CIFF market program unveils projects

Chandigarh’s first International film festival, Cinevesture International Film Festival announces 20 projects selected in the CIFF Market to be held from 27– 31 March 2024, on the sidelines of the festival.
CIFF market is designed to facilitate both the business and creative aspects of the filmmaking industry. It seeks to create links between investors and curated projects.

The market will facilitate the development and production of long-form film content through financial investment in curated projects, and independent projects brought to the marketplace. The projects would be introduced to exhibitors and distributors as well.
Namrata Joshi, CIFF Market curator says, “ To borrow a popular phrase our selection is Fun Fearless Female and full-on Punjab. We have projects in various stages of development. From those requiring funding for research and script development to those with scripts locked and ready to roll. The majority of the projects are by women. And/Or women-focused. A bunch of them are by filmmaking talent from Punjab and/or set in the state that’s hosting the festival and the market. Class divides and conflicts, an unfortunate contemporary reality, is a running theme through some of the selected projects. Queer identity issues also find space.”

She adds, “ The selection cuts across genres—there’s action, thrillers (corporate, police procedurals), drama (human, social, political, coming of age), a folk and mythology-based tale but with a modern spin, epic narrative spanning decades, whimsical romance, and comedy too. Horror makes a striking presence in the selection. That too imagined and created by women. With profound underlying thematic layers.”

The advisory board of CIFF has the presence of Bahubali star and leading film producer, Rana Daggubati, Jerome Paillard who served as Head of the Cannes Film Market, Festival de Cannes from 1995 to 2022, Nicole Guillemet, former Co-Director of Sundance Film Festival, the celebrated Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh (Fire in the Mountains and Tabbar) and other experts in the field of film making.

The festival is being organised by Cinevesture Pvt. Ltd. Nina Lath is the Founder & CEO of the company. The festival is supported by the Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh, Department of Tourism Chandigarh, and Chandigarh Administration. Mr VS Kundu IAS (Retd) and a former Head of the National Films Division of India has come aboard as the Director of the Film Festival and industry veteran Ms Bina Paul as the Artistic Director of CIFF.

Highlights
-Chandigarh’s first International film festival, Cinevesture International Film Festival announces 20 projects selected in the CIFF Market to be held from 27– 31 March 2024, on the sidelines of the festival.

- The 20 curated projects by creators who have made a significant mark in the Indian film industry — 17 features and 3 web series – are an eclectic mix of stories in Hindi, English, Punjabi, Chhattisgarhi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu and Kinnauri.
- The projects include six fiction feature debuts such as Sacred by Deepa Bhatia, 19 by Vikas Chandra, Lalit A by Disha Rindani, Tigdi aka 3-SUM by Roopal Kewalya, Laali by Fahad Mustafa, and Dhundh Saleti by Jasmine Kaur and Avinash Roy.

Mentorship Projects
Three projects have been selected for the Mentorship Program at the CIFF Market.

1) Representatives by Priyankar Patra (drama)

Hindi

Logline- Mrinalini Mitra, a popular actor now past her prime, gets caught in a political duel after the accidental death of a teen in a village she is visiting to the campaign for a party she has recently joined.

Writer-Director: Priyankar Patra, is a producer with Aditya Vikram Sengupta's For Films. His credits include Once Upon A Time In Calcutta (2021, Venice International Film Festival) and The Daughter (2022, Palm Springs International ShortFest). A graduate of the prestigious Northwestern University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Playwriting, Priyankar's scripts explore family ties, politics surrounding death and interpretations of truth. He's an alumni of Television Academy (Emmys) Foundation’s fellowship program where he worked under executive producers Mark Wolper and Kevin Nicklaus (of Bates Motel and Roots fame), in Warner Brothers, Burbank. Priyankar is also an alumni of the Locarno Industry Academy (South Asia) in association with Locarno Film Festival and NFDC, a program for upcoming producers in the film industry.

Producer: Aditya Vikram Sengupta

Logline

Mrinalini Mitra, a popular actor now past her prime, gets caught in a political duel after the accidental death of a teen in a village she is visiting to the campaign for a party she has recently joined.

