Steam
Harsh Hudda
India.  2019.  5 min

STEAM portrays the harsh reality of the subtle normalisation of patriarchy in the life of many women living in India.  It puts us as an audience in the life of a middle-class housewife living in one of the endless small spaces of Mumbai.  In a series of just seven frames, it not only captures the very mundane routine of the woman but also hints at a larger social issue that is persistent underneath.

HARSH  HUDDA

Harsh Hudda, born in a small town in Gujarat, is currently studying Film Direction at Whistling Woods International. He has previously studied design in Bengaluru, which has contributed significantly to his aesthetics as a filmmaker.

CONTACT

Harsh Hudda :    hudda.harsh.wwi@gmail.com

 

U for Usha
Rohan Parshuram Kanawade
India.  2019.  22 min

Usha is a single mother and farm labourer in rural India.  Unable to read or write, she finds herself drawn to her children’s English teacher in ways she never knew possible, and this attraction fires her passion and her determination to learn.

U for Usha is a subtle portrayal of sexual awakening, and how naïve attraction can empower a woman to take control of her life, and make each day something to look forward to.

ROHAN  PARASHURAM  KANAWADE

After completing a diploma in Interior Designing, Rohan Kanawade spent as much time as possible honing his storytelling craft despite having no formal training in filmmaking.  In 2010 he left his full-time job and began working as freelance interior designer to give time to film writing and direction. Film after film the quality and technique of his storytelling improved, and in 2017 his short ‘Khidkee’ got selected in Indian Panorama section of 48th International Film Festival of India, 2017.  Impressed by his work, mythology writer Devdutt Pattanaik extended his financial support to Rohan’s next short ‘U Ushacha’ which he completed in mid-January 2019.

POSTER

CONTACT

Rohan Kanawade :    darkkurves@gmail.com

Meal
Abhiroop Basu
India.  2018.  30 min

Amidst communal tension outside, a dysfunctional family sits together for their customary morning meal.

ABHIROOP  BASU

Abhiroop Basu is an award winning Director and Screenwriter based out of Calcutta, India.  A student of South Point High School and St. Xavier’s College Calcutta,  Abhiroop went on to study films at the prestigious Prague Film School in Czech Republic.  Some of his award winning shorts include ‘Afternoon with Julia’, ‘The Paperman’, and ‘This is when we first met’ which went on to win accolades overseas. His most recent work includes ‘Meal’ starring Adil Hussain  and ‘Laali’ starring Pankaj Tripathi.

POSTER

CONTACT

Abhiroop Basu :    mailmehereoften@gmail.com

Motherhood
Kirti Singh
India.  2018.  30 min

Mamatva looks at the life of a lower caste midwife, from a village in central Uttar Pradesh.  It looks at how the birth of a baby boy, born to her younger sister-in-law, sets in motion an outflow of unacknowledged desire within her.

KIRTI  SINGH

Kirti Singh has a post graduate Diploma in Direction and Screenplay Writing from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, India.

CONTACT

Kirti Singh :    singh.kirti2385@gmail.com

Vader
Isabel Lamberti
Holland.  2019.  24 min

Father explores the relationship of a dad and son who haven’t been in touch in the last years.  While he tries to reconnect with his son in the present, he reflects with his girlfriend on the past.

A moving, delicate and intimate portrait of a father and son in a rare moment, to share, express emotions and learn about each other.  The history and backstory unfold via conversations with a lover, revealing a softness and desire to forget the past and live in the moment.

ISABEL  LAMBERTI

SKAM (2018, TV series), AMOR (2017, short), I WILL FLY HIGHER (2015, graduation film) Award: Torino. Award-San Sebastian IFF.

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS

CONTACT

IJswater Films :    films@ijswater.nl

Kamali
Sasha Rainbow
Great Britain, India.  2019.  24 min

Kamali is the only female skateboarder in her fishing village in southern India.  While she finds a way to express herself in the male-dominated world that surrounds her, Suganthi – her mother – takes a pilgrimage in a quest for self-discovery.  Raising Kamali and preserving her dreams is a struggle, given the traditional nature of the society to which they belong. But Suganthi is determined to help Kamali go against the grain, become a champion skateboarder, and taste freedom that she did not have.

