Indian National Film Award-winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria has made two debut features under his Four Line Films banner: the Mumbai social drama Pechi and the Silicon Valley creature film Silverfish, the latter of which was screened as one of five projects selected for the industry showcase at the Indian Film Festival Los Angeles (IFFLA).
Written and directed by Kumar Chheda, Pech is a young adult film that examines class and alienation set in the backdrop of Mumbai. The project made its industry debut at the Bangkok International Film Festival’s Pitch Market, winning the Jury Prize, and has since garnered interest from international co-producers and distributors, with negotiations currently underway in multiple territories.
Mr. Chheda is an AFiS alumnus and his short film ‘Dal Bhat’ won the Indian National Award for Best Short Film. “Pech” marks his feature directorial debut.
“Three years ago, we began working together to develop and source talent to support and receive the kind of guidance and support I wish I had had at the start of my career. ‘Pesh’ and ‘Silverfish’ are the first of those projects to go into production, and the filmmakers represent some of the bold new voices whose stories I can’t wait to see for a long time to come,” Thalia said.
“Silverfish,” co-written by Thalia, is a horror film that follows a creature unleashed on Silicon Valley’s tech district. This is the first time that Krishna has directed and written a full-length feature.
Krishna’s previous works include the psychological thriller short Padmavyuha, starring Javed Jaaferi, which premiered at the Toronto International Indian Film Festival.
Both films are in pre-production. Salya’s directorial works include “Loev”, “Knock Knock Knock” and “Ulajh”.