2) Chanda by Shivika Jain (drama)

Short Film

Hindi

Logline- A subtle portrayal of a wife who wills to stand for herself and tries to disrupt the status quo.

Writer and Director: Shivika Jain has a diverse background in the entertainment industry, with experience in theatre, film, and advertising. Beginning in theatre, she showcased her talents in writing, directing, and acting before transitioning to the film industry, where she contributed as a writer and director. Notably, she served as Script Supervisor for films like Amar Colony and took on various roles such as Assistant Director and Writer in film projects. She is also actively working on her independent short film projects, highlighting her creative vision.

3) The Untimely Death of Leanne’s Dog by Suyash Kamat (coming-of-age/ slice of life/ comedy)

Konkani

Logline: On a stormy day on an idyllic island, two stepsisters trying to arrange a funeral for their dog reunite a community of estranged eccentrics.

Director: Suyash Kamat is a filmmaker and photographer born and brought up in Goa. He has shot/directed multiple short fiction and non-fiction films. His latest short fiction film Sadabahar was funded by Netflix India as a part of their TakeTen initiative to find and fund upcoming filmmakers from India. He worked as a DA with Payal Kapadia on her upcoming feature film All We Imagine as Light (2024). He was recently a participant in Kyoto Filmmakers Lab 23-24; as a part of which he directed a period Japanese short-fiction film. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate course in Cinematography from Satyajit Ray Film & TV Institute.

Writer: Omkar Rege Omkar


List of Selected Market Projects:


1. Girls of Orlem by Alankrita Shrivastava (Drama)

English & Hindi

Logline: An adaptation of Lindsay Pereira’s Gods and Ends, Girls of Orlem is set in the Goan Catholic ghetto of Orlem in Mumbai. An intimate and piercing portrait of a mother and daughter, the film also tells a larger tale of the claustrophobia and broken dreams of the ghetto.

Writer-Director-Producer: Alankrita Shrivastava is an award-winning film and series director and screenwriter from Mumbai, India, with a penchant for telling women’s stories. She loves to explore the interior worlds of women through her work.

Shrivastava has written and directed three feature films, starting with the coming-of-age film Turning 30 (2011). Lipstick Under My Burkha premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival (2016), going on to screen at several film festivals across the world and winning numerous awards. A film about female desire, it sparked a lot of conversation on gender issues. The film released theatrically in India garnering praise and commercial success. Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare (Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars), about the aspirations of two women juxtaposed against a city under construction, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival (2019). It was later released as a Netflix Original Film. Shrivastava has created the Netflix series Bombay Begums and written and directed for it. She has also written and directed for the Emmy-nominated Amazon series Made in Heaven. Shrivastava has also written and directed a segment for the Amazon series Modern Love Mumbai.

Producers: Vikesh Bhutani and Shujat Saudagar (Chalkboard Entertainment

2. Encounter by Anurag Singh (Drama/Thriller)

Punjabi & Hindi

Logline: A newly appointed Punjab Police DSP Zorawar Singh is emotionally sucked into a case when he finds out that a killer is targeting the former colleagues of his deceased father, an officer highly respected for his bravery during the period of militancy in Punjab.


Writer-Director: Jalandhar boy Anurag Singh started off in Bollywood as an assistant director and writer. He made his directorial debut with Raqeeb in 2007. He broke into the Punjabi film industry with Yaar Annmulle in 2011. Following its success, he made Jatt and Juliet (2012), Jatt and Juliet 2 (2013), and Punjab 1984 (2014) that are among the highest-grossing Punjabi films of all time. Anurag launched his production house, Brat Films, with Super Singh in 2017. He has directed Diljit Dosanjh in five films. His latest outing as a director was the Hindi film, Akshay Kumar starrer Kesari in 2019.

