IFAI frames this as a triumphant moment of solidarity β filmmakers finally having a 'collective voice' to advocate for independent cinema's future. Founder Anshuman Jha calls it an ecosystem where artists won't feel isolated, with shared resources around marketing and distribution.
Insiders say the WhatsApp group that sparked this movement reveals how desperate things got β what started as a few complaints grew into 120+ members venting about being squeezed out by big-budget Bollywood releases hogging all the screens. The 'Agra' situation in late 2025 was apparently the final straw.
Kanu Behl's 'Agra' debuted at Cannes in 2023 but received limited showtimes and minimal exhibition backing when it hit theaters in late 2025 β despite strong critical support. Over 120 filmmakers have now joined IFAI, announced publicly on May 16, 2026 at the Cannes Film Festival.
This is exactly what happens when an industry decides it's done being ignored β and with heavy hitters like Nandita Das, Abhay Deol, and Honey Trehan behind it, distributors and streamers can no longer pretend indie Indian cinema doesn't have a powerful unified lobby pushing back.
In a move that's sending shockwaves through India's film distribution ecosystem, over 120 directors and producers have officially launched the Independent Filmmakers Assn. of India β and they're not mincing words about why they needed to exist. The collective made its grand debut at Cannes on May 16, with actor-producer Anshuman Jha and filmmaker Devashish Makhija standing front and center as the faces of what founding members are calling "a larger movement" that grew from a humble WhatsApp group.
The trigger? Kanu Behl's "Agra," which premiered at Cannes in 2023 to critical praise β only to be practically buried when it reached Indian theaters in late 2025. According to the new association, the film was allotted limited showtimes and minimal exhibition backing from distributors, a situation its makers came to see as symptomatic of deeper structural failures plaguing India's independent sector.
"What started as a small WhatsApp conversation between a handful of filmmakers organically grew into a larger movement," founding members said in a joint statement. "We realized that independent films in India are surviving not because of the system, but often in spite of it." The founding board reads like a who's-who of India's art-house landscape: Aarti Kadav ("Cargo"), Alankrita Shrivastava ("Lipstick Under My Burkha"), Bauddhayan Mukherji ("The Violin Player"), Honey Trehan ("A Death in the Gunj"), Kanu Behl himself, Sudhanshu Saria ("Loev") β and that's just the headline names.
Wider membership extends to established stars like Nandita Das and Abhay Deol, giving IFAI an unusual blend of underground credibility and mainstream firepower. Shrivastava didn't hide her frustration: "I feel the space for the independent-spirited, alternative film is shrinking. And that bothers me." Beyond pure advocacy, IFAI plans to tackle the problem head-on with dedicated groups addressing exhibition, distribution, public policy, mentorship, and audience development β plus actual workshops and community programs for emerging talent.
Jha framed it as practical necessity: "The idea is to create an ecosystem where independent filmmakers don't feel isolated while making deeply personal cinema." Behl, meanwhile, positioned the fight in generational terms: "Independent cinema is where new voices, new forms, and uncomfortable truths emerge first. We need to nurture and protect that space for the next generation of cinematic experimentation and expression." Make no mistake β this isn't just whining from artists who didn't get enough award-season buzz.
India's indie filmmakers are navigating shrinking theatrical windows and a streaming landscape that's grown far more cautious about risky projects, and they've decided the only way forward is collective power. Whether that translates to actual leverage against distributors and platforms remains to be seen, but with 120+ members and counting, IFAI has already accomplished something significant: they can't be ignored anymore.
