The Fable, directed by Raam Reddy and starring Manoj Bajpayee, is the only Indian film selected to compete at the prestigious SEMINCI Film Festival in Valladolid, Spain. After its world premiere at the 74th Berlin Film Festival—becoming only the second film in the last 30 years to compete in one of the key sections of Berlinale and receiving rave reviews from critics, the film is all set to have its Spanish premiere at the next edition of SEMINCI (18-26 October 2024), competing in the prestigious Meeting Point Official Selection Competition.
The film is competing against winners from all the top festivals of the year, such as the winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week, Blue Sun Palace by Constance Tsang; Venice winner Familiar Touch by Sarah Friedland; Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award winner A Universal Language by Mathew Rankin; Golden Leopard winner at the Locarno Film Festival, Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė; as well as Chinese master filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s Cannes-premiere Caught by the Tides.
According to the festival, Meeting Point is one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions of SEMINCI, dedicated to fictions destined to become the revelations of the season. The film is in competition for the Meeting Point Best Feature Award, the Meeting Point Special Jury Award, and the ‘Pilar Miró’ Award for the Best New Director participating with a first or second feature-length fiction.
SEMINCI is one of the oldest film festivals in Europe. A key platform for great masters and new talents, this year it is celebrating the 69th edition of the festival.
Regarding the selection, director Raam Reddy said, “It’s an incredible honour to be selected in competition at SEMINCI, as we will be competing with many of the winners from the top festivals around the world. The selection includes films by masters whose work has inspired me to become a filmmaker, so being in the same selection is incredibly exciting.”
Manoj Bajpayee shared his experience, saying: “Shooting for The Fable has been a miraculous and magical journey. We not only survived COVID but also faced immense challenges along the way. After a year-long hiatus due to the pandemic, we returned to the location only to be hit by the Delta wave. Despite the difficulties, we continued filming under strict isolation protocols set by the local administration. It was a long, arduous journey, four months initially in the mountains, followed by another four months after returning. It feels miraculous because we persevered and survived, giving it our all despite external pressures to cancel. The circumstances were far from ideal, but our belief in the script and the vision of director Raam Reddy kept us going. We supported each other, stayed hopeful, and pushed forward together. I’m thrilled that The Fable was already selected for the competition section at the Berlin Film Festival, and now, SEMINCI is another feather in its cap. I’m eagerly anticipating the audience’s response at SEMINCI in Spain. My best wishes to our director and the entire team attending the festival. I’m really excited to see how the film will be received.”
The US-Indian co-production boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Manoj Bajpayee, Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, debutant Hiral Sidhu, and child actor Awan Pookot.
In the film, Manoj Bajpayee plays the character of Dev, who discovers mysteriously burnt trees in his sprawling estate of fruit orchards nestled in the Indian Himalayas. In spite of all efforts, more fires break out, eventually leading him to see himself and his family for who they truly are.