3. Husky by Atika Chohan (Drama)

Hindi Chhattisgarhi & English

Logline: Jordon, a pet husky of Mumbai rich, Shivani and Ahaan, dreams of running away from the heat, back home to Serbia while his sprawling coop becomes a cover up for secrets and lies, human bondage and exploitation involving, among others, Kujur, a 19-year-old tribal girl from Chhattisgarh. An eat-the-rich drama that lays bare the deep class divides and apathy that propulsively drive every crime of envy in the country.

Writer: Atika Chohan worked as a journalist for three years in Delhi after finishing her Masters in English Literature from Delhi University (2004). She then took a work sabbatical to study at the Film and Television Institute of India (2008), where she got a degree in screenwriting. Her first film as a co-writer (dialogues), Margarita with a Straw (2015) premiered at TIFF in 2014, followed by a UK premiere at BFI. She went to work on more films of which Waiting (2016) garnered critical acclaim and made her known in the Mumbai film industry. In 2020, she moved into mainstream feature films by co-writing the unflinching Chhapaak, the official biography of the acid attack survivor Laxmi, with top industry actor Deepika Padukone in the lead. The film was directed by Meghna Gulzar (Talvar, Raazi). In 2020, she also co-wrote Guilty; Karan Johan’s first film for Netflix. In 2023, Agra, her film with director Kanu Behl, got selected to be screened at the prestigious Quinzaine des cinéastes, Festival de Cannes. She shares co-writing credits with the director on the film. In 2023, her film Sahela, an intimate relationship drama, executive produced by international actor Dev Patel and directed by Raghuvir Joshi, screened at noted film festivals of the world, including SXSW and Adelaide Film Festival. Both Agra and Sahela were also selected to be screened at the recently held MAMI 2023. Her next Ulajh is in production and is looking at a 2024 theatrical release. Her projects in development include two adaptations, respectively attached to Eternal Sunshine, Alia Bhatt’s production house and Hansal Mehta, the director of Aligarh and Scam. She is also currently writing a series which focuses on gender crime in India. Her focus and strength on feminist subjects are now well established.

4. Peach No. 15 by Ayappa KM (Thriller)

Web Series

Hindi & English

Logline: A tense, darkly funny thriller about Indra, a conscientious workaholic woman caught in the middle of a massive clusterfuck of corporate gluttony that will fracture her morality to the core.

Director: Ayappa KM is a writer and director of short films, documentaries, and television series. His commercials have been highly awarded at both Indian and international festivals including Cannes and D&AD. He is known for his offbeat directing style and unusual casting. Currently partner at Early Man Film, Mumbai, his long form directing work includes ‘War Room’ (from Amazon’s Unpaused-2), Season 1 of the yet to be released political satire ‘Gormint’, the upcoming drama ‘Runners’ and the hybrid documentary ‘Kunde’ (‘Arse’).

Producer: Anand Menon, Creative Consultant: Varun Grover, Lead Writer: Dhruv Narang

5. The Bookkeeper’s Wife (Drama)

Directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji

Hindi

Logline: Through an unexpected discovery at her deceased husband’s office, the wife of a bookkeeper is sent on a trail of heartbreaks, revelations, and introspections. The Bookkeeper's Wife is about an ordinary woman’s extraordinary journey to know more about a person she thought she knew. It leaves her questioning the life-long duality of a man's private and social life.

Writer-Director: Cannes Lion winner, National Award winner, listed by Impact Magazine as one of the ten pathbreakers in Indian advertising filmmaking, Bauddhayan Mukherji runs Little Lamb Films, a production house he founded with wife Monalisa, in Mumbai. He has directed and produced more than 750 commercials and PSAs and has helped create some of the biggest brands in India.In 2013, Bauddhayan ventured into feature films and has directed two of India’s most awarded and internationally acclaimed films under the banner of Little Lamb Films – Teenkahon (2014, Bengali) & The Violin Player (2016, Hindi). These films have been screened at more than 85 film festivals across five continents.Bauddhayan has also produced two critically acclaimed indies post pandemic. The Cloud & the Man (Tallinn, Edinburgh, Santa Barbara) and Whispers of Fire & Water (Locarno, Sao Paulo, El Gouna). Bauddhayan’s next directorial ventures include The Bookkeeper's Wife (Co-Production Market, Film Bazaar 2020 and TFL NEXT, Torino Film Lab 2021) and Marichjhapi (Asian Project Market, Busan 2019 and Cinefondation L’Atelier, Cannes Film Festival 2020).

