Nocturnal Burger to have its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2023

Award-winning filmmaker Reema Maya’s (aka Reema Sengupta) short film Nocturnal Burger will have its World Premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film festival 2023 in the ‘Short Film Section’ on 21st January 2023.

Reema’s last short film Counterfeit Kunkoo had its World Premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film festival as the only short film from India at the festival and the first Indian fiction short to be selected there in 16 years. It has since been selected at 120+ international film festivals and won 40 awards. It was also showcased in Sundance 2022 as part of their 40th Anniversary program. The film was also featured on Criterion, Mubi, Nowness and was awarded Vimeo Staff Pick – Best of Month.

Nocturnal Burger is the only Indian film in collaboration with the U.S.A to compete in the U.S. Fiction Short Films. The 64 Short Films for the 2023 lineup were selected from 10,981 submissions, the highest number on record.

The 28-minute short film is about a 13-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man who are brought to a police station in Mumbai in the middle of the night by two strangers. Amidst questionable motives and unreliable narrators, a frustrated female constable investigates what happened that night, and what could’ve happened.

The film stars Bebo Madiwal, Millo Sunka, Trupti Khamkar, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Pushpendra Singh, Somnath Mondal, Vicky Shinde and Mukesh Pachode. A Catnip film presented by XRM Media is produced by Reema Maya and Michael Y Chow and executive produced by Surekha Sengupta and Sue Turley.

Reema Maya, writer-director of the film says, “I am very grateful to Sundance for their continued support. Getting nominated the first time was a life-long dream come true, I never even imagined being a two-time Sundance nominated filmmaker. It has helped me believe more in my voice and the stories I want to tell. Sundance 2018 was life-changing. I can’t wait to see what Sundance 2023 has in store for us!”

Michael Y Chow, Producer of the film says, “It is an honour and a pleasure to support Reema Maya’s second short film at Sundance Film Festival. We were introduced to Reema through our Sundance x XRM Shorts Initiative Program and immediately saw something special in her as a rising international filmmaker.”

Sue Turley, Executive producer of the film says, “Having the immense pleasure of working with Reema this past year, I saw first-hand the raw talent and gifted storyteller she is. Excited to share Nocturnal Burger with the world at the Sundance Film Festival 2023 and bring this year’s only Indian Short to the festival.”