A masterclass on Conscious Storytelling at WIFF Mumbai 2025 explored how cinema can elevate empathy, awareness, and collective purpose across cultures and generations.

At WIFF Mumbai 2025, a masterclass on Conscious Storytelling led by Sandra de Castro Buffington brought together filmmakers, writers, and changemakers to explore how cinema can awaken empathy and inspire social transformation. Hosted by RV University, sponsored by Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS), and moderated by Dr. Piyush Roy, the session featured Brahmanand S Siingh and Barnali Ray Shukla, who shared insights from their journeys in filmmaking. The discussion reaffirmed cinema’s power to not only reflect the world but to reshape it—with purpose, compassion, and consciousness.

At the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai 2025, storytelling was not just celebrated—it was reimagined as a force of transformation. On 5th October 2025, at 10 AM IST, a deeply engaging Masterclass on Conscious Storytelling took place at the Maverick Studios Preview Theatre, Andheri West. The session was powered by RV University, sponsored by the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS), and moderated by National Award-winning critic and professor Dr. Piyush Roy.

The masterclass was led by Sandra de Castro Buffington, joining remotely from Los Angeles. A pioneering filmmaker and global leader in entertainment for social impact, Sandra is the Founder of StoryAction, LLC and the UCLA Global Media Center for Social Impact. Her work—spanning over fifty countries—has inspired tangible change, including a 43% surge in sexual assault hotline calls following the release of her project Brainwashed.

WIFF Mumbai: A Platform for Evolving Cinema

As India’s emerging hub for independent cinema, WIFF Mumbai has established itself as a nurturing space for creative exchange. Hosted in the cultural heart of Aram Nagar, Versova from the 2^nd to the 6^th October 2025 and established as an annual occurence, the festival gathered storytellers, filmmakers, scholars, and audiences to explore how film can question, heal, and transform. The Conscious Storytelling masterclass reflected WIFF’s larger mission—to create conversations that transcend form and language, and to build bridges between art, empathy, and activism.

Sandra de Castro Buffington: Reimagining the Blueprint of Our Shared Future

Sandra de Castro Buffington opened the masterclass with a deeply resonant call to creators everywhere: “The Masterclass in Conscious Storytelling is a groundbreaking invitation to awaken the creative force within us—to tell stories that uplift consciousness, heal, and reconnect us to one another and to the planet.”

In her exploration of the evolving relationship between media and human consciousness, Sandra emphasised that storytelling must move beyond narratives rooted in fear and separation. She urged participants to “listen more deeply—to the wisdom of our inner world, to the voices at the margins, and to the pulse of life itself.”

“The stories we tell today are shaping the blueprint of our shared future,” said Buffington. “This Masterclass is about birthing a new vibration in storytelling—one that connects us to ourselves, to each other, and to the evolving consciousness of the planet. It is both a sanctuary and a creative laboratory—a space to remember who we are as storytellers and to birth narratives that open hearts, bridge worlds, and guide us toward a more awakened, unified future.”

Voices from the Masterclass: A Collective Reflection

For Barnali Ray Shukla, acclaimed filmmaker, poet, and storyteller, the masterclass offered a vital moment of reflection amid today’s climate of division: “In a time where empathy seems to be at an all-time low and a deliberate polarisation in more than just in the air, here was a morning that brought out reason and effects of rising above the din of sundry, help find a universal voice and yet be entertaining, engaging and be more than just a message. This masterclass weaved life, cinema—its perils and panache—and all that makes us storytellers, each in our unique way.”

National Award-winning filmmaker Brahmanand S Siingh, known for his deeply human stories like Pancham Unmixed, Kaagaz Ki Kashti, and Jhalki, echoed her sentiment: “It was indeed a very enjoyable session for me as well, and I'm quite sure by everyone. I feel Sandra set the context with her wonderful presentation. She articulated with insight and experience what many might have very little idea about. Barnali came up with her experiences and insight more at a local level. Followed by me, sharing examples with some of the little known but supremely fruitful and impactful results with my film Jhalki, with a backdrop of human trafficking and child labour, working in close association with Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi who has dedicated a lifetime to pull children out of this insidious practice which affect 150 million children worldwide and 60 million in India itself. I feel ‘conscious storytelling’ works as a foundation for Cinema for Change, since films are such a powerful medium to reach out to millions and create an awareness through powerful storytelling with a call to action for the cause to make this world a better one. All the best for such panels.”

Moderator Dr. Piyush Roy, who brought together this inspiring exchange, reflected on the morning’s energy and shared purpose: “Thank you once again for thinking about this panel, and helping us make such inspiring introductions with fellow storytellers. Sandra’s introductory lecture on conscious storytelling had many takeaways for me both as a filmmaker and teacher of cinema, and I look forward to continuing the conversations around our educational endeavours. Barnali and Brahmanand made for such enthusiastic panellists and their diverse personal journeys brought insights that furthered the trigger lecture idea with examples from the Indian context. We also had a very participative and interactive audience and I would like to thank all the organisers at WIFF for the same. Looking forward to the edited version, as it also will be a valuable learning and teaching module for upcoming storytellers.”

Cinema as Conscious Evolution

The Conscious Storytelling Masterclass became a mirror to the transformative role cinema can play in today’s fractured world. Through the insights of Sandra, Barnali, Brahmanand, and Piyush, the discussion reaffirmed that storytelling is not just a creative act—it is a social, emotional, and spiritual one.

At WIFF Mumbai 2025, the conversation wasn’t only about films. It was about awakening the storyteller within each of us—to create, connect, and contribute to a more compassionate, conscious world.