Janus Films and Sideshow have set the U.S. release date for “All We Imagine as Light,” the critically acclaimed Indian drama that won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, for November 15 in New York and Los Angeles, with a nationwide expansion to follow.
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT by Payal Kapadia – Official Trailer
Written and directed by Payal Kapadia in her debut as a narrative director, the film tells the story of two women in Mumbai — Prabha, a troubled nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate who is looking for a place to be intimate with her boyfriend. A trip to a beach resort allows them to find a space where their desires can manifest. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon.
Read: All Academy Awards predictions in all 23 categories can be found on one page in the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.
The co-distributors hope the drama will be India’s official selection for international feature film, as it will also be up for awards in other categories, including best picture. The distributor previously enjoyed success at the Oscars with Japan’s international feature winner “Drive My Car” (2021), which also earned nominations for best picture, director (Ryusuke Hamaguchi) and adapted screenplay. The studio also garnered nominations for Poland’s 2022 “EO” and Shaunak Sen’s documentary “All That Breathes.” India has received three nominations for best international feature film since its first submission in 1957 — Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” (1957), Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay!” (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Lagaan” (2001). Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” (2022) is the last and only film to make the preliminary shortlist.
