It is a moment of pride for us as two of our outstanding filmmakers get to present their talents to a worldwide audience. They will get to showcase their talents at the Venice Film Festival, which is to be held from 28 August to 7 September.

Chola (Shadow of Water) directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan will be the only entry from India competing in the Orizzonti section. It is described as a magical realist drama about the nightmarish experience of an adolescent schoolgirl and her teenage lover, tracing their journey to the city.

Mumbai based animator and filmmaker Gitanjali Rao also gets a film festival opportunity, with her feature film debut 'Bombay Rose' opening in Critics Weeks section of the competition. Rao tells a heartbreaking tale of Kamala, a flower seller who is torn between her allegiance to her family and attraction to Salim.

The film festival headed by jury president Lucrecia Martel will be presiding over an eleven-day film marathon, judging the best films throughout the competition. Back in 2014, Chaitanya Tamhane's Court won the Best Film in the Orizzonti section, and we wish the best of luck to both the filmmakers representing and expanding our cinema.