6. #JACK by Bhaskar Hazarika (Thriller)

Hindi

Logline: An unmarked grave. A missing groom. And a cop who won't give up.

Bhaskar graduated from St Stephen's College, University of Delhi with a BA (Hons) History degree and completed his MA (Film & Drama) at the University of Reading, UK.

Writer-Director: Bhaskar Hazarika’s debut feature "Kothanodi" ("The River of Fables") premiered at Busan International Film Festival 2015. "Kothanodi" received the “Silver Lotus” award conferred by the National Film Awards of India for Best Assamese Film, 2016. His next feature, "Aamis," premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival in the International Narrative Competition section. Both films are available on SonyLiv.Bhaskar is the co-writer and producer of the Assamese comedy film "Emuthi Puthi" ("A Very Fishy Trip"), which was released across cinemas of Assam in June 2022. He has also co-written the story and screenplay for Abbas Mastan’s 2012 Hindi action film "Players." Bhaskar has written screenplays for several TV and web series, the latest being Netflix’s teen drama "Class." Bhaskar is a two-time recipient of the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Award for Best Screenplay ("Kothanodi" and "Aamis") and recipient of the Brajen Borua Award for Best Direction ("Aamis"), conferred by the Assam State Film Awards. Bhaskar graduated from St Stephen's College, University of Delhi with a BA (Hons) History degree and completed his MA (Film & Drama) at the University of Reading, UK.

7. Sacred by Deepa Bhatia (Drama)

Debut Feature

Hindi

Logline: Spanning the late sixties to present-day India, Sacred is an epic narrative of four dramatically different women, on the cusp of motherhood. Set against a rapidly changing India, the film traverses the social, spiritual, and personal choices of the protagonists to weave together a film on the complexities of motherhood.

Writer-Director: Deepa Bhatia is a Mumbai-based film editor, documentary director and producer. Post a media studies course at Sophia Polytechnic, she began her career as an assistant director to Govind Nihalani, moving on to editing his feature films including Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Dev and Deham. She has since edited over twenty award-winning feature films including Jahnu Barua’s Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On!! and Kai Po Che, Ashim Ahluwalia’s Daddy, Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan and Taare Zameen Par, where she was credited with the concept, research and editing. She has also worked closely with her partner Amole Gupte to produce and edit Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai, both films winning awards at Giffoni Children’s Film Festival, Italy and Schlingel Film Festival, Germany, followed by Sniff!! and Saina. She has edited several documentaries, including the hugely successful, Sachin, a Billion Dreams, directed by James Erskine and Placebo, directed by Abhay Kumar, where she worked as consulting editor. Her first documentary Nero’s Guests, reported on the agrarian crisis as seen through the eyes of rural journalist, P.Sainath and won several Indian and International awards including FIPRESCI Critics Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2010 along with the Jury’s Special Mention, IDPA’s Gold Medal for Best Documentary, Best Feature Documentary in Cinestrat, Special mention, IFFLA, Los Angeles, Best Documentary, Indian Film Festival, London, Silver, Audience Award, Amnesty Film Festival, Vancouver and Best Documentary, John Abraham National Award, SIGNS, Kerala/India. She has just produced, directed, and written First Act, a six-part documentary series on child actors, currently airing on Prime Video.

Writer: Amole Gupte


8. LalitA by Disha Rindani (Drama)

(the a in the end has been smudged on purpose)

Debut Feature

Hindi

Logline: Based on the true story of Police Constable Lalit Salve who was mistakenly assigned the female sex at birth and took on the arduous journey to reclaim his identity, challenging the norms of the Maharashtra Police Force and society at large.


