Malayalam thriller film by Sanjay Ajit John premieres on OTT

Malayalam film A Film By, directed by debutant Sabareesh Unnikrishnan Vijayalakshmi, made headlines for its unique setting as the entire film was shot in Canada. Produced by Ranju Kosi under the banner Magic Mist Media, the film features a newcomer cast and has been released on OTT platforms by the same company. Akshay Monsi is the cinematographer, which adds a distinctive visual appeal to the film.

The film is co-produced by Thomson Live Emigration, Sarath Prasad and Aswathi Neelman, with Canadian sponsor Akhildas Pradeep Kumar.

The main cast includes Sanjay Ajit John, Subhiksha Sampathkumar, Srikanth Siva, Jitin Philip Jose, Rhea Benny, Gurmeet Bajwa, Ribin Alukal, Bineesh Chacko, Nandamohan Jayakumar, Mandeep Singh Bajwa, Arni Muras, Henry Tarakan and Anstle Anto.

Shivakumaran K is the executive producer and edited by Francis Lewis of Cathal the Core and Great Indian Kitchen fame. The film’s lyrics, written by the director, were done by Anupama Sridevi and Srikanth Asokan.

Apart from this, the Malayalam movie Vadakkan starring Kishore Kumar G and Shruthy Menon has made history. It won the award for best supernatural thriller at this year’s Fright Night Film Festival, which took place on September 28. This achievement makes it the first Malayalam film to receive such an accolade. Sajeed A has directed this film and Unni R, popular for his films Munnariyippu (2014) and Charlie (2015), has written the script. Vadakkan has an all-star cast of actors: Merin Philip, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan and Aryan Katuria.

Vadakkan screened at the Marché du Film Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced by Offbeat Studios, the film was selected as one of seven special screenings at the Fright Night Film Fest. Sound designer Resul Pookutty, cinematographer Keiko Nakahara and composer and singer Bijibal participated in the show.

Vadakkan was also screened along with six other films at the Marché du Film Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. It introduces directors to various film genres. Pablo Guisa, who manages the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Marché du Film, said during the screening: “We are really happy to present Vadakkan as one of our best shows. The film is a mixture of mystery, old stories and supernatural elements on a global scale. Vadakkan tells a gripping story in his own style. The film shows how strong the position of Indian cinema is on the global genre scene.”