U.K.-based sales agent Alief has picked up world rights to two independent films that will play later this month in the India Gold section of the Mumbai Film Festival. Both are by first-time directors.
Kabir Chowdhry’s experimental “Mehsampur” is a mix of fiction, documentary and biopic, that kicks off with the murder of Punjabi folk singer Amar Singh Chamkila. The film had its premiere in Sydney in June. Chowdhry was creative producer of 2016’s “Hotel Salvation,” which played at the Venice and Busan festivals.
Ridham Janves’s ethno-mystery feature debut “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” gets its world premiere in Mumbai. It tells the tale of a rescue mission after a plane crashes on sacred ground, and its pilot is found by an old shepherd.
The world sales deal was struck between Alief and the films’ Indian production company, Dark Matter Pictures, headed by producer-writer Akshay Singh
Indian new wave cinema is attracting growing attention, in part due to the success of recent Indian festival favorite and India Oscar submission “Village Rock Stars,” by Rima Das. Das’ latest film, “Bulbul Can Sing,” unspools at the Busan International Film Festival this week.
Indian national releases of “Mehsampur” and “Sheep ” are planned for 2019, after the films have finished their festival runs.