Writer-Director: Disha Rindani is an Indian writer and director based in Mumbai. She has directed several short films and documentaries including Bombay 70 (2015), Meet the Voice(2017), both winners at the Mumbai Film Festival and Main Hoon Team Balika (2017), funded by the Sundance Institute’s Stories of Change Initiative and the Skoll Foundation.Disha co-wrote Konkona Sen Sharma’s widely acclaimed feature film, A Death in the Gunj (2016), and Paanipath (2017), a short film commissioned by National Geographic and presented by national Award-winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta. Disha wrote and directed the short film Shimmy (2021), produced by Sikhya Entertainment, and released on Amazon Mini TV that was nominated for Best Story at the Film Critics Guild Awards and won Pratik Gandhi the award for Best actor in a Short Film. Recently, Disha co-directed the Amazon Prime series -Cinema Marte Dum Tak (2023) - a mature and sensitive behind-the-scenes peek into the pulpy world of low budget films, produced by Vice Studios India and created by Vasan Bala. The series won the Filmfare award for Best Non-Fiction Series in 2023. Most recently, Disha was the associate director on the highly acclaimed short film The Mirror directed by Konkona Sen Sharma for the Lust Stories 2 anthology that was released on Netflix India in 2023. She is presently developing a fiction web-series for Mumbai-based Civic Studios as the creator and director and is also prepping for her debut feature film with Abhishek Chaubey and Honey Trehan’s Macguffin Pictures.

Producers: Macguffin Pictures.

9. Chhaal (The Skin) by Don Palathara (Folk/ Drama)

Hindi

Logline: Based on Vijaydan Detha’s story. Having injured his father’s wrath, Jayanta, the son of God Indra, is condemned to live on earth as a donkey. He must confront the realities of earthly life before he finds his final redemption.


Writer-Director: Don Palathara is an Indian filmmaker known for his work in independent cinema. He has directed several critically acclaimed films known for their unique storytelling and cinematic style. His works have garnered praise at prestigious international film festivals such as the Moscow International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Cork International Film Festival and International Film Festival of Kerala. With six feature films to his credit, his latest work, "Family," premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival in the Harbour section. Palathara's films have reached audiences through platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and MUBI, with the latter spotlighting his entire filmography up to 2021. Additionally, Palathara has contributed to the film community by serving on juries and selection committees for festivals like IFFK and IDSFFK. He was also honoured as one of the ten film professionals on the BAFTA Breakthrough India 2023 program.

10. Laali by Fahad Mustafa (drama/thriller)

Debut Fiction Feature

Hindi

Logline: Lives in an upscale Delhi neighbourhood are rattled by a domestic worker who insists on digging up their precious patch of green to retrieve the body of her murdered child.


Writer-Director: Fahad Mustafa was born in Kanpur, grew up in Dammam, and studied at the Universities of Delhi and Vienna. He founded Globalistan Films in 2010 together with partner Deepti Kakkar and has directed and produced FC Chechnya (2010, Audience Award This Human World) and Powerless/Katiyabaaz (Berlinale, Tribeca 2013, Best Film - India Gold MAMI 2013, National Film Award 2014) as well as the India episode of Netflix’s My Love: Six Stories of True Love (2021, IDA Award). In 2022, his original series Alamnāk, was picked up by a major studio with Fahad attached as writer and director.

Producers: Deepti Kakkar, Hitesh Maggu, Konkona Sen Sharma

11. The Trials by Gurvinder Singh (Historial Thriller web series)

Hindi, Punjabi, English

Logline: 1930, Lahore, as Durga Devi and her husband prepare a bomb that will set their comrade Bhagat Singh free, we see the story of the trials, tests and tribulations of these heroic revolutionaries as they take direct action against British rule.


Writer: Kaamil Shah

Director: Gurvinder Singh

Gurvinder Singh has won critical acclaim for his Punjabi films Anhey Ghorhey da Daan, Chauthi Koot and Adh Chanani Raat. His films have travelled to major film festivals like Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam, Busan etc and has won the Indian National Award twice, beside various international awards.

