Richa Chadha-Ali Fazal’s Girls Will Be Girls, is sole Indian official selection at Sundance Film Festival

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The actor-producer couple, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, has achieved a historic milestone with their maiden production venture, Girls Will Be Girls. The film is set to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in the highly competitive World Dramatic Feature category, a remarkable feat for a debut as producers.

The feature has been selected from among thousands that are submitted every year, as Sundance is among the biggest film festivals in the world. Girls Will Be Girls is one of the exclusive 16 films chosen to participate in the competition section of the festival. This accomplishment positions the film among a select few Indian narrative feature films to have achieved such recognition at Sundance, and is the only Indian film this time.

Directed by Shuchi Talati, the film is a compelling story set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. It follows the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl, whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother’s unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.

Produced under the banner Pushing Buttons Studios, launched by Richa and Ali in March 2021, its cast includes multi-award winning Malayalam film actress Kani Kusruti and Jitin Gulati alongside debutants Preeti Panigrahi and Kesav Binoy Kiron in lead roles.

This Indo-French official co-production, a collaboration with Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films and Dolce Vita Films, represents a significant milestone in Indian cinema’s global outreach. Girls Will Be Girls has already garnered international acclaim, receiving international grants including the Cinema Du Monde, the Arte Kino Prize and the VFF Talent Highlight Award. It was the Berlinale Talents Project Market in 2022.

Speaking of this, the director Shuchi stated, “I am delighted that my first feature has been selected at the Mecca of cinema, Sundance.  It is heartening to see a film shot and conceptualized in India make it to this mammoth international festival. At the heart of this coming-of-age drama is a love story between a mother and a daughter, and even though it is very rooted in the Indian ethos, I am glad it resonates with people across many continents.”

Adding to her thoughts, producer Richa Chadha said, “Ali and I embarked on this production with a vision to tell unique stories. Making it to Sundance validates our commitment to compelling storytelling.  We couldn’t be more thrilled. This journey has been about pushing boundaries and redefining narratives, and we are hopeful audiences worldwide will relate with the film. I am also elated the world will see Shuchi’s fresh voice and cinematic perspectives and some excellent performances from our debutant actors.”

Concludes Ali: “Being part of Sundance with our debut production is a dream realized. This is not just a film, it’s a celebration of storytelling, and we hope it leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of the audience. This project is a labor of love, and the recognition at Sundance is a testament to the dedication and passion of our entire team.”