Songs of Forgotten Trees, the debut feature by Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy, has been picked up for worldwide sales by the acclaimed French sales company Celluloid Dreams. Presented by Anurag Kashyap, the film marks the only Indian selection in the prestigious Orizzonti Competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere on September 1, 2025.
Celluloid Dreams boards Anurag Kashyap presented Songs of Forgotten Trees, India’s sole Venice competition entry
Celluloid Dreams, the international sales company celebrated for championing bold, auteur-driven cinema, has long been a gateway for visionary filmmakers to reach global audiences. Over the years, it has represented landmark works such as Jafar Panahi’s 3 Faces (2018, Cannes) and No Bears (2022), along with early masterpieces by Hirokazu Kore-eda, including Still Walking (2008), Nobody Knows (2004), After Life (1998), and Maborosi. Its association with Songs of Forgotten Trees marks a significant milestone, firmly positioning the film on the international map and signalling strong visibility on the global festival and sales circuit.
Set against the restless rhythms of Mumbai, Songs of Forgotten Trees follows Thooya, a migrant and aspiring actress navigating the city through beauty, wit, and uneasy compromises, and Swetha, a corporate professional who becomes her flatmate. What begins as a practical arrangement gradually unfolds into an unexpected bond of empathy tested by desire, survival, and unspoken wounds. The result is a tender, lyrical exploration of kinship and resilience in a fractured world.
The film stars Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, alongside Bhushan Shimpi, Ravi Maan, Pritam Pilania, and Lovely Singh. Behind the camera, the film brings together cinematographer Debjit Samanta, editor Ashish Patel, and composer Nishant Ramteke.
Songs of Forgotten Trees is produced by Flip Films (Ranjan Singh), River Tale Films (Bibhanshu Rai), Romil Casting (Romil Modi), and Nube Studio – Nube Cirrus (Navin Shetty), in association with Khan & Kumar Media (Sharib Khan, Vikas Kumar).
Speaking about the acquisition, Saliha Guemraoui, CEO of Celluloid Dreams, said, “Celluloid Dreams is thrilled to support such an ambitious and captivating project as Songs of Forgotten Trees, which aligns perfectly with our editorial slant, as well as start a new and ambitious partnership.”
Filmmaker Anuparna Roy added, “I am pleased that Celluloid has partnered with our film, and I have full faith in them that they will take it to the world, in the best possible way.”
Producer Ranjan Singh said, “We are glad that Saliha and her team at Celluloid saw the film and have onboarded it. With their proven record of excellent films in the past, we are excited to start this journey with them.”
With Songs of Forgotten Trees marking India’s sole presence in competition at Venice this year and with Celluloid Dreams’ illustrious legacy of championing auteurs like Jafar Panahi and Hirokazu Kore-eda the film signals a landmark moment for Indian independent cinema, asserting its voice with rare global resonance.
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