7 films from India likely to make a mark at 77th Cannes Film Festival

The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is set to be held in the French Riviera from May 14 with India set to make its mark on the canvas of the prestigious film festival, considered to be one of the biggest film festivals in the world.

Seven films from India will be a part of the festival. One of the films, and India’s big hopes comes in the form of the Malayalam film ‘All We Imagine As Light’.

The film, directed by Payal Kapadia, will be screened at the festival on May 23.

‘All We Imagine As Light’ follows the story of two roommates who serve as nurses at a hospital. How love and self-discovery bring about a change in their perspectives forms the crux of the story.

The film will be the 1st Indian film in the main segment (Palme d'Or) of Cannes, the last was ‘Swaham’ which was released in 1994.

Another film to be screened at the festival is ‘Santosh’. The film is directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri and will be screened at the Un Certain Regard section of 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Santosh stars Shahana Goswami in the lead role and follows the story of a newly widowed woman who inherits her husband's job as a police constable in rural northern India.

Then there’s the Kannada short film ‘Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know’ which will be screened under the Cinéfondation or La Cinef section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is directed by FTII student Chidanand Naik.

The Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah-starrer ‘Manthan’, which was released in 1976, is set to be screened under the Cannes Classics selection. The film also starred Girish Karnad and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.

Actress Radhika Apte’s film ‘Sister Midnight’ too has been selected under the Directors' Fortnight category at the Cannes Film Festival, this year.

The film, directed by Karan Kandhari, is about a wife who navigates the challenges of married life in a slum. Having suffered oppression, she aims to seek revenge.

‘In Retreat’, directed by Syed Maisam Ali Shah, tells the story of a man who returns to his hometown after many years. The film is set to be screened under the Association for the Distribution of Independent Cinema Section.

The final film on the list is ‘The Shameless’ directed by Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov.

The film’s story is set in India, and it has been shot across Nepal and India.

‘The Shameless’ follows the story of Rani, an Indian sex worker, who goes on a pilgrimage to a remote temple, where she confronts her past, including a love affair, who is imprisoned for murder in Bangalore. The film will be screened under the Un Certain Regard section.