EXCLUSIVE: Newton Cinema, a boutique production house with a presence across the U.S., India and Sri Lanka, is making its Cannes Marché debut with a slate of prestige South Asian titles headed by Leftover, from Indian filmmaker Salim Ahamed, and The Gambler, from Sri Lanka’s Prasanna Vithanage.
Currently in post-production, Leftover is the story of a married couple who embark on a journey through displacement, caste and belonging when they learn a shocking truth about their son.
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Written by Ahamed and P. V. Shajikumar (Takeoff), the film features an ensemble cast of acclaimed South Indian and Bengali actors including Arjun Radhakrishnan, Zarin Shihab, Tanmay Dhanania, Shweta Basu Prasad and Roshan Mathew.
Ahamed is best known for his 2011 film Abu, Son Of Adam, which won four Indian National Film Awards and was India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. His credits also include And the Oskar Goes To…, Pathemari and Kunjananthante Kada.
“Leftover comes from silence, memory and moral urgency,” said Ahamed. “It carries pain without spectacle, dignity without explanation, and a shared human experience that transcends borders. I am grateful to introduce the film to the international industry with Newton Cinema.”
The Gambler reunites Vithanage with talent from his award-winning 2023 film Paradise – Indian actor Roshan Mathew (also known for Richie Mehta’s Poacher) and cinematographer Rajeev Ravi (Toxic).
Loosely based on Dostoevsky’s novel of the same name, The Gambler is set against the backdrop of the casino industry in Sri Lanka. Currently in development, the project has also lined up cast including Shweta Basu Prasad, Prakash Raj, Lakshan Abenayake and Mahendra Perera.
Also produced by Newton Cinema, Paradise, the story of an Indian couple touring Sri Lanka at the beginning of the country’s financial crisis, premiered at Busan International Film Festival in 2023 where it won the Jiseok Award.
The two titles join an expanding auteur-driven slate from Newton Cinema – founded by producer and former tech entrepreneur Anto Chittilappilly – which has already enjoyed festival success with its early productions including Paradise, Don Palathara’s Family, Varun Grover’s short film Kiss and Lalanna’s Song, from Megha Ramaswamy.
The company’s most recent completed production, Mayilaa, is screening in the Cannes Marché after premiering in the Bright Future section of this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and picking up an Audience Award at Toulouse Indian Film Festival. Directed by Semmalar Annam, the Tamil-language film follows a woman married off in her adolescence who defies societal norms to seek financial independence with her young daughter.
Other upcoming titles on Newton Cinema’s slate include Ahamed’s The Sorbonne Conspiracy and The Wild Hunt, from Nithin Lukose whose 2021 debut Paka (River Of Blood) premiered at Toronto International Film Festival.
“We are building a home for auteur cinema, for filmmakers whose work carries a signature, a conscience and a reason to exist,” said Chittilappilly. “With Leftover, Mayilaa and our upcoming slate, our aim is to stand with independent filmmakers, protect difficult and necessary stories, and bring voices from the margins into the center of world cinema.”
The company is in final discussions with international sales representation and domestic distribution partners for the festival journey and theatrical rollout of Leftover, Mayilaa and its upcoming slate. It has also curated a slate of titles from other Indian independent producers looking for creative partners, funds, festivals and distribution in Cannes.
Newton Cinema has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Kochi, India.
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