Film Bazaar 2024 Winners

By Pickle November 24, 2024

From unraveling mysteries to embracing cultural nuances, these award-winning films prove that storytelling is as diverse as the flowers, phases, and foods they represent.

Co-production Market

First Prize (cash grant worth $10,000)
“Kurinji” (aka “The Disappearing Flower”),

Director: Payal Sethi,

Producer: Thanikachalam SA

India, Germany | Malayalam | Drama

Synopsis

Laly, a lonely housewife in coastal Kerala, has been waiting for her husband Mohan, a migrant labourer in the Gulf, to return home for years. With weekly phone calls to keep her company, and a rare visit, she has built a life around his absence. Their pre-teen daughter, Vini, listens to his voice on tapes filled with advice from afar. A promising student, Vini’s heart is set on studying in a place called Oxford. All Laly knows about Oxford is that it is far away–and the thought of losing Vini too is more than she can bear. Though they speak every Friday night, Laly finds it hard to picture Mohan’s face lately. Until one fateful Friday, Mohan’s phone calls and money transfers abruptly end. With the help of her lover, Chacko, Laly searches for answers to his sudden disappearance. But when a moneylender arrives to collect Mohan’s debt, which Laly knew nothing about, Laly wonders what else he might have kept hidden from her.

Payal Sethi
Director
payal1202@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

I first started thinking about Laly Mohan’s story when I came across the term ‘Gulf Baarya’, which refers to Kerala women whose husbands have migrated to work in the Gulf. Struck by the overlooked reality of wives and families impacted by migration, I shifted perspective to the one who is left behind, to illuminate the untold stories of these resilient women who shoulder responsibilities in their husbands’ absence. The interplay of love, sacrifice, and the constant pursuit of what’s best for one’s family resonates deeply with my own journey through motherhood, making this project both a personal and artistic endeavour.

Budget
USD 600, 000

Financing in place
USD 170, 000

Production Company
Barycenter Films

Looking for
Co-Producers, Financers, Post Production Partners

Second Prize (cash grant worth $5,000)
“Kothiyan” (aka “Fishers of Men”), Director : Sanju Surendran, prod. Pramod Sankar

India | Malayalam | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Synopsis

Sreekumar, a sober and vegetarian middle-class family man, is transformed into a fish addict after a confrontation with Kuttan Asari, a lower-caste carpenter, and his subaltern goddess. Asari’s curse unleashes Sreekumar’s insatiable craving for fish, leading him down a path of destruction. As Sreekumar’s obsession grows, he abandon’s his family, job, and social norms. He becomes a nomadic figure, seeking exotic fish experiences, and develops an uncanny knowledge of aquatic life. His transformation is marked by hallucinations, prophetic visions and a love for humanity. The narrative explores themes of addiction, social hierarchy, and the blurring of human and animal boundaries. Sreekumar’s descent into madness is juxtaposed with Asari’s quiet satisfaction. The story culminates in Sreekumar’s death, but his spirit is reborn, sailing into the sea with fishermen, symbolizing his complete surrender to his obsession. The floating fish-bone remains at his funeral underscore the transformative power of his addiction.

Sanju Surendran
Director

Director(s) Statement

Kothiyan is a fantastical journey where obsession meets absurdity. I invite you to dive into a world where a respectable middle-class man’s life is turned upside down by an insatiable craving for fish. With a dash of magical realism and a pinch of satire, we follow Sreekumar’s hilarious descent into madness. As he navigates a surreal landscape of fish-filled fantasies and eccentric characters, we’re reminded that even the most ordinary lives can hold extraordinary secrets. This is a whimsical adventure, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, and the pursuit of pleasure becomes a wild ride. Obsession is a one way street.

