The event brought together the film fraternity and industry officials from across the world
The WAVES International Short Film Festival 3.0 concluded on a high note with a grand award ceremony held at the Entertainment Society of Goa, bringing together filmmakers, artists, and industry professionals from across the country and abroad.
The closing ceremony was graced by actor Jennifer Emanuel, along with eminent personalities including Gurpal Singh, Ashok Rane, Rafey Mahmood, Festival Director Amol Ajgaonkar, Co-Organiser Raj Govekar, and actor Vatsal Sheth. 
This year’s edition saw an impressive 632 submissions, out of which 234 films from across the globe were screened, reflecting a wide spectrum of storytelling, cultures, and cinematic styles.
In the Open Category, Autopsy by Omkar Chandrakant Masurkar won Best Film. In the Goan Konkani section, Halad by Sobita Shaba Kudtarkar won Best Film. Happy Birthday Joshi by Anshul Kumar Sharma, under Ajay Devgn’s production, won Best AI-Generated Film, while Piso by Glen Cardozo received Best Ad Film Commercial. Of Forests and Footprints by Shreya Samvatsar won Best Documentary, and Beacon of Light by Jayshree Verma won Best Animated Film. In the Best Music Video category, Ganapati Tu Sarvashrestha by Ramprasad Adpaikar won the award.
In the 60 Hours Category, UMED by Mayuresh Salgaonkar won the Best Film Award, while Yaad by Suyash Gaude and Dusro Ankh by Sobita Kudtarkar secured top positions among the finalists, in the open category film Autopsy… Directed by Omkar Masurkar was the front runner, which bagged the Award for Best Film, Best Actor Male and Special Jury Mention for Cinematography. 
A special highlight of the evening was the felicitation of versatile actor Anil Raikar, honoured by Ashok Rane and Gurpal Singh in recognition of his contribution to cinema.
The festival once again reinforced its vision of supporting emerging filmmakers while providing a platform that bridges global storytelling with strong regional voices, especially from Goa