Kaamil Shah is an Indian-origin writer from London, UK. He is best known as the creator of Horror-Comedy Count Abdulla on ITVX and has written for all the major broadcasters in the UK.


12. Dhundh Saleti (The Whispering Fog) by Jasmine Kaur and Avinash Roy (Drama)

Debut Feature

Punjabi & Hindi

Logline: In the highly volatile, terror-stricken Punjab of the late 1980s, Roop Sandhu, a radio programmer and a single mother, struggles to balance her personal and professional life. An unexpected letter addressed to her turns her life upside down as fear takes over her life, pushing her to fight the demons of her mind.

Writers-Directors: Jasmine Kaur Roy and Avinash Roy are National Award-winning filmmakers who have produced and directed several short films and documentaries under their banner Wanderlust Films. Both are graduates of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. They have mainly produced and directed short films and documentaries for international organizations like UNESCO, UNDP, UN Women South Asia, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The focus of their work has been development communication and they have made films on a varied range of issues including health, education, livelihood, grassroots empowerment, human trafficking, etc. Some of these films have received recognition at national and international festivals. Their graduating diploma film Saanjh (The Dusk) received the 52nd National Award for Best Film on Family Welfare 2005 and their documentary film Amoli dealing with child sex trafficking in India received the 66th National Award for Best Investigative Film 2018. Jasmine was selected as a participant Director for Berlinale Talents 2015, the annual summit and creative platform of Berlin International Film Festival. She has also been a member of the juries of Indian Panorama section of the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2012 and the 55th National Film Awards 2007. Some of their notable films include Raavi, Amoli, and Saanjh.

13. Schooled Abroad by Kimsi Singh/ Web series (Hybrid docu-drama)

Hindi, English, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu

Logline: Five students from different parts of India with diverse backgrounds and cultures, live, study and work in Toronto, Canada, where they’re hit by a rapid-fire onslaught of first-time experiences, discover new friendships and conflicts while learning how to cope with their newfound freedom in an environment far removed from their homeland.


Writer-Producer: Kimsi Singh is the producer of critically acclaimed films, Soni (2018) and Milestone (2020), directed by Ivan Ayr. Schooled Abroad has been co-written by her with Neel Manikant

14. To Hell With Love by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Romance)

Hindi & English.

Logline: Saahir loves Disha. She, in turn, loves Theo. Saahir’s unrequited love and Disha’s complex emotions compel them to step away from age-old perceptions about relationships, resulting in a somewhat unconventional but heartwarming journey.


Writer-Director-Producer: A member of the Asia-Pacific Screen Academy, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is a film writer, director, and producer from Bangladesh. He has several popular and critically acclaimed films and series to his credit. Often regarded as a filmmaker whose favourite themes are identity politics, irony, paradoxes of life, human desire, fantasy, and relationships, his films have represented Bangladesh at the Oscars three times. After his initial stint in filmmaking in Bangladesh, Farooki reached out to a wider market by making films like No Bed of Roses (Netflix | 2017) with Irrfan Khan and No Land’s Man (winner of MPAA-APSA Film Fund) with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Australian actor Megan Mitchel. Executive produced by Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman, No Land’s Man was set in New York and partly in Sydney. His fourth feature Television was the closing film of Busan IFF and won the Grand Jury prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Brisbane. His films have won a good number of international awards from Busan, Moscow, Dubai, Vesoul, Fukuoka, Kolkata etc. including the Grand Jury Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.420, a political thriller series that Mostofa made in 2007 on a shoestring budget is even now considered a cult series in Bangladesh for its plots and storytelling. He also made the ground-breaking series Ladies & Gentlemen for Zee5.Farooki has served as a member of the international jury at the Sydney Film Festival 2022, Busan International Film Festival 2016, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2020 and 2021, Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2015, East End Film Fest London 2016, South Asian Film Festival Singapore 2017, Kolkata International Film Festival 2017 among others.His new film Something Like An Autobiography had its world premiere in the Competition Section of the Busan Film Festival in October 2023. He is currently developing a love story To Hell, With Love that will be set in London.