Budget
USD 659, 322

Financing in place
USD 204, 463

Production Company
Cloud Door Films

Looking for
Co-Producers, Financers, Film Lab/Workshop/Fund

Third Prize (cash grant worth $5,000)
“All Ten Heads of Ravana,” Director : Pranjal Dua, Producer: Bich-Quan Tran

India | Hindi | Drama, Comedy

Synopsis

For three generations, 17-year-old Jugnu’s family has made giant Ravana effigies in Delhi’s bustling Ravana market, only to watch them burn each Dussehra, symbolising the end of evil. But Jugnu doesn’t feel redeemed just trapped in his family’s low-caste roots, with a world that doesn’t let him forget it.

Jugnu’s days drift by in TikTok videos and daydreams of Simmi, a striking girl from the local beauty parlour who barely notices him. Then one day, a bizarre idea hits him: what if jeans could have padding? Bras and shoes do-why not jeans? Seeing it as a business opportunity, Jugnu throws himself into the bold scheme. To his surprise, Kishan Chand, a shrewd upper-caste businessman, agrees to back him-but only if Jugnu delivers a big order by Dussehra.

With little money and lesser know-how, Jugnu turns to Sanam, his friend’s fiance and savvy jeans store manager, for help. But working side-by-side sparks a dangerous closeness between them, testing Jugnu’s loyalty to his friend.

On the day of Dussehra, as Ravanas burn across the city, everything Jugnu has built threatens to unravel – alliances crack, promises break, and an unexpected betrayal strikes home. But will Jugnu rise-or burn like the effigies he’s always known?

Pranjal Dua
Director & Producer
dua.pranjal@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

Growing up near the famous Ravana Market in West Delhi, I was always drawn to the world of effigy makers. These artisan families forbid their own from witnessing the burning of effigies on Dussehra, accepting it as Ravana’s destinyand, in a way, their own. Belonging to the low-caste Valmiki Samaj, they have long been subjugated by upper castes. But their youth now reject this traditional craft, seeing it as a symbol of oppression. Question is, can these deep-rooted hierarchies ever truly be dismantled? The film delves into this, mirroring Ravana’s fiery fate with a community’s fight for identity and equality.

Budget
USD 539, 000

Financing in place
USD 135, 000

Production Company
Jalsa, Dissidenz Films

Looking for
Co-Producers, Financers, Sales/Sales Agents

The Special Mention for Best Pitch
“Baaghi Bechare” (aka “Reluctant Rebels”), dir. Sumit Purohit, producer – Chippy Babu & Abhishek Sharma.

India | Hindi | Comedy, Others

Synopsis

In the remote Indian village of Ghanghor, farmers face growing debts and an uncertain future. Loans are impossible to secure due to widespread corruption, and no government aid is in sight. Disillusioned by their plight, Birju, a young farmer, and his friend Lampat, an unemployed graduate, devise a daring plan: staging a fake hostage crisis to draw the authorities’ attention and secure ransom money.

They enlist their fellow villagers to act as rebels and hostages, with Birju taking the role of the rebel leader and Lampat representing the hostages. Through a series of humorous events, the entire village prepares to execute their plan. As the staged crisis unfolds, local politicians and police see the situation as an opportunity to further their own interests, delaying negotiations and complicating matters.

Soon, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur. The villagers portraying rebels start to relish their newfound power, inflicting humiliation and degradation upon the ‘hostages, ‘ which escalates into violence.

With power struggles brewing and tensions rising, what started as a simple plan spirals out of control. Ghanghor, a village that had barely existed on the map, is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, far more than anyone had bargained for.

Sumit Purohit
Director
sumitpurohit83@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

Fragments of this idea and its characters emerged over the years while I was shooting documentaries across rural India. The vision became clearer after I read about the Stanford Prison Experiment, a psychological study that simulated a prison environment to examine how different roles influence people’s actions and attitudes. Baaghi Bechare uses satire to explore how power and identity shape our world, highlighting how the choices individuals make are often influenced by forces beyond their control. The story follows individuals who find themselves thrust into roles they did not choose, examining how this alters their behaviour, relationships, and moral compass.

