International sales company Parallax Films has boarded “Aman,” writer-director Rahul Roye’s short film about a trans man who discovers he is pregnant on the eve of his gender-affirming surgery, for worldwide sales.
The announcement comes ahead of the film’s world premiere in the Short Cuts competition at the Toronto Film Festival, after which it travels to the BFI London Film Festival for its European premiere in that festival’s competition section, which selects 10 shorts from across the world.
Parallax Films is an international sales agent rooted in Sinophone cinema with teams based in Asia and Europe, focused on bringing high-quality Asian films to the global market.
Parallax founder Liuying Cao said: “‘Aman’ is an ambitious film, yet one deeply grounded in human emotion. It touches upon the most intimate experiences of an individual life, while never losing sight of the social and political realities – and responsibilities – that those experiences carry. Rather than resorting to slogans, the film reaches the audience through pain that is visceral, embodied, and deeply human. We are especially thrilled to be collaborating with such a beautiful and moving queer film from India.”
The 16-minute film, a U.K.-U.S.-India-France co-production shot in the Hindi and Bengali languages, had previously unveiled Nikkhil Advani and Dominique Welinski as executive producers. It is produced by Apoorva Bakshi for Awedacious Originals, Elle León Nostas for Aymara Films, Neeraj Churi for Lotus Visual Productions, and Tushar Tyagi and Abid Aziz Merchant.
The producers said in a joint statement: “‘Parallax Films brings a rare combination of global sales expertise and a deeply bespoke approach to every film they represent. With ‘Aman,’ we wanted a partner who could hold our sensitive and layered film with gentle hands, protecting what makes it intimate and singular while being ambitious and precise about how it is positioned for the world. Their instinct for both the film and its audience made the partnership feel immediate, and we’re thrilled to have them champion ‘Aman’ internationally.”
The cast includes Kabir Maan, a transgender activist making his acting debut in the title role, opposite Sirat Taneja, Guntaj Deep Singh and Satakshi Nandy. Taneja previously appeared at Toronto in Deepa Mehta’s documentary “I Am Sirat.”
“‘Aman’ is my attempt to create space for bodies and identities that refuse simplification. Pregnancy is one of the most deeply gendered experiences in our societies – ritualized, politicized and controlled. By placing a trans man at its center, the film questions how fragile our definitions of gender can be. Ultimately, it is a film about becoming,” Roye said.
“Aman” is supported by the Sumitra Gupta Foundation for the Arts, the Keshav Suri Foundation and the Kashish Q Drishti Film Grant, presented by the Kashish Arts Foundation, with additional support from Renuka Shahane and Lotus Visual Productions. The film marks Roye’s third short, following “Man & Wife” and “A Lullaby for Yellow Roses.”
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