15. Feral by Nihaarika Negi (Elevated Horror)

English & Kinnauri

Logline: In 1950s India, a sadomasochist English Madame has raised two indigenous community sisters to be her servants on a withering colonial estate. But the arrival of Madame’s latest lover – a singer/shaman scholar - changes the alchemy of the estate, as the sisters slowly transgress - reclaiming their wild, mystical selves.
Filmmaker: Nihaarika Negi is an interdisciplinary artist and creator working across film, theatre, live art and new media. By merging genre elements with contemporary performance, folktale and magical realism, she makes work that allows us to celebrate our imaginative potential for healing and change. A Berlinale Talent 2021, her interdisciplinary work has been awarded the prestigious XR Market Award at the New Images XR Festival (France); and been supported by Sundance + WIF, Film Independent, Venice Biennale, IFFR’s Cinemart, Breaking Through The Lens at Cannes, TIFF and BFI’s Film Markets, UK Arts Council, French Ministry of Culture, Roundhouse Theater, Brick Theatre NYC, Serendipity Arts Festival and NFDC Film Labs. Her first feature Labours Of (An)Other Solipsist (writer/director/producer) starring National-Award winning actor Rajkummar Rao was screened at the National Center of Performing Arts (India). Her second feature, The Threshold (writer), starring National-Award winning actors Rajit Kapur and Neena Gupta was an official selection at the Mumbai International Film Festival and the London Asian Film Festival. The film garnered critical acclaim and awards for Best Actor & Actress + Best Film (Audience) at the New York Indian Film Festival and Washington DC South Asian Film Festival. She is gearing up for her next feature, Feral, executive produced by Oscar-nominated Producers Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine, Nebraska) and in partnership with CAA Media Finance and Autotelic Pictures (US). Bombay Berlin Films are the India co-producing partners.”

16) April Mein Shootout by Randeep Jha (Thriller)

Hindi

Logline: When his older brothers are killed in a farm dispute, a placid academic turns to revenge only to uncover the sinister truths about his own family.

Director: Randeep Jha is an Indian director, writer, and actor. He has worked on numerous successful projects including Kohrra, a neo-noir thriller set in Punjab which he directed, and Trial by Fire, a compelling thriller series based on the Uphaar Fire Tragedy which he co-directed. Randeep made his feature debut with Eros Now's critically acclaimed investigative crime drama Halahal (2020).

After working with Barry John's theatre troupe for four years, Randeep moved to Mumbai in 2008 to pursue his ardour for directing. In 2018, he directed the short film Kartaa, which was presented by Anurag Kashyap. Additionally, he was an associate director on Anurag Kashyap's Ugly, and has been part of several projects like Mukkabaaz, Raman Raghav, and Shanghai as an assistant director.
Writer: Sharzeel Zafaryab

17) Tigdi aka 3-SUM by Roopal Kewalya (Un Chick flick)

Debut Feature

Hindi

Logline: Their first brush with sexuality and freedom spells doom for three completely filmi girls from 1990 conservative middle-class homes of Malviya Nagar in Delhi. The jolt of a car crash spins things out of control and their chaotic friendship is challenged as they find themselves alone and defeated against their controlling families. Until they realise that their only option is to lean into each other and the joy of friendship and films to overturn every limiting idea they have ever known and rewrite their ‘happy’ endings.

Director: Roopal Kewalya is the published author of her climate fiction book, The Little Rainmaker, that was among Top 20 across the world in Times Chickenhouse Competition, London. She is a screenwriter for leading OTT platforms, best known for fantasy drama, Tooth Pari on Netflix. She’s an NID film alumna and her film, The Flyman won the Best Foreign Language film award at the Boston International Kids Film Festival. She has actively volunteered for children's organisations in storytelling and mentoring like Katha, 17000 ft Foundation and The Mukkamaar Foundation and is a single mom of a feisty 10-year-old.