Budget
USD 1,326,899.76

Financing in place
USD 291, 799.84

Production Company
Traintripper Films

Looking for
Co-Producers, Financers, Sales/Sales Agents

Film Bazaar – ATF Partnership award
“Kothiyan” (aka “Fishers of Men”).

Works in Progress

Prasad Labs Award (Free 4K digital intermediate, 50 hours of service

“Kaatti Ri Raatti,” (“Hunter’s Moon”) by Ridham Janve

India| Gaddi, Nepali

Synopsis

After a successful season in the Upper Dhauladhar Mountains, a hunter hides his meat in a cave and
heads home with his first load. At home, his wife is upset over his prolonged absence and its impact on
their disabled daughter. He promises to return quickly and the next morning, sets out to retrieve the rest
of the meat and leave the forest for the season. To his dismay, he finds the cave empty and the meat
stolen. Using his hunter instincts he launches a desperate search through the treacherous mountain,
discovering that the rival is just as cunning. In this quest for meat, humans behave no differently than
wild animals. Battling harsh conditions and difficult terrains, they go to all extremes to prove themselves
stronger and more deserving. This allegorical tale of conflicting morals and twisted values reveals the true
nature of man in the wild.

Ridham Janve
Director
ridham.janve@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

Building on my first film’s exploration of the mountains and their sacred essence,I wanted to take a deeper dive into what I call the true mountain experience. Since time unknown, mountains have offered refuge – whether for those seeking material pursuits or spiritual insight. Yet, what is this deeper self that the mountains expose within us? What purpose do the mountains serve, along with all beings, elements, and phenomena – living, non-living, and the in-betweens – that inhabit these austere landscapes? Perhaps it mirrors nature’s ultimatem purpose: the cycle of survival, where one life endures through the passing of another. In the wild, life is an antithesis to death – a balance that the mountain both embodies and enforces, while we, as humans, often attempt to sidestep it in our quest for eternity. Through this film, I seek to probe the human psyche, unraveling the intricate interplay of survival, morality, and the timeless struggle between humans and nature, where sometimes the human represents nature
and other times it is just human, an animal with conscience and ego, burdened
by dreams.

Producer(s)
Kartikeya Narayan Singh, Harsh Agrawal, Aditya Grover, Stephen Zacharias, Vivek Sadamate, Vikas Kumar, Sharib Khan

Production Company
The Film Café, Uncombed Buddha, Stop Whining Pictures, Ammi Media

Contact
Ridham Janve
Writer – Director – Producer
ridham.janve@gmail.com

Kartikeya Narayan Singh
Producer
kartikeyanarayansingh@gmail.com

Nube Studio Award (6 Lakh / $77,000 worth of digital intermediate on 1 project)

“Shape of Momo,” by Tribeni Rai

India| Nepali

Synopsis

After resigning from her job, Bishnu returns to her ancestral home in a Himalayan village. The family was once powerful, but the untimely demise of all male members has led to a pervasive belief that the family is under a curse. When Bishnu arrives, she’s disheartened to witness her mother’s life being wasted on catering to the whims and fancies of her mother-in-law. Soon after, her elder pregnant sister Junu turns up too, having had a falling out with her husband.Driven by the desire to prevent her family from living a listless life , Bishnu takes it upon herself to encourage them to be more independent. She motivates her grandmother to perform her own tasks, urges Junu to seek employment, and takes charge of male responsibilities like dealing with tenants, ordering helpers and driving Junu to the hospital. In a housefull of women, Bishnu assumes the role of a figurative male. She also begins a relationship with Gyan, a local architect, hoping to construct a homestay together. However, things take a sudden change, when a
backdoor is found open and a glass window is broken. Sawney suspects that Bishnu’s abrupt outbursts have disturbed the delicate equilibrium that she had worked hard to maintain for peaceful coexistence in the village. Complicating matters, Bishnu realises that Gyan is gradually assuming her responsibilities, relegating her to a conventional female role.

The film explores themes of tradition, familial dynamics, and the struggle against societal constraints. Will Bishnu defy these expectations and carve out her path to independence, or will she succumb to the overwhelming pressure to conform?

