Film Conclave 2025 opens submissions bridging UK investment & Global Indian Cinema

Film Conclave 2025, the premier UK-India co-production market, is now open for submissions. 

This exclusive platform offers filmmakers a rare opportunity to showcase their projects to top industry professionals, financiers and distributors. Taking place on Monday 26th May 2025 at Skyline Tower Suites by Blue Orchid Hotels, London, the conclave is a key event within India Week, hosted by EPG.

As part of a high-profile series of forums uniting policymakers, business leaders and cultural pioneers, India Week plays a crucial role in strengthening UK-India relations. A flagship highlight, Film Conclave 2025 will underscore cinema’s vital role as both a cultural ambassador and an economic driver, bridging the two nations through the power of storytelling.

With hundreds of delegates expected, including top business leaders, policymakers and investors, Film Conclave 2025 promises to be a landmark event. A number of renowned filmmakers and Bollywood actors are due to join following the Cannes Film Festival. 

This dynamic forum offers an invaluable setting for investors, production houses and filmmakers to explore co-production and financing opportunities. 

Filmmakers from around the world are encouraged to submit their work. The general submission deadline is 28th March 2025. Submissions can be made via FilmFreeway: filmfreeway.com/filmconclave.

The conclave in May will feature Investor Roundtables, facilitating private discussions with financiers seeking high-potential film investments; Masterclasses & Panels, featuring renowned directors, producers and OTT leaders discussing India’s evolving film ecosystem; and Networking & Deal-Making, offering a prime opportunity to secure funding and forge co-production agreements. The event will conclude with an intimate networking drinks reception at 6 PM, attended by key figures from Indian cinema and policymaking.

Co-curated by ReelN Ltd, Lotus Visual Productions and in partnership with Integrity International Group, the conference is set to build on its reputation as a cornerstone event for fostering cross-border cinematic partnerships. 

The event will feature a carefully curated selection of films and discussions on UK-India collaborations, international co-production opportunities and evolving trends in streaming, artificial intelligence and visual effects.

Pratik Dattani, Managing Director of EPG said: “The world is eager for authentic, diverse and untold stories from India. Through The Film Conclave, we are not just celebrating Indian cinema; we are providing financial and strategic support to bring these powerful narratives to a global audience.” 

Aman Dhillon, Founding Director of ReelN Ltd, adds: “ReelN is proud to be a partner of Film Conclave and excited to curate the programme for its second year! The film co- production market launched this year will bridge a gap and provide a much-needed platform for film financing discussions.”

The upcoming edition follows last year’s successful turnout, which featured esteemed industry figures such as Pranab Kapadia (Jigra, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani), Sudipto

Sarkar (Chandu Champion) and Taha Shah Badussha (Heeramandi). The 2024 event also hosted a special exhibition celebrating the cinematic legacy of Vijay Anand and Dev Anand. Film Conclave 2025 continues to serve as a vital hub for emerging and established filmmakers looking to expand their reach into international markets.

EPG is an economic and strategy consulting firm with offices in the UK, India and Uganda, which offers market entry advisory, strategic communications, trade and investment promotion, economic analysis and corporate events to businesses and governments across the world.

 India Week provides a global forum to share the story of India’s growth with the world. It is an annual series of events taking place across the UK, starting in 2023 and providing a gateway for businesses and change-makers to understand the economic, political and cultural nuances of working with India.

The ‘India Story’ abroad is often presented through a narrow lens, be it focusing only on business and the economy, society or policy landscape. Given its diversity, everything about India, and its opposite, is true in unison. India Week aims to help ‘India watchers’ better understand this and make high-level business and policy connections. 

India Week is a registered trademark and has expanded from being known as UK-India Week to incorporating not just the bilateral dialogue between these countries, but helping companies have a truly global perspective. Our guests include world leaders, governments, industry experts, innovators, founders, change-makers and investors. India Week 2025 is the place to engage in high level discussions on the New India.

India continues to lead global economic growth, outpacing other major economies. As the world grapples with the realities of a multipolar world and potential disruption from the new Presidency in Washington. The UK and India stand poised to build a dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership, capitalising on shared opportunities and addressing common challenges.

The recent elections in both nations have paved the way for renewed dialogue and collaboration. As Western economies diversify supply chains and reduce dependencies on China, India stands to benefit. The much-anticipated resumption of discussions on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement adds further momentum to this growing relationship. 

EPG’s India Week 2025 is an annual get- together of change-makers, policy and business leaders for high-level discussions on pertinent topics. India Week offers a series of events, from the Ideas for India conference on policy, business and economics to the Film Conclave, introducing a UK-India film coproduction market. It concludes with an elegant black-tie dinner, capping off a sequence of impactful activities.

Among the highlights of India Week is Film Conclave. The inaugural Film Conclave in 2024 was part of the annual India Week and featured insightful conversations with leading industry figures from Indian cinema, including Pranab Kapadia, the distributor of films like Jigra and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani and Sudipto Sarkar, the writer of Chandu Champion. The event also featured Taha Shah Badussha from Netflix’s Heeramandi, who shared insights on his journey and the evolving world of streaming. 

Alongside this, we explored opportunities for UK and Indian actors in each other’s industries, the transformative impact of OTT platforms, AI and VFX on cinema and strategies for securing OTT deals. We featured the cinematic legacy of filmmaker Vijay Anand and his actor brother Dev Anand through an exclusive exhibition titled The Anand Brothers: A Journey Through Film.

Aman Dhillon is the founding director at ReelN Ltd. The company provides film, arts programming, consultancy and event management services including PR. Dhillon has a wealth of experience in leading high quality educational and entertainment events from grassroots to events at BAFTA, BFI and the House of Lords with a particular focus on South Asia. 

After managing the UK Asian Film Festival for a few years and since 2021 she has programmed several festivals, managed the DESIblitz Literature festival, the official South Asian Heritage Month film festival at SOAS, and to highlight social awareness. 

Aman works with independent cinemas and more recently joined the BFI Film Hub North as a consultant advising on South Asian film programming, wraparound activity and audience development. Based in North Hertfordshire we have set up a community cinema and children’s film club. 

She is the ED&I consultant for Letchworth arts and leisure group and involved in many local committees developing arts, heritage and culture initiatives. She is also a jury member for Bradford Council’s large grants apps.

 ReelN Ltd is a London-based company specialising in film programming, event management, and PR services. Founded in 2021, it curates films for UK venues and online platforms, organises Q&As and workshops and supports filmmakers with marketing.

Committed to diversity and inclusion, the company actively engages with the film community through events and social media. Aman also talent manages top artists including Heeramandi’s Taha Shah Badussha, who attended as a keynote speaker at Film Conclave 2024.