Western Australia has taken a new step towards strengthening its creative and cultural relationship with India with the launch of the West Australian Indian Film Council (WAIFC) in Perth.
The independent not-for-profit organisation was officially launched by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook MLA on Friday, September 11, bringing together representatives from government, the Indian diplomatic community, the screen sector, business and the wider community.
The new council aims to establish long-term connections between Western Australia and India across film, television, streaming, animation, digital media and other creative industries. It will focus on turning growing interest between the two regions into practical opportunities for collaboration and industry development.
The launch also highlighted the historic connection between Perth and Indian cinema. Fearless Nadia, one of the early stars of Indian film, was born in Perth in 1908 as Mary Ann Evans before moving to India during her childhood, where she later became an influential figure in the country’s film industry.
More than a century after Fearless Nadia’s birth, WAIFC is seeking to create a new chapter in the relationship by connecting Western Australian creative talent and businesses with India’s vast screen industry.
WAIFC Chair and Director Nilesh Makwana said Western Australia was well positioned to play a larger role in the Australia-India creative relationship. Perth’s geographic proximity to India, he said, provides the state with a distinctive position for building connections with Mumbai and the wider Indian Ocean region.
The council plans to bring together filmmakers, producers, creative professionals, businesses, educators, government bodies, festivals and community organisations. Its work will include supporting industry delegations and networking, encouraging producer-to-producer connections and promoting Western Australia as a potential destination for international screen production.
Opportunities being explored include co-productions, filming locations, talent exchanges, education, investment, festivals and cultural partnerships. The council also intends to support knowledge sharing and create stronger links between the screen, tourism, education and business sectors.
Consul General of India to Western Australia and the Northern Territory Kajari Biswas welcomed the initiative, highlighting the ability of film and storytelling to build cultural understanding while opening new avenues for cooperation.
The scale of the opportunity is significant. India’s film and entertainment industry was estimated to have generated US$5.91 billion in 2025, with more than 2,000 films produced annually across more than 30 languages. This gives WAIFC a large and diverse creative market with which Western Australian producers and businesses can potentially engage.
Western Australia is also expanding its own screen-production capabilities. The state’s cultural and creative industries contributed an estimated $6.2 billion to the WA economy in 2024, while the WA Government has committed $290 million to Perth Film Studios and its operations.
WAIFC is intended to connect these two strengths by creating opportunities for Australian and Indian companies and creative professionals to work together. The council hopes such partnerships can generate employment, support emerging talent, retain skilled graduates and professionals, develop local intellectual property and promote Western Australia to audiences and industry across India.
For the Indian community in Western Australia, the initiative also adds another dimension to the state’s growing relationship with India. Beyond trade and migration, screen and creative industries offer opportunities to strengthen cultural connections through stories, shared productions and greater interaction between creative communities.
The launch is expected to be the starting point for a broader program of engagement involving industry partnerships, delegations and cultural initiatives. WAIFC’s longer-term ambition is to establish Western Australia as a stronger participant in the Australia-India screen relationship and create new pathways connecting Perth with India’s rapidly evolving creative economy.
