Two films backed by the BBC and the BFI Filmmaking Fund – Bird, directed by Andrew Arnold and Santosh, directed by Sandhya Suri – will receive their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
A third film at Cannes, September Says, directed by Ariane Labed, was supported by the BBC and the UK Global Screen Fund.
While On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, written and directed by Rungano Nyoni and produced by Element Pictures, was supported by the BBC.
Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said: “We are energised by the strong line-up of UK films just announced in official selection at Cannes 2024. Particularly Andrea Arnold, returning to the festival with her incredible new film Bird and whilst also being honoured with the Directors’ Fortnight’s Carrosse d’Or award; and for Sandhya Suri whose stunning narrative debut feature Santosh will screen in Un Certain Regard. They are two very distinctive female filmmakers at very different stages of their careers, who we are proud to support through the BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund.”
Eva Yates, Director of BBC Film, says of the Cannes selections: “We couldn’t be happier for Andrea, Rungano, Sandhya, Ariane and their filmmaking teams, who have made truly brilliant films that we cannot wait for the world to see. The BBC is proud to be a home for their vital work; Bird, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Santosh and September Says are four singular films which share a vigour and incision through which they tell us so much about ourselves and our humanity.”
Andrea Arnold’s Bird will screen in Competition. Written and directed by Andrea Arnold, starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski. Produced by Tessa Ross, Lee Groombridge and Juliette Howell. 12-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids and Bailey who is approaching puberty seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Produced by House Productions, and developed with BBC Film, financiers include BBC Film, BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Pinky Promise, FirstGen and Access Entertainment. Cornerstone are handling international sales.
Sandhya Suri’s Santosh will screen in Un Certain Regard. Written and directed by Suri, her debut narrative feature stars Shahana Goswami. It is produced by Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher and Alan McAlex.
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma
Backed by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and BBC Film in co-production with ZDF/ARTE and CNC, the Hindi-language film shot for 44 days in and around the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Produced by Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay and Alan McAlex. Production companies are Good Chaos in association with Suitable Pictures in India and in co-production with Razor Film in Germany and Haut et Court in France. Haut Et Court Distribution will release the film in France.
September Says, directed by Ariane Labed, is a co-production supported by the UK Global Screen Fund, awarding funds from the UK Government. It will also screen in Un Certain Regard, as will On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.
BIRD
Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold / Starring: Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski
12-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids and Bailey who is approaching puberty seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird is directed by BAFTA and Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold whose last feature was the BBC Film-backed 2021 documentary Cow, and whose previous narrative features include American Honey, Wuthering Heights, Fish Tank, and Red Road.
Produced by House Productions, and developed with BBC Film, financiers include BBC Film, BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Pinky Promise, FirstGen and Access Entertainment.
Cornerstone is handling international sales.
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL
Written and Directed by Rungano Nyoni
The second feature from Rungano Nyoni, whose acclaimed debut I Am Not A Witch screened in Director’s Fortnight 2017 and won the BAFTA Outstanding Debut award in 2018.
Produced by Element Pictures and developed with BBC Film, financiers include A24, BBC Film and Fremantle.
SANTOSH
Written and directed by Sandhya Suri / Starring: Shahana Goswami
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Santosh is the narrative directorial debut of writer-director Sandhya Suri (I For India, The Field) who also wrote the original screenplay for the film which stars Shahana Goswami (Zwigato, A Suitable Boy). Suri’s feature documentary I For India premiered in the World Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival 2006, and her first narrative short The Field won the best international short film prize at Toronto Film Festival 2018 and was BAFTA-nominated for best short film in 2019.
Backed by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and BBC Film in co-production with ZDF/ARTE and CNC, the Hindi-language film shot for 44 days in and around the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is produced by Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay and Alan McAlex.
Production companies are Good Chaos in association with Suitable Pictures in India and in co-production with Razor Film in Germany and Haut et Court in France.
MK2 is handling international sales.
SEPTEMBER SAYS
Written & Directed by Ariane Labed / Based on the novel by Daisy Johnson / Starring: Mia Tharia, Rakhee Thakrar, Pascale Kann
Sisters July and September are thick as thieves, though very different -September is protective and distrustful of others, while July is open to and curious about the world. Their dynamic is a concern to their single mum, Sheela, who is unsure what to do with them. When September is suspended from their school, July is left to fend for herself and begins to assert her own independence – which does not go unnoticed by September. Tension among the three women builds when they take refuge in an old holiday home in Ireland, where July finds her bond with September shifting in ways she cannot entirely understand or control – and a series of surreal encounters test the family to their limit.
Ariane Labed’s feature directorial debut September Says is based on the novel Sisters by British Booker Prize shortlisted author Daisy Johnson and adapted for the screen by Labed; it stars Mia Tharia (Klara and the Sun, The Listeners) and Rakhee Thakrar (Wonka, Sex Education) and introduces Pascale Kann in her screen debut. Labed is a well-known French actress, she won the Volpi Cup for best actress at Venice Film Festival in 2010 for her film debut Attenberg. Labed’s short film Olla premiered at Cannes in 2019.
September Says is a Sackville, Crybaby, MFP co-production in association with Element Pictures. The film is produced by Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann, Lara Hickey, Ed Guiney, and Andrew Lowe. It was developed by Element Pictures and BBC Film, with support of the Creative Europe Programme, MEDIA, and financed by BBC Film, in association with Screen Ireland with support of Eurimages and NRW in association with UK Global Screen Fund and with the participation of Arte / ZDF. Executive Producers are Claudia Yusef for BBC Film and Greg Martin and Niamh Fagan for Screen Ireland. The co-producers are Rachel Dargavel, Viola Fügen, Michael Weber and Cécile Tollu Polonowski.
The Match Factory is handling worldwide sales.
(Image: Atsushi Nishijima, House Bird Limited, Ad Vitam Production, British Broadcasting Corporation, The British Film Institute, Pinky Promise Film Fund II Holdings LLC, FirstGen Content LLC and Bird Film LLC)
Pippa Considine
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