The debut production "Girls Will Be Girls" by actor couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal is scheduled to close the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 25.
Directed by Shuchi Talati, the coming-of-age film has garnered praise at various international festivals. It was showcased at Cannes under Cannes Écrans Juniors and had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, receiving accolades.
"Girls Will Be Girls" is set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India and revolves around the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl. Her rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother's unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.
The lead roles are portrayed by Preeti Panagrahi and Kani Kusruti. Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha, the producers of the film through Pushing Button Studios, expressed their anticipation for the Australian premiere of "Girls Will Be Girls" at IFFM.
"We are incredibly honoured that 'Girls Will Be Girls' has been chosen to close such a prestigious film festival. The journey of this film has been remarkable, and we are thrilled to share it with the Australian audience. We are certain the film will find much love the way it has so far internationally," said Fazal.
"We are beyond thrilled that 'Girls Will Be Girls' will close the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024. This film has been a labour of love, and it's incredibly rewarding to see it resonate with audiences worldwide. Thank you for the immense support, and we are grateful to IFFM for choosing our film to close their 15th edition of the festival," added Chadha.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, festival director of IFFM, said they are honoured to have "Girls Will Be Girls" as the closing night film of this year's gala.