Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's debut production Girls Will Be Girls has bagged the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2024.
Taking to Instagram, the Heeramandi actress expressed gratitude by sharing a film poster and a lengthy note.
The note read, "Before the day ends, wanna express my gratitude to the team of Girls Will Be Girls - this film is a gift that keeps on giving! We will always be proud of it! After a great run at Transylvania International Film Festival @transilvaniafilm where we won the Grand Jury Prize and Biarrtiz Film Festival in France, our humble film won the Grand Jury prize at @indianfilmfestival! I wish we could travel but the reason as you know is that @alifazal9 and I are bringing in a little home production."
Girls Will Be Girls is produced by Chadha and Fazal's joint venture Pushing Buttons Studios, in collaboration with Blink Digital and Dolce Vita Films.
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.
She added, "At @pushingbuttonsstudios, we want to tell stories that move, that take India to the world, and talk about the human experience! I love my friend Shuchi Talati, she's stuff of legend, you will see I love @preetiwooman, a breakthrough performance that won a special award for performance at @sundanceorg and she has before her an illustrious future! And now speaking of another actor that I am envious of @kantari_kanmani, the star of not just our film but of the Grand Prix winning #ALLWeImagineAsLight! What a great year you're having my beautiful, glorious friend! You'll see the very special @kesav.b, @jitin0804, and @devikashahani and they will win your heart. Thank you @dilipkhussro for finding these gems, we are grateful!"
And shared that they are planning to release the film in India soon.
"Very soon, we hope to bring this lovely film to India, it is an Indian film after all and we want our people to see it, and hear the amazing track genius @snekhanwalkar has made," Richa continued.
Recently, Girls Will Be Girls was screened at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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