71st edition. From 23 to 31 October 2026.
71st edition.
23/31 Oct. 2026
23/31 Oct. 2026
Shot on location and set in Sri Lanka in the 1970s and 80s, FUNNY BOY explores the awakening of sexual identity by a young boy named Arjie set against the backdrop of the civil war. As political tensions escalate to a boiling point between the minority Tamils and the majority Sinhalese, the boy comes of age in a society and family that refuses to embrace differences outside of societal norms. The film mirrors the oppression of the Tamil people with the marginalization Arjie suffers because of who he is and who he loves. FUNNY BOY chronicles a country torn apart by fear and abuse of power, while Arjie’s struggles to find balance and self-love despite the absence of empathy and understanding.
She was born in Amritsar (India) in 1950 and graduated in Philosophy from the University of New Delhi. In 1988 she co-directed the feature film ‘Martha, Ruth & Edie’ and three years later she directed her first solo work, the Cannes-awarded movie ‘Sam & Me’, which participated in the 36th Valladolid Festival. In 1994 she achieved great international success with ‘Freda and Camilla’, selected to take part in Valladolid’s 39th Film Week. In 1996 her film ‘Fire’ opened her award-winning trilogy with ‘Fire’, which was followed in 1998 by ‘Earth’ and later by ‘Water’, nominated for an Oscar in 2007 and winner of the Youth Award at Valladolid Film Festival. She returned to Seminci in 2012 with ‘Midnight’s Children’ (Best Cinematography Award), in 2015 with ‘Beeba Boys’ and a year later with ‘Anatomy of Violence’.
