Directed by Aranya Sahay, Humans in the Loop has been locked into dual distribution, with Netflix streaming it in the US starting November 10th, and boutique single One Rising launching in Los Angeles on November 7th with limited theatrical screenings and an impact campaign.
The drama follows an indigenous woman who trains AI systems at a data annotation facility in rural India, exposing the invisible human toll that underpins the global technology industry. Storiculture and Sauv Films produced the film, with Mathivanan Rajendran, Sarabhi Ravichandran and Shilpa Kumar serving as producers. Sahay developed the project through a Museum of Imagined Futures fellowship.
Indigenous filmmaker Biggio Toppo serves as executive producer and directed Sahay, with Kiran Rao serving as EP. Rao’s ‘Rapata Ladies’ represented India in the Oscar race last year.
The film won Fipresci India’s Grand Prix Award. The US release trailer has been released.
Misak Kajimi joined to lead the US campaign as EP. He previously directed Iranian author Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s “The Gardener” through a similar release.
“‘Humans in the Loop’ has the rare ability to blend intimate human storytelling with one of the most pressing global conversations of our time: how we can prevent social inequality from encroaching on AI and instead use it to elevate underrepresented voices,” Kajimi said. “We are thrilled to be able to bring this film to U.S. audiences, whether in theaters, university halls, or intimate community screenings, and to join the conversation about responsible AI and the role of Indigenous life philosophies in shaping our future.”
Sahay added, “Welcoming Misak Kazimi to our team as executive producer is the next big step in our journey. Misak understands the heart of film and its social relevance, and is an influential filmmaker himself. We are excited to share this story with American audiences and continue the conversation we are already sparking about the invisible labor that builds an inclusive lens on AI and technology.”
The film will be eligible for awards consideration as it plays in LA for seven days until November 13th. Sahay will be attending the screening for a Q&A that will address the photography’s themes such as AI ethics, global labor, and representation. The campaign also includes screenings at university venues and in the community.
The cast includes Sonal Madhushankar, Riddhima Singh, Geeta Guha, Anurag Rugun, Monika and Sahay. Monica Tiwari and Harshit Saini have lensed the film, while Swaroop Rehu and Sahay have edited it. Kalhan Raina handled the sound design, Saransh “Khwagbah” Sharma composed the score, Uday Oswal and Toshik Saraf were the colorists, and Shubham Solanki handled the production design.
Watch the trailer here:
