Mumbai, March 11 Women in Film India (WIF India) has announced a scholarship for emerging women producers from India to participate in the impACT Lab programme at the Marche du Film, which takes place alongside the Cannes Film Festival.
Launched in collaboration with impACT Lab, the initiative is open to India-based women producers who have produced at least two short films and are currently developing their first feature film.
Two selected candidates will participate in a hybrid programme comprising online workshops in April and May this year, followed by on-site sessions in Cannes from May 13 to 18, according to a press release.
The programme culminates with access to the producers network, offering entry to industry breakfasts, networking events, and workshops with global decision-makers.
The initiative builds on WIF India's inaugural presence at Cannes in 2025, when the organization launched the Cannes Producers' Fellowship and introduced its first delegation of Indian women producers to the Producers Network.
Guneet Monga Kapoor, founder of Women in Film India, said the scholarship was a fulfillment of the promise made at Cannes last year – to create real access for women producers from India to global platforms.
"At Women in Film India, every day is Women's Day... International film festivals have been transformative spaces in my own journey as a producer, and this scholarship is about ensuring that more women get the chance to bring their stories, their voices, and their projects into those spaces," said the Oscar-winning producer.
Led by Monga and backed by Women in Film Los Angeles (WIF LA), WIF India is part of a global coalition of over 50 chapters across six continents working to advance gender equity in the entertainment industry.
Alexandra Zakharchenko, Head of Industry Programs at the Marché du Film, called the partnership an important step in ensuring the presence of emerging women producers from India on the global stage.
"Beyond this opportunity, impACT Lab also aims to bring together a new generation of like-minded producers who are committed to developing films in a more sustainable way—both in their production practices and in the stories they bring to the screen—while navigating an increasingly complex and challenging global landscape," she said.
Rabia Chopra, Programming and Development Head at WIF India, said meaningful engagement with the international co-production ecosystem remained limited for many women producers in India.
She expressed hope that the programme would help create "visibility, open doors, and connect impact-driven stories" from Indian women producers.