Tribeny Rai
Director
reachtribeny@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

Growing up, I witnessed a stark gender divide at home, with women waiting to eat until men had finished, reflecting my grandfather’s belief in the superior value of male children, who carried forward the family legacy. After my father’s passing, I took on heavy physical tasks traditionally done by men to prove that we weren’t weak, not realizing that my actions wouldn’t solve problems deeply ingrained in our society for centuries. This film draws from my personal experiences and observations of identity, freedom, and tradition through a multi-generational female family. It addresses the conflict between women’s personal ambitions and societal expectations. My goal is to present these female characters as complex individuals, not just victims of patriarchy. Additionally, stories from the mountains and villages are often portrayed through stereotypical lenses of exoticism or simplicity. I aim to change this narrative and tell our story with honesty and depth.

Producer(s)
Geeta Rai, Kislay Kislay

Production Company
Dalley Khorsani Productions, Kathakala Films

Contact
Tribeny Rai
Director
reachtribeny@gmail.com

Special Mentions (joint winners)
“The Good, The Bad and The Hungry”

The Red Hibiscus”

India| Hindi

Synopsis

Mumbai. Chunchun Mishra (23), a hot-headed young fugitive from Bihar, is initiated into a new life and identity through a religious ceremony by his uncle, Pappu Mishra (50). As a gift, he is handed an English book and a gun, tasked with his first assignment: a heist in the city.

Meanwhile, Lalbabu Mahto (65), a goofball old security guard, is on his first night duty at a desolate industrial campus. Fate brings Chunchun and his menacing uncle to the same place, but when the robbery goes wrong, Pappu Mishra is forced to leave, leaving Chunchun stranded with Lalbabu for the night. Though both are migrants from Bihar, their differences are stark: Chunchun is a high-caste Brahmin, and Lalbabu is a low-caste Shudra.

With one broken arm in a cast and a gun in the other, Chunchun holds Lalbabu at gunpoint, waiting for his uncle’s return. The situation becomes dire as Chunchun loses contact with Pappu and, worse, he is hit by the pangs of insatiable hunger. Destiny puts another test before him when Lalbabu offers him food.

This is the defining moment for the young Brahmin–taking food from a “shifty” Shudra, who is as eager to escape as he is to feed him. Chunchun doesn’t know it, but this one choice will define the fate of Chunchun–not just for tonight, but for his life.

What starts as a humorous story of two people turns into an overnight journey where ultimately all three characters face choices of life and death, duty, and salvation.

Vivek Kumar
Director
vivek.biru@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

I thank FILM BAZAAR for the opportunity to provide context for the inspiration, themes, and sub-texts of the movie. The film is a one-location comedy featuring two likeable yet hostile characters trapped together after a crime goes wrong. It explores the question: “Can two people, shaped by 5,000 years of religious and social indoctrination as enemies, come together in one night? If so, how?” The film examines the “hero’s journey” of a disillusioned Brahmin seeking power through religious scriptures and crime–not through an epic quest but in a night spent with his symbolic nemesis. Confronting his anger and hunger, he gradually discovers his true purpose, aiming for “pure action” that transcends conditioning. Food symbolizes love and connection, serving as a catalyst for conversation and understanding. It reminds us that even small gesture of love can bridge deeprooted divisions. Inspired by the Ramayana, where Lord Rama accepts a leftover fruit from an untouchable woman, this motif highlights compassion and shared humanity. The film adopts a colloquial approach, taking characters from rich Maithili culture and music, blending them seamlessly with modern Mumbai. The film stars Sanjay Mishra, a beloved face in Indian independent cinema. Born a Maithili, he adds depth and relatability to both comedic and dramatic elements. This project, three years in the making, challenges mainstream narratives with heart and humor.

Producer(s)
Vivek Kumar

Production Company
Enthemyme Tales

Contact
Vivek Kumar
Director Producer
vivek.biru@gmail.com