22 august 2024 : New Delhi, the inaugural production of actor couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, titled “Girls Will Be Girls,” is set to conclude the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 25.
Directed by Shuchi Talati, this coming-of-age film has garnered praise at numerous international festivals, including a screening at Cannes under the Cannes Écrans Juniors section, as well as an award-winning debut at the Sundance Film Festival.
The narrative of “Girls Will Be Girls” unfolds in a boarding school located in a quaint Himalayan town in northern India, centering on the character of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose journey of rebellion is closely linked to her mother’s unfulfilled youthful aspirations. The film features Preeti Panagrahi and Kani Kusruti in leading roles.
Fazal and Chadha, who have produced the film through Pushing Button Studios, expressed their excitement for the Australian premiere of “Girls Will Be Girls” at IFFM.
“We are deeply honored that ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ has been selected to close such a distinguished film festival. The journey of this film has been extraordinary, and we are eager to present it to the Australian audience. We believe the film will receive the same affection it has garnered internationally,” stated Fazal.
“We are immensely excited that ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ will serve as the closing film for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024. This project has been a true labor of love, and it is incredibly fulfilling to witness its impact on audiences around the globe. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to IFFM for selecting our film to conclude their 15th edition,” added Chadha.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, the festival director of IFFM, expressed their pride in featuring “Girls Will Be Girls” as the closing night film for this year’s celebration.
The section was specifically made as the film truly speaks of the current times and is an absolute true to the coming of age genre. The film has made such an incredible journey internationally and we are proud to present the film in Australia with its official Australian premiere at IFFM,” she said.
“Girls Will Be Girls” is an Indo-French co-production, a collaboration of Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films and Dolce Vita Films. It also stars Jitin Gulati and Kesav Binoy Kiron.
IFFM opened on August 15.
