Manjummel Boys fame director Arjun Chidambaram’s next film Balan The Boy, will be showcased at the Marché Du Film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14.
The film is backed by KVN Productions and Thespian Film. The film brings together two of Malayalam cinema’s most exciting creative voices, director Chidambaram (Manjummel Boys) and writer Jithu Madhavan (Aavesham).
Talking about the film being showcased to a global audience at Cannes, Director Chidambaram shared, "Balan The Boy is a film about what we carry without knowing the weight of where we come from, and the hunger to find where we belong. I made this film for the person who has felt both of those things deeply and never found the words for them. Cannes has always been a home for cinema that trusts its audience with exactly that kind of truth and Balan The Boy trusts its audience completely. To feel before they understand. And to carry something home long after it is over.
Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions shared, "Balan The Boy is not just a film, it is a statement. The kind that reminds you exactly why you got into this industry in the first place. Malayalam cinema is making work the world cannot afford to ignore, and we are at Cannes because we believe, with everything we have, that Balan The Boy belongs at the centre of that conversation."
Talking about showcasing the film to Cannes, Shailaja Desai Fenn of Thespian Films shares, "Cannes holds a very personal place in my heart. When I visited in 2022, I made a quiet promise to myself that the next time I come here, it will be with a film. Standing here today with Balan The Boy, I can tell you that some promises are worth every sleepless night it takes to keep them. Balan The Boy is a universal story that will move audiences across all ages, everywhere in the world. And that, for me, is the most beautiful thing a film can be." With its market screening at Cannes, Balan The Boy is already set to expand its global footprint, showcasing the film to an influential audience of international cinema experts.