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ROOT.AX

An annual creative media accelerator that connects philanthropic and institutional capital with high-quality cultural work.

Image or Video of projects, accelerator etc.

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Root.ax brings together curated cohorts of impact media projects to receive development, production, and circulation support.

ANNUAL THEMES

Our Three Tracks

Each annual edition supports projects in one of three thematic tracks.

Track 1

Science

& Technology

Media projects exploring how technology shapes culture, power, labour, governance, and everyday life.

Track 2

Communities & Livelihoods

Storytelling rooted in labour, ecology, craft and local economies—with an emphasis on work and lived experience.

TRACK 3

New Media & Creative Technology

Projects and start-ups expanding how culture is made, experienced, and distributed using new media tools and platforms.

FOCUS AREAS

  • Digital Inclusivity

FOCUS AREAS

  • Informal and Formal Labour

FOCUS AREAS

  • Participation-First Narratives

  • Open Futures

  • Heritage Preservation & Tech

  • Craft Economies & Artisan Communities

  • Reimagining Civic & Social Engagement

  • Ecology & Community Resilience

  • Locality & Neighbourhoods

  • Startups at the Culture–Tech Frontier

Through Root.ax, participants receive exclusive access to spaces and networks embedded within industry and impact sectors.

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Learn from leading voices in media, impact, philanthropy & technology.

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Access flagship events and showcases.

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Meet a tight-knit peer community of ambitious creators and builders

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Find hands-on collaboration or support with our partners

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Past accelerators have been launched in collaboration with partners such as

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PROCESS

Program Flow

Each edition follows a 4-phase process.

PHASE 1

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Curation of Talent

Open calls and targeted sourcing, with selection based on narrative strength, thematic fit, stage of development, and circulation potential.

PHASE 2

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Project Enrichment

Phased incubation across creative development, impact, and distribution through mentorship and expertise run at industry events. Select projects receive funding and production oversight.

PHASE 3

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Impact Acceleration

Streamlined impact campaign strategy and defined outcomes to catalyse the media's thematic issue areas.

PHASE 4

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​Amplification

Select projects receive support with festival circulation, platform releases, institutional partnerships, and public engagement.

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A quick glimpse into the partnerships root.ax is now assembling:

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

THEMATIC TRACK 

IMPACT & DISTRIBUTION

Dharamshala IFF

Cinevesture IFF

When East Meets West (WEMW)

Waves NFDC Film Bazaar

CultureCon India

Animela India

Kula Conclave

Mozilla Festival

RightsCon 2026

SXSW Innovation Conference

Indian Games Developer Conference (IGDC)

Dasra Philanthropy Week

Alternativa Film Festival

Good Media Lab & Pitch

AVPN Impact Week

Movies that Matter

Games for Change Festival

Sustaina, CEEW

Tasveer Film Festival

EyeMyth Festival

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Applications opening soon. Join the Waitlist.

Partner with Root.ax. Sponsor a cohort

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PORTFOLIO

Projects Accelerated

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Humans in the Loop

Feature Film + Global Impact Campaign

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Tribal Communities | Women & Labour | AI Bias

A film by Aranya Sahay examining AI bias and invisible labour through the story of an Adivasi woman who begins a job as a data labeller in Jharkhand. Developed through the Museum of Imagined Futures Accelerator.

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Partners: Omidiyar, Urbz, Doc Society, IFFLA, MAMI, G5A, BIC, UNESCO, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Film Independent, Gates Foundation, Third Eye Portal, Aapti Institute, IT for Change, Columbia University, Brown University, Tasveer, Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT)

TAAK

Short Film + Impact Campaign

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Privacy | Women & Labour | Surveillance

A tech-noir film set in Delhi, exploring surveillance through the life of a nightclub bouncer whose employers force her to wear a tracking device. Developed through the Museum of Imagined Futures accelerator.

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Partners: Omidiyar, Urbz, Internet Freedom Foundation, Tactical Tech (Berlin), MAMI, Quest Alliance, BIC, Aapti Institute, Bot Populi, Jaipur Centre for Art, NYIFF, MAP Bangalore, DIFF

Queer Calls

Queer Acceptance + Social First Series

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Queer Acceptance | Social First Series

An Instagram-native series launched through a participatory installation at Chennai Pride 2025, in partnership with local NGOs and Tamil queer creators.

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Partners: Samathuva Chennai, Sanjevi, Chennai Pride, Earthbound

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