NFDC and OTT Platforms to Co-Produce 22 Regional Films

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has announced a co-production framework with four major streaming platforms — two international and two India-origin — to fund, produce and distribute 22 feature films in 11 regional and minority languages over the next two years.

The languages include Odia, Bhojpuri, Dogri, Tulu, Kokborok, Sindhi, Santali, Meitei, Nepali, Kodava and Chhattisgarhi — reflecting a policy priority of backing languages with sizeable speaking communities but minimal cinema infrastructure.

Key Highlights

• 22 feature films in 11 regional and minority languages.
• Four streaming partners: two international, two India-origin.
• NFDC funds 40%; the platform funds 60% for streaming rights.
• Every film gets a theatrical release before its streaming premiere.
• Over 1,800 screenplay applications already received.

How the Framework Works

NFDC will contribute 40 per cent of production costs and the streaming partner 60 per cent in exchange for streaming rights. Every funded film gets a theatrical release window before its streaming premiere — reversing the streaming-first model common in recent OTT acquisitions and keeping cinema as a primary cultural space for these communities.

The framework at a glance

NFDC-OTT co-production framework

Detail	Fact
Films	22 features
Languages	11 regional and minority languages
Funding split	NFDC 40% / platform 60%
Release	Theatrical window before streaming
Applications	Over 1,800 received
Development	Four-week residency at FTII, Pune

How Projects Are Selected

Projects are chosen through an open screenplay development call that has drawn more than 1,800 applications. A jury of filmmakers, linguists and cultural practitioners from each language community will prioritise stories rooted in their specific social and geographic realities. Remakes of films already made in other Indian languages are explicitly excluded, to counter the tendency of smaller industries to recycle formulas from larger ones.

Development Support

Selected filmmakers must complete a four-week script development residency at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, working with a consultant fluent in the production language and a production-design mentor experienced in low-budget regional work. Development support has historically been the weakest link for non-Hindi Indian cinema.

The Distribution Guarantee

The most significant feature is the upfront distribution guarantee. Films in smaller-language industries have long struggled to reach national or global audiences even after critical acclaim, because conventional networks see little incentive in small markets. The streaming guarantee means a Kokborok-language film can be as accessible in Karnataka or Chicago as a Hindi blockbuster.

Executives cited the global success of Korean, Spanish and Japanese originals as evidence that Indian regional storytelling has comparable international potential with equivalent investment and reach — an ambition echoed by India's recent Palme d'Or win.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many films will be funded?

22 features across 11 regional and minority languages over two years.

How is the cost split?

NFDC funds 40 per cent; the streaming platform funds 60 per cent for streaming rights.

Will the films release in theatres?

Yes. Each gets a theatrical window before its streaming premiere.

Are remakes allowed?

No. Remakes of films already made in other Indian languages are excluded.

What support do filmmakers get?

A four-week script development residency at FTII Pune with language and production-design mentors.

Sources

• National Film Development Corporation
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India
• Film and Television Institute of India