India’s A Forward Society, written and directed by Vindhya Gupta and produced by Shilpi Agarwal of Platoon One Films has been selected for the 15th edition of Biennale College Cinema, the development and production programme run by La Biennale di Venezia.
The project is one of 12 selected from around the world for the 2026-27 edition and the only Indian project in the selection. Gupta is identified as a first-feature filmmaker, while Agarwal is listed as the producer. The teams will attend the programme’s first 10-day workshop from Oct. 5-15 on San Servolo island in Venice.
According to The Hollywood Reporter India, A Forward Society follows a video editor working at an Indian troll farm who forms a bond with a young intern. After teaching him her craft, the intern uses those skills during a college election, triggering consequences that spiral beyond their control. The film is produced by Platoon One Films.
Gupta’s previous short, Lice, had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. The film, set in India, follows two schoolgirls whose friendship is complicated by one girl’s attempt to conceal a lice infestation.
Biennale College Cinema was launched in 2012 to help emerging filmmakers develop and produce microbudget features. La Biennale says 68 features have been made through the programme since its first edition, following more than 2,700 applications.
Following the October workshop, up to four of the 12 projects will be selected for two further workshops and production support. The selected films will be made with budgets of €200,000 each and, once completed, will receive world premieres at the 84th Venice International Film Festival in 2027.
India has previously been represented in the programme by projects including Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation), Rohan Kanawade’s Arms of a Man and Nidhi Saxena’s Secret of a Mountain Serpent. The latter was among the four projects selected for production in the 13th edition and premiered at Venice in 2025.