Producer: Viraj Selot

18. Miss Kumari by Sona Jain (whimsical romance)

Hindi, Hinglish

Logline: A whimsical romance between a Sales Lady at the Cottage Emporium and a Baker from Lakshadweep, complicated by the presence of an enigmatic mystery man, leads to a journey of unexpected thrills, tragedy and transformation.

Writer-Director: Sona Jain is an award-winning writer, director and producer. Her debut feature film, ‘For Real,’ starred Sarita Choudhury and Adil Hussian, with music by Ustad Zakir Husain. She is the author of several feature film screenplays, series and books, as well as the director of documentaries and short films. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and a Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.

Producers: Ramesh Sippy Entertainment and Roopa De Choudhury
19) I.T.A. by Vandana Kataria (Horror)

Hindi

Logline: Shortly after her marriage, a repressed young woman arrives at her husband’s estate to discipline her unruly stepchildren only to confront her worst nightmare — Ita, a ravenous demon who will take them all as its victims if she fails in her duty.


Writer-Director: Vandana Kataria is a filmmaker from Bombay. She has worked as a Production Designer on feature films Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, 2015, Shanghai, 2012, and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, 2008.

In 2016 she was selected to be part of the Berlinale Talent Campus, and in the same year directed the music video Jungli Sher for rap sensation Divine, which went viral on the internet. She made her debut as a writer and director with Noblemen produced by Saregama India Limited. It is a spin on Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice set in an affluent all boys boarding school. Noblemen travelled to several film festivals in America and Europe and found its theatrical release in June 2018. Since then, it has been available on Netflix for viewing. She has also worked as the second unit director on Gully Boy and is awaiting the release of her second feature film Love Sitara, as a Writer and Director and produced by RSVP.She is presently on the lookout for a producing partner for her 3rd feature film as a writer and director.

I.T.A. is a modern retelling of Henry James’ classic The Turn of the Screw. It is a timely sci-fi horror about humanity’s fraught relationship with our planet, and the pitfalls of entrusting their lives to manufactured Gods with unchecked power.

Writer: Ashish Mehta

20) 19 by Vikas Chandra (Coming-of-age drama)
(Debut Feature)

Hindi, Telugu, English

Logline: Living the challenges of friendship, academic pressures, and self-discovery, Varun, Vasu and Shravani are negotiating the last year of their teens. When Varun's infatuation with his best friend Vasu clashes with Shravani’s feelings for Varun, it leads them all to a moment of truth that reshapes their lives. As the trio grapple with their emotions, they must find the courage to accept themselves and confront the complexities of love and acceptance.

Writer-director: Vikas Chandra is a director, showrunner and screenwriter based in Mumbai, India. Having grown up in a small town in eastern India, he strayed from his family ethos to join the unconventional “movie business.” His latest work includes Dahaad (2023) as Showrunner, a Tiger Baby/Excel produced investigative thriller series for Amazon. It was the first Indian series to premiere at Berlinale 2023.

He wrote & directed the short film Maya, story of a daughter in search of her missing mother, which was selected for Indian Panorama at IFFI 2019. It also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Short) 2019 and Special Jury award at Echo BRICS film festival Moscow 2018.

He wrote Additional dialogues for Listen Amaya (2013), a slice-of-life feature starring Deepti Naval, late Farooque Sheikh & Swara Bhaskar. He's the alum of Filmmakers Talent Lab at Reykjavik International Film Festival (Iceland), 2019, with Maya nominated for the prestigious Golden Egg Award. He was selected for the India spotlight at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Fest (S Korea) 2018. He was a Sundance Screenwriters Lab (India) Fellow in 2012 and also a Finalist at Film London’s feature film scheme, Microwave International: Shakespeare India. He wrote, co-produced & directed the unique collaborative short film Project 11. The film was shot in 11 cities with 11 co-directors. It premiered at Puchon Fantastic Film Festival 2012 in South Korea. Vikas also worked as associate creative producer on acclaimed director Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and as Executive Producer on Banerjee’s segment in Bombay Talkies (2013), an anthology film celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema.

He was named as one of the Top 50 young filmmakers in India at the 1st Indian edition of Berlinale Talent Campus in 2001.