Gitanjali Rao's 'Bombay Rose' heads to Busan

After making an impact at the Venice Film Festival, Gitanjali Rao's debut directorial feature film "Bombay Rose" is headed to Busan International Film Festival, where it will have its Asian premiere.

"Bombay Rose", produced by Cinestaan Film Company, is created, written and directed by Rao.

Kazakhstani Western "The Horse Thieves" will open the Busan Film Festival on October 3. The fest will go on till October 12. The date of "Bombay Rose" screening at the fest is not out yet. "Bombay Rose" is the story of a flower seller who has to make the choice between protecting her family or allowing herself to fall in love. This story is set on the streets of Mumbai (Bombay) and moves from real life to fantasy, accompanied by much loved Bollywood songs. It is a chronicle of the people who migrate from small towns, seeking minimal life in the maximum city.

The film had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival, where it received an overwhelming response from audiences and critics. The film will have North American premiere with a showcase in the Contemporary World Cinema Strand at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) 2019 on September 7.

The animated project has also been selected as part of Special Presentations to play at the BFI London Film Festival 2019.

"Bombay Rose" marks the feature debut of animator Gitanjali. Her five animated short films "Blue", "Orange", "Printed Rainbow", "Chai" and "TrueLoveStory" have been to over 150 film festivals and received 30 awards.

Financed by Cinestaan Film Company, "Bombay Rose" is produced by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar. The film is in co-production with Film ''Ici and was delivered at Mumbai based PaperBoat Animation Studios.

( With inputs from IANS )