The announcement of the win was one of the biggest moments of the night, alongside other major category winners including Anora and Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are renowned for celebrating the finest in independent filmmaking, and Girls Will Be Girls’ historic win underscores the growing global recognition of Indian cinema.

Directed and written by #ShuchiTalati, Girls Will Be Girls also marks the debut of celebrated Indian actors #RichaChadha and #AliFazal as producers under their production banner, Pushing Buttons Studios. The film, which premiered on Prime Video India on December 18, 2024, has received critical acclaim, with many calling it one of the best coming-of-age, women-led films to come out of India.

Girls Will Be Girls stars #KaniKusruti, #PreetiPanigrahi, and #KesavBinoyKiran, and tells the poignant story of Mira, a young girl at a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas. As Mira navigates her sexual awakening and explores desire and romance, her journey is interrupted by her mother, who never had the chance to experience a similar coming-of-age journey. The film’s raw portrayal of adolescence, identity, and familial conflict has struck a chord with audiences worldwide.

Richa Chadha shared her excitement, saying, “This win feels like a dream. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created with Girls Will Be Girls. This film represents not just a personal journey, but a collective effort of a team that believed in its voice. To see it recognized on such a grand stage is humbling. As the first Indian actor and producer to win an Independent Spirit Award, I feel like this is not just my victory, but a victory for all of us working to make diverse, authentic stories.”

Ali Fazal echoed his co-producer’s sentiment, adding, “This win is a momentous one for us, and for Indian cinema as a whole. The spirit of independent filmmaking is about taking risks and telling the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or challenging that may be. Girls Will Be Girls does exactly that. I am proud to be part of a film that is pushing boundaries and making history.”

Shuchi Talati, the visionary director and writer behind the film, also expressed her gratitude, saying, “This is more than just an award for me – it is a powerful affirmation of the story we set out to tell. It was a labor of love, and to have it resonate with audiences and critics alike is beyond amazing. I am also glad Richa and my friendship has culminated in this artistic way.

Alongside the film’s historic win, Richa Chadha made her own mark in history by becoming the first-ever Indian actor and producer to win an Independent Spirit Award.

“We are beyond thrilled and humbled to receive this incredible honor,” added Talati. “This film was a labor of love, and to see it being recognized on such a prestigious platform is a dream come true, especially since the cinema of John Cassavete is something that resonates with me. This win is for the entire team who believed in this story and for all the women and girls whose voices are waiting to be heard.”

By Keerti Kadam

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Directed by #ShuchiTalati and produced under Richa and Ali’s banner Pushing Buttons Studio, Girls Will Be Girls is an evocative coming-of-age drama that has already won hearts globally, with accolades and recognition at premier festivals beginning with the Sundance Film Festival. Following its successful release in the US, U.K and France, the film is now set to release in its home country, India, on 18th December 2024, exclusively on Prime Video.

As the prestigious John Cassevetes award is for the Creative Team, director and producer Richa and Shuchi are both nominated for the award. Richa Chadha said, “We couldn’t be prouder of what Girls Will Be Girls has achieved. To be nominated for the John Cassavetes Award, which celebrates independent filmmaking at its finest, is truly an honour. And Kani’s nomination is a testament to her incredible talent and the truly incredible year she is having.”

Ali Fazal added, “This is a dual celebration for us. Independent cinema often struggles to find its place, but this recognition by the Independent Spirit Awards highlights the fact that there is a place for all kinds of cinema. Girls Will Be Girls is a case study in how co-productions can be made for a global audience, with an Indian story at its heart. Kani’s performance is nothing short of transformative, and her nomination is well-deserved. With its India release just around the corner, we’re thrilled to bring this story home and witness how it resonates with audiences across India on Prime Video.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be held in Los Angeles in February 2025.

By Keerti Kadam

The post At the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, Richa Chadha and Kani Kusruti earn nominations for ‘Girls Will Be Girls’! first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.

