Kannada film Pedro, directed by Natesh Hegde, is one among the five Indian films selected for the prestigious NFDC Film Bazaar’s Work In Progress (WIP) Lab, which will be held in Panjim from November 20 to 24.  

WIP Lab is open only to fiction features looking for theatrical release. According to information on NFDC Film Bazaar’s website, “the director and editor of the selected film screen their rough cuts to the panel of mentors and receive an in-depth one-on-one feedback. The international editor assigned to the film guides the director and editor of the selected film through two sessions of the editing lab which takes place at Film Bazaar itself.” Those who mentor the director and editors include a film festival director, producer and film editors.

Since the WIP Lab was started in 2008, it has moulded a number of films that have gone on to be screened at top international film festivals. Some of these include Malayalam film Moothon, Kannada film Thithi, and Hindi film Lipstick Under My Burkha which were selected in 2017, 2014 and 2015 respectively. 

This year, apart from Pedro, three Hindi films and one film in Gojri have been selected. The Gojri film chosen is Laila Aur Satt Geet (The Shepherdess And The Seven Songs) which is directed by Pushpendra Singh. The Hindi films selected are Shankar's Fairies directed by Irfana Majumdar, Swizerland directed by Ajitpal Singh, and Uljhan directed by Ashish Pant.

This year, the filmmakers and will be mentored by leading New Zealand producer and Emmy, Golden Globe and PGA award nominee Philippa Campbell, Huffpost film critic Derek Malcolm, producer Olivia Stewart who was also the mentor/creative producer of The Lunchbox and Titli, film critic, historian and director Marco Muller, editor Jacques Cornets, and editor-producer Lizi Gelber.

The NFDC Film Bazaar is a 12-year-old endeavour which discovers, supports and showcases South Asian films, and also promotes the sales of world cinema in South Asia.