Rahi Anil Barve’s upcoming period horror Tumbbad will open the Venice International Film Critics’ Week on August 9, Variety reported. The film, starring Sohum Shah (Ship of Theseus), will be screened out of competition at the festival, which runs till September 8. This is Tumbbad’s world premiere.
The Critic’s Week is an independent section that runs parallel to the Venice Film Festival and features the works of debut filmmakers, along with two out-of-competition special screenings. The section’s artistic director Giona Nazzaro described Tumbbad as “a visionary fantasy film, rich in visual inventions, special effects and blood,” Variety reported. Tunisian director Abdelhamid Bouchnak’s horror film Dachra will be the closing film of the section.
Set in Pune in the 1920s, Tumbbad revolves around three generations of a Hindu upper caste family, and features a non-linear narrative with elements of fantasy. The film, which had been awaiting release for four years, was recently backed by Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now, paving the way for its theatrical opening in India on October 12. Ship of Theseus director Anand Gandhi is the film’s executive producer and creative director.
The films in the competition section of the Critic’s Week include Anna Eriksoon’s Finnish film M, Letizia Lamartire’s Italian comedy, We’ll Be Young and Beautiful and Ivan Salatic’s You Have the Night from Montenegro, Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka’s A Kasha, Andreas Goldstein’s German film Adam & Evelyn and Alexia Walther and Maxime Matray’s Blonde Animals.