It’s a wrap on the shoot of Girls Will be Girls. This is possibly their first milestone for the maiden movie from their production #PushingButtonsStudios, #AliFazal and #RichaChadha’s production house. The movie, which went through a 45-day schedule, was being shot in picturesque locales of Uttarakhand. The film is directed by #ShuchiTalati, and is about the life of a 16-year-old girl in an elite boarding school in a small Himalayan town and how her rebellious coming of age phase is hi jacked by her mother who herself never got to come of age.

Ali says, “We are so happy to announce that our first film as producers has wrapped up. The feeling is an interesting mix of jitters and excitement .. excited only because to be able to be in a position where we get to prepare stories in collaboration with a bunch of very cool and very talented people indeed. I am so proud of our actors who have out done themselves. I am thankful to The entire team that worked endlessly to bring this idea to fruition . Now we gear up for phase two- which is post production. Cannot wait to share this with the world”

Richa says, “Girls Will be Girls is going to be a memorable film in my life because many firsts are attached to it. It is the first film from my production house and the first film after my wedding. This is the movie that helped me evolve as an actor as well as a producer. All the cast and crew were so used to working together that it felt more like a family and we are gonna miss that.”

The film is an Indo-French co-production which is being jointly produced by Pushing Buttons Studios, Crawling Angel Films, Dolce Vita Films and Blink Digital Media.

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Richa Chadha is one of the few actresses who walks the talk when it comes to gender representation in the industry. She, along with director Shuchi Talati are setting up an incubation programme for women who hope to work as gaffers in the film industry. The programme, called ‘Undercurrent Lab’ will officially launch this Monday on the 13th of June and is a joint partnership between the Women in Film and Television Association, India (WIFT) and one of the largest lighting and grip equipment providers in Bollywood ‘Light N Light’.

This incubation lab has been set up with the objective of introducing more female gaffers in Hindi films. In its first year, the ‘Undercurrent Lab’ will focus on training ten women (selected after a rigourous interview process) in the lighting for cinema. It will start with a first-of-its-kind, hands-on workshop, where the trainees will learn the art from gaffers an cinematographers from the industry. After the week long crash course, the girls will be sent out on the field, to work on film sets as trainees. Two of the ten girls will be placed on the nearly all-women crew on Richa and Ali’s maiden prodcution – ‘Girls will be girls’ which shoots from October this year.

Richa Chadha, co-founder of ‘Undercurrent lab’ says, “When we set out to have an all-women team, we found that there’s virtually no women who work in the lighting departments in Hindi films, So our associate, Tanya Negi came up with the idea for this workshop. We are starting this training programme for women which aims to increase the participation of women behind the camera. I hope that the initiative seeds in a much larger change in the way things work in this industry.”

Director Shuchi Talati adds, “We applied for a grant at Berlinale Talent Footprints in February this year to set up this Lab, and won! The ‘Undercurrent lab’ will give the opportunity of making a solid career in the lighting department in the film industry, to our ten candidates who have been chosen after a careful series of interviews. We are thankful to folks at Arri, Berlinale, Light and Light and Gratitude House for coming on board to help us pro-bono.”

Studio sponsored by ‘Light N Light’ and powered by ‘Mastercard’ and ‘Berlinale Talents’, the ‘Undercurrent Lab’ will happen between the 13th -18th of June this month.

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The actor-producer this past weekend shot a teaser in Dehradun with their producing partners Sanjay Gulati of Crawling Angel Films and Claire Chassagne of French banner Dolce Vita Film. They’re tight-lipped about the film and the teaser is to be submitted at a script lab in August and is reportedly up for a grant.

The film’s script was also the only Indian script invited to the prestigious Berlinale Script Station 2021, a lab that selects 10 projects from around the world every year, according to the makers which happened in March too.

It is also the only Indian project at the Jerusalem Script Lab this year where it will be presented formally at the Jerusalem Film Festival is set to take place in August this year.

The post Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal produced ‘Girls Will Be Girls ’ is only Indian project at the ‘Jerusalem Script Lab’! first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.