MAM
LTIMindtree, IFFI script India’s first AI film fest
MUMBAI: Cinema is getting a digital rewrite. LTIMindtree has partnered with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) to launch India’s first-ever AI Film Festival and Hackathon, set to take place during IFFI 2025 in Goa from November 20 to 28.
The initiative, powered by LTIMindtree’s Blueverse Craftstudio, aims to explore how artificial intelligence can reshape the way stories are written, filmed, and experienced. From AI-generated films to creative tech experiments, the festival promises to be a melting pot of imagination and innovation.
Speaking about the initiative, festival director of IFFI and jury chair of the IFFI AI film festival Shekhar Kapur said, “Cinema has always reflected the power of human imagination. Today, AI gives us a new lens that expands our ability to dream, design, and express.”
Adding to that, LTIMindtree executive vice president and global head of interactive services Sujay Sen said, “The future of storytelling lies at the confluence of human creativity and AI. We’re proud to help bring that future to life.”
NFDC managing director Prakash Magdum noted that this partnership extends IFFI’s legacy of celebrating emerging voices and technologies into “the world of AI: responsibly, inclusively, and with global collaboration.”
The event will feature an AI film showcase, a 48-hour hackathon, and workshops on creative technology, offering filmmakers, developers, and dreamers alike a front-row seat to the next big evolution in storytelling.
As cinema meets code in Goa, IFFI 2025 might just prove that the next great filmmaker could be part human, part algorithm.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
