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Anuparna Roy scripts history with Venice win for debut feature

Her debut feature takes Horizons prize, dedicated to women’s voices

Web Desk

Published September 07, 2025, 02:37 PM

Updated 10 months ago

Anuparna Roy scripts history with Venice win for debut feature

Her debut feature takes Horizons prize, dedicated to women’s voices

When Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy took home the Best Director prize in the Orizzonti (Horizons) category of the esteemed 82nd Venice Film Festival on Saturday, she made history.

Songs of Forgotten Trees, Anuparna's first feature film, which was presented by Anurag Kashyap, took home the prize.

Reacting to the huge win, Anuparna Roy dedicated it to women all around the world. In a statement from Venice, the filmmaker said, "This film is a tribute to every woman who’s ever been silenced, overlooked, or underestimated. May this win inspire more voices, more stories, and more power for women in cinema and beyond."

This year, Songs of Forgotten Trees was the only Indian film chosen for Venice's elite Orizzonti section.

The festival's jury and audience were blown away by the movie. The award was dedicated to the nation by the director, who was clearly emotional and teary-eyed as she took the stage.

Produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi, and Ranjan Singh, Songs of Forgotten Trees, which stars Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, tells the tale of two women and how their lives in Mumbai become one.