as Light,” is now collaborating with an esteemed group of South Asian documentarians on a groundbreaking project known as Doc Producing South.

The five-day creative workshop taking place in Delhi from September 1st to the 5th is designed to foster and cultivate documentary filmmaking skills among emerging talent from South Asia. It offers a rigorous, peer-driven mentorship program. This endeavor unites some of the region’s distinguished filmmakers, including Shaunak Sen (“All That Breathes”), Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (“Writing With Fire”), who have been recognized with Academy Award nominations.

Because I was educated in Europe on how to make documentaries, I gained insight into film production there. However, when it came time to decide the best course for our initial Indian film, we found ourselves overwhelmed and facing significant struggles,” Kapadia explained. “Much like many other documentary directors, I took on the role of producer out of necessity. Learning the ropes of production as you go along can be challenging for the films, and it’s also a lengthy and solitary process.

Six producer-director teams who have feature documentary projects will be chosen by the lab for an intensive workshop. This workshop will focus on developing proposals, budgeting, financing, devising distribution strategies, and negotiating rights. The program offers both in-person training sessions and ongoing online mentorship that lasts until July 2026.

Established by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, Doc Producing South was born out of a noticeable void within the industry. As Dutta, whose film “Nocturnes” debuted at Sundance 2024 in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, where it earned a special jury award, observed, “I frequently noticed that while there were many South Asian films pitched at forums, few were actually produced. I recognized one of the significant gaps was the scarcity of creative producing talent in South Asia.” The aim of this initiative is to fill this gap and cultivate skills among the non-fiction producing community within the filmmaking sector.

As a film critic with roots at Harvard University and FTII Pune, I’ve been on this cinematic journey for more than two decades. I’ve found that there are multiple paths to disrupt the entrenched systems of colonialism and exploitation globally, and documentaries have proven to be one potent tool in my arsenal. Another strategy is fostering communities of solidarity among fellow filmmakers in our region. My collaborative documentary “Flickering Lights” won the Best Cinematography Award at IDFA’s international competition 2023, while another co-production, “Nocturnes,” earned a Special Jury Award at Sundance 2024.

The group encompasses cinematographer-producer Ranabir Das, who was responsible for shooting, editing, and producing “A Night of Knowing Nothing” (directed by Payal Kapadia), which won the Golden Eye Award at Cannes 2021. Through his company Another Birth, he also produced and shot “All We Imagine as Light.” Das expressed, “The most challenging aspect of filmmaking in India is uncertainty about whether a film you envision will get the chance to be created. The aim of this workshop is to empower filmmakers and producers to make their films on their own terms.

Filmmaker Arya Rothe, who co-founded NoCut Film Collective with bases in India, Italy, and Romania, has received the IDA Logan Elevate award. Her first film, “A Rifle and a Bag,” received special recognition at Rotterdam 2020 and was screened at over 50 festivals. She also co-produced “Marching in the Dark,” which was nominated for the 2024 European Academy Awards. Rothe emphasized the importance of the current initiative, stating that due to recent changes in the documentary filmmaking landscape in South Asia, it’s crucial to cultivate local producers and investigate funding methods that enhance self-reliance.

Bhutanese filmmaker Arun Bhattarai, renowned for movies such as “Agent of Happiness,” “The Next Guardian,” and “Mountain Man,” is a recipient of national film awards and one of the few independent filmmakers in his country. His latest work, “Agent of Happiness,” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for IDA awards. Bhattarai expressed, “Having spent over a decade crafting two full-length films, I’ve had a diverse journey navigating the producing terrain, which I wish to pass on to other filmmakers. It seems that more and more films from South Asia are being recognized globally in recent years. However, we all face a common challenge: preserving the uniqueness of our local narratives while also gaining access to international financing and festivals.

Anu Rangachar, a seasoned programmer at Mumbai’s MAMI who oversaw their international division, established Gratitude Films in the USA. To begin with, she collaborated with Deaf Crocodile, a production company based in LA, to promote Indian independent films. Her portfolio encompasses “Nasir” (2020), “Rapture” (2023), and “Baksho Bondi” (2025). In 2024, she was bestowed the position of artistic director at IFFLA, where her creative vision has been guiding discourses on South Asian cinema on a global scale.

This platform was created based on a straightforward fact: South Asian voices, particularly in documentaries, have historically been overlooked, not because they lack stories or creativity – but due to insufficient access, guidance, and resources.” Some of his short films include the National Award-winning “Timbaktu” (2012) and “Dilli” (2011). In 2023, he co-founded the Himalayan Story Lab, a nurturing environment for filmmakers from the Himalayan region who are often overlooked.

Starting from April 30th, applications will be accepted for the program, which has organizational backing from the Niv Foundation, Goethe Institute, and Institut Francais. The final date to submit your application is June 15th.

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2025-04-22 00:19