Girls Will Be Girls is the only Indian film set to be premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival 2024 in the highly competitive World Dramatic Feature category. The feature has been selected from the among the thousands that are submitted every year, as Sundance is among the biggest film festivals in the world. 

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The film is produced by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal under their banner Pushing Buttons Studios, which they launched in March 2021. Girls Will Be Girls marks their debut into film production. The cast includes multi-award winning Malayalam film actress Kani Kusruti, Jitin Gulati alongside debutants Preeti Panigrahi and Kesav Binoy Kiron in lead roles. 

Directed by Shuchi Talati, the film is a compelling story set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. It follows the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother's unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences. 

This Indo-French official co-production, a collaboration between Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films and Dolce Vita Films, represents a significant milestone in Indian cinema's global outreach. The film has already garnered international acclaim, receiving international grants including the Cinema Du Monde, the Arte Kino Prize and the VFF Talent Highlight Award at the Berlinale Talents Project Market in 2022.

Speaking of this accomplishment, the director Shuchi expressed, "I am delighted that my first feature has been selected at the Mecca of cinema, Sundance.  It is heartening to see a film shot and conceptualized in India make it to this mammoth international festival. At the heart of this coming of age drama is a love story between a mother and a daughter, and even though it is very rooted in Indian ethos, I am glad it resonates with people across many continents." Adding to her thoughts, producer Richa Chadha said, "Ali and I embarked on this production with a vision to tell unique stories. Girls Will Be Girls making it to Sundance validates our commitment to compelling storytelling. We couldn't be more thrilled. This journey has been about pushing boundaries and redefining narratives, and we are hopeful audiences worldwide will relate with the film.I am also elated the world will see Shuchi's fresh voice and cinematic persepective and some excellent performances from our debutant actors."

Concluding their thoughts, Ali said, "Being part of Sundance with our debut production is a dream realised. Girls Will Be Girls is not just a film; it's a celebration of storytelling, and we hope it leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of the audience. This project is a labor of love, and the recognition at Sundance is a testament to the dedication and passion of our entire team."