rewrite this title International Affiliation of Writers Guilds To Confront “Cultural Colonialism” At Landmark Indian AGM

EXCLUSIVE: The International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG)’s AGM next week will address the “cultural colonialism” felt by writers from the Global South, we hear.

The IAWG AGM is being held in India for the first time next week, with guilds from around the world set to attend. Along with discussing fair pay and residuals, Anjum Rajabali, senior writer and Screenwriters Association (SWA) of India committee member, told Deadline the relationship between the Global South and major entertainment companies would be a key issue.

“This is not just an event — it is a moment of international solidarity,” said Rajabali. “Writers everywhere face common struggles: For fair pay, residuals/royalties, creative rights and protection from exploitation, but too often, multinational studios and streaming platforms treat writers in the Global South differently from their Western counterparts. This is modern-day cultural colonialism — and it must be confronted.”

The AGM will be held in India’s most populous city, Mumbai, where the SWA is hosting the three-day gala event between October 6-8.

Representatives from the Writers Guild of America (West & East), Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and Writers Guild of Canada are confirmed as attending, along with delegates from European guilds, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Africa and other parts of Asia.

Zaman Habib, General Secretary of the SWA said the AGM would be a “global forum to discuss and defend writers’ rights,” adding: “From standard contracts to collective bargaining, IAWG works to ensure that screenwriters are recognised as the first creators in the filmmaking process. And SWA has their full support, now more than ever. We stand absolutely united, nationally and internationally, to reaffirm the creative power of writers at the heart of storytelling.”

Among the focuses of the AGM will be developing strategies to ensure fair treatment and equitable contracts across borders, the sharing of best practices from recent guild negotiations such as the U.S. labor strike of 2023 and “standing united against discriminatory practices by producers, studios and streaming platforms alike.”