{"id":168088,"date":"2025-06-08T17:04:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T17:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/168088\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T17:04:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T17:04:10","slug":"sundance-winner-cactus-pears-scores-grand-jury-prize-at-sxsw-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/168088\/","title":{"rendered":"Sundance Winner ‘Cactus Pears’ Scores Grand Jury Prize at SXSW London"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tMarathi-language feature \u201cCactus Pears<\/a>\u201d (\u201cSabar Bonda\u201d) continued its festival winning streak by taking home the Grand Jury Prize at the inaugural SXSW London<\/a> festival.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe award was announced by the festival\u2019s features jury,<\/a> comprising writer-director Julia Jackman, actor Archie Madekwe and actor-writer Susan Wokoma.<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade<\/a> in his feature debut, \u201cCactus Pears\u201d follows two men navigating societal pressures in a rural Indian community. The story centers on Anand, a 30-something city dweller forced to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in western India\u2019s countryside, where he bonds with Balya, a local farmer struggling to remain unmarried. As the mourning period ends and Anand must return to the city, he faces a crucial decision about their relationship.<\/p>\n

\n\tAt the SXSW London closing gala, jury member Wokoma said: \u201cThe winning film is a stunning portrait of love and tenderness and beauty in and amongst grief and how these two people are able to foster some hope and love between them amongst all different aspects of their religion and their culture and their families and are supported through that in a really tender beautiful way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tGemma Blasco\u2019s \u201cThe Fury,\u201d particularly lead \u00c1ngela Cervantes\u2019s performance, scored a jury special mention. <\/p>\n

\n\tEarlier this year, \u201cCactus Pears\u201d world premiered at Sundance, where it won the Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema (Dramatic),<\/a> marking the first Marathi-language film to feature at the festival. The film has since claimed the Audience Choice award and Special Jury Mention for Performance by a Leading Duo at Indian Film Festival LA, plus Audience Choice and Outstanding Performance awards for the lead actor at Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI am so thrilled to know that \u2018Sabar Bonda\u2019 won the inaugural London edition of SXSW,\u201d Kanawade said. \u201cThis win only cements further that authentic human stories know no boundaries. The love that we received from the jury as well as the U.K. audience (we had sold out screenings) only makes us work harder to bring \u2018Sabar Bonda\u2019 to the cinemas so the audiences can soon experience the film on the big screen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe filmmaker, raised in a Mumbai slum by a chauffeur father and homemaker mother, transitioned from interior design to filmmaking. His shorts have screened globally, and \u201cCactus Pears\u201d was developed at Venice Biennale College Cinema 2022-2023, participating in platforms including NFDC Film Bazaar, Venice Gap Financing Market and Goes to Cannes. Kanawade is repped by Cinetic Media.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe film is produced by Neeraj Churi, Mohamed Khaki (Canada), Kaushik Ray (Taran Tantra Telefilms, UK), Naren Chandavarkar (Moonweave Films, India), Sidharth Meer (Bridge PostWorks, India) and Hareesh Reddypalli (Dark Stories, India), with co-producer Jim Sarbh (Wonderful Entertainment, India), associate producer Rajesh Parwatkar (U.K.) and executive producer Ilann Girard.<\/p>\n

\n\tProducer Neeraj Churi of Lotus Visual Productions said: \u201cTo see the film resonate so powerfully with both audiences and juries across continents is incredibly moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMPM Premium handles world sales, with Strand Releasing managing U.S. distribution.<\/p>\n