Award-winning filmmaker Salim Ahamed's Leftover and Sri Lankan auteur Prasanna Vithanage's The Gambler will make its debut at the Cannes film market's Marche du Film on May 12.
Currently in post-production, Leftover revolves around a married couple whose lives are upended after discovering a disturbing truth about their son, setting them on a journey through displacement, caste and belonging. Jointly scripted by Salim and Take Off co-writer PV Shajikumar, the film stars Arjun Radhakrishnan, Zarin Shihab, Tanmay Dhanania, Shweta Basu Prasad and Roshan Mathew. The technical crew includes cinematographer Sharan Velayudhan, editor A Sreekar Prasad and composer Christo Xavier.
Speaking about the upcoming film, Salim said, "Leftover comes from silence, memory and moral urgency. It carries pain without spectacle, dignity without explanation, and a shared human experience that transcends borders"
The filmmaker is best known for his 2011 directorial debut Adaminte Makan Abu, which won four National Film Awards and was India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. His filmography also includes Pathemari, Kunjananthante Kada and And the Oscar Goes To.…
Meanwhile, The Gambler reunites Prasanna Vithanage with actor Roshan Mathew and cinematographer Rajeev Ravi following their collaboration on Paradise. Loosely based on The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the upcoming film is set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s casino industry. The cast also includes Prakash Raj, Shweta Basu Prasad, Lakshan Abenayake and Mahendra Perera.
Newton Cinema, founded by Anto Chittilappilly, has previously backed independent productions including Don Palathara’s Family, Varun Grover's Kiss and Megha Ramaswamy's Lalanna's Song. The company’s upcoming slate also includes The Sorbonne Conspiracy, also directed by Salim Ahamed, and The Wild Hunt from filmmaker Nithin Lukose, whose debut feature Paka (River of Blood) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Speaking about the production house’s vision, Anto said, "We are building a home for auteur cinema, for filmmakers whose work carries a signature and a conscience. With our upcoming slate, we aim to stand with independent filmmakers, protect difficult and necessary stories, and bring voices from the margins into world cinema."