FESTIVAL FLOURISHES
BookMyShow‘s Red Lorry Film Festival has landed two Academy Award-shortlisted films to anchor its sophomore edition, set for March 21-23, in Mumbai and Hyderabad. “Hollywoodgate,” from the producers of “Navalny,” shortlisted for documentary feature, offers an on-the-ground examination of Taliban-ruled Kabul. “Universal Language,” contending in the international feature category, presents an absurdist comedy-drama weaving multiple storylines between Tehran and Winnipeg.
The fest will showcase over 120 titles across both cities, marking its expansion with “Red Lorry Film Festival: Parallel Verse” in Hyderabad running alongside Mumbai’s “Take 2” edition. Notable selections include “When The Light Breaks,” which opened Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2024, and “999: The Forgotten Girls,” winner of the Miami Jewish Film Festival’s audience award.
New for 2025, the festival introduces a competition segment open to filmmakers, with submissions closing Jan. 7. Programming spans multiple languages including Spanish, French, German, Korean, Dutch, and Icelandic. BookMyShow COO, cinemas, Ashish Saksena cited the inaugural edition’s success as motivation for the expansion, noting growing demand for international cinema among Indian audiences.
PRISON PREMIERE
“Black Warrant,” a prison drama series, is set to premiere Jan. 10 on Netflix. The show takes place in Tihar, Asia’s largest prison, following rookie jailer Sunil Kumar Gupta as he navigates the institution’s complex power dynamics.
The series marks actor Zahan Kapoor‘s streaming debut in the lead role of Gupta, alongside cast members Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Anurag Thakur and Sidhant Gupta. The project reunites Netflix with creator-showrunner Vikramaditya Motwane (“AK vs AK”), who co-directs with Satyanshu Singh, Ambiecka Pandit, Arkesh Ajay and Rohin Raveendran Nair.
Drama is based on the non-fiction book “Black Warrant: Confessions Of A Tihar Jailer” by former Tihar superintendent Sunil Gupta and journalist Sunetra Choudhury. Applause Entertainment presents the series, produced by Motwane’s Andolan Production with Confluence Media.
The show joins Netflix India’s recent slate including “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,” “Amar Singh Chamkila,” “The Great Indian Kapil Show,” “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” and “CTRL.”
PROMOTION
Fremantle has upped Fran Denny, legal and business affairs VP for global drama, to commercial VP for global drama.
Denny, who will report to COO for global drama Seb Shorr, will work on commercial operations for the global drama team, including deal making with first look producers, supporting film strategy and sourcing new opportunities.
Denny joined Fremantle in 2022. Previously she worked at Sister Pictures and Warner Brothers Television Production U.K.
“I am delighted to announce Fran’s appointment to VP commercial, global drama,” said Shorr. “It has been a pleasure working with Fran over the past three years and I highly value her commercial acumen and deal making skills. I look forward to working with Fran more closely in her newly created role, which is key to our global drama growth ambitions.”