SASHA  RAINBOW

Sasha Rainbow has worked across multiple disciplines including film, art direction, photography and costume.  She is passionate about filmmaking, and aims to use the power of storytelling to throw light onto sheltered communities and showcase heroic role models. She participated in the BAFTA Crew programme in 2018 and 2019, and her films have been screened in festivals worldwide – picking up numerous awards along the way.  She is based in New Zealand, and is currently working on her first feature-length film.

POSTER

CONTACT

Submissions :    submissions@festivalformula.com

The Talking Plow
Jayaraj
India.  2019.  14 min

A short film based on Ponkunnam Varkey’s short story, of the same title, The Talking Plow narrates a heart-warming tale about a farmer and his ox Kannan,  who he treats as kin.

JAYARAJ

Jayaraj is an Indian director working predominantly in the Malayalam film Industry.  He is a 7 time recipient of the National Film Award and several State Film Awards as well.  His notable films include Desadanam, Kaliyattam, Karunam, Shantham, Daivanamathil, Vellapokkathil, Ottaal, Veeram and Bhayanakam.

CONTACT

Jayaraj :    jayarajfilms@yahoo.com

Hope
Partha Sarathi Manna
India.  2019.  20 min

Year 2040.  After being requested for a bird as a gift by his younger sister,  A young boy sets out in the hunt for a bird.

PARTHA SARATHI MANNA

Partha was born on 2nd August, 1985 in a small village of East Medinipur, West Bengal (India). Partha since the age of 16 began to take keen interest in the world of cinema.

Partha Sarathi Manna is an Indian film director known for his work in Bollywood and Tollywood. He is mostly known for his critically acclaimed short films, ‘Gandh/Smell‘,  ‘Kite the Messenger’ and ‘LOC…A Playground’.  He was shortlisted for the JIO Filmfare Short Film awards 2017 & 2019.

POSTER

CONTACT

Partha Sarathi Manna :    partha.sarathi.manna@gmail.com

 

Ellipsis
Raunaq Das,  Abhirup Halder
India.  2019.  17 min

A young couple spends a long night on the road, floundering about in abandoned memories.

ABHIRUP HALDER – RAUNAQ DAS

Abhirup Halder grew up in Kolkata, arguably the cultural capital
of India. In his formative years, he got swept away by the strength of Cinema as a medium, and has been trying to dissect the craft ever since. He got exposed to Cinematography and Editing while making curriculum films at his institute.  In 2018, he collaborated to make his first feature film (Khyapa) where he worked as associate director, cinematographer & editor.

Raunaq Das, born and brought up in Kolkata, deviated from his
science stream after higher education. Starting off as a writer and director of fictions, he developed interest in documentaries. Since then he has been editing documentaries and writing scripts for various directors.

POSTER

CONTACT

Raunaq Das :    dasraunaq@gmail.com

Abhirup Halder :    h.abhirup@gmail.com

 

The Egg and the Thieving Pie
Lola B Higgins
Great Britain.  2018.  19 min

Community Police Officer, Shona, finds herself battling the call of the ocean when investigating the theft of a precious egg.  Whilst interviewing the local residents she comes face-to-face with their animalistic traits culminating in surreal exchanges, leading to the thief.

LOLA BLANCHE HIGGINS

Whilst studying Fine Art at Edinburgh University Lola Blanche Higgins wrote and directed GROUT PRAY.  The film was twice nominated for SCOTTISH BAFTA NEW TALENT AWARDS and commended by MoMa.  Since then she wrote and directed THE EGG AND THE THIEVING PIE, a surreal short exploring the idea of animal traits in human form.  Starring double BAFTA winning Anna Maxwell Martin, Gemma Jones, double OLIVIER Award winning Noma Dumezweni and Ralph Ineson.  The film has been supported by the Women In Film LA Finishing Fund.  She has recently been accepted into the American Film Institutes Directing program.

CONTACT

Frandie Stewart :    submissions@festivalformula.com