SRFTI Alumni Shine at Busan: Stories of Dreams, Roots and Rising Voices from Bengal - GetBengal Story
The corridors of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) have always echoed with stories—some whispered between classes, some scribbled on crumpled pages, and some that finally made their way to the big screen. This year, a few of those stories are breaking free, traveling far beyond campus walls, all the way to Busan.
Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap and Tribeni Rai, alumni of SRFTI’s Direction and Screenplay Writing Department, have seen their films selected for the 30th Busan International Film Festival (September 17–26, 2025). Kashyap’s Kok Kok Kookkook, a magic realist horror drama set against a gritty yet scenic cityscape, and Rai’s Shape of Momo have both earned a place in the festival’s prestigious Vision Section—a platform celebrating bold, emerging cinematic voices.
The festival journey doesn’t end there for SRFTI. Alumni Kunjila Mascillamani’s The Last of Them Plagues and Sourav Rai’s Lank [The Fire] have been chosen for the Asian Project Market, an incubator for collaborative filmmaking across the continent. Rai’s film is being carried forward by a strong team of SRFTI graduates—Sudeepta Sadhukhan from Sound Recording and Design, Viraj Selot from Producing for Film and Television, and Ankita Purakayashtha from Sound Recording and Design—showcasing how the institute’s bonds continue beyond classrooms and into professional journeys.
Adding to the pride, SRFTI alumni Arnab Laha and Singhkanu Marma have been officially named among the 24 emerging filmmakers from Asia, chosen out of submissions from 40 countries. Their recognition further cements SRFTI’s role as a space that nurtures daring voices ready to step onto international stages.
Behing the lens, Arnab Laha and his team
Amidst this constellation of emerging voices shines Arnab Laha, a cinematographer and filmmaker from Kolkata whose lens has already captured the world. “From St. Xavier’s to SRFTI, my journey in cinema has taken me from Kolkata to Melbourne, Moscow, Mexico, Venice,” Arnab reflects. “I was the cinematographer for The Horse Film Heaven, India’s entry to the 95th Academy Awards, and have been honored with multiple Best Cinematographer awards. This year, I’m proud to represent India as one of 24 fellows at the Chanel × Busan International Film Festival 2025, bringing Bengal’s cinematic spirit to the global stage.”
It is this blend of talent, ambition, and rootedness that defines the SRFTI alumni experience. For anyone who has walked the SRFTI campus, with its quiet ponds, long debates over tea, and late-night screenings, this collective achievement is more than just a festival selection. It is proof that those countless hours of dreaming, arguing, and creating were not in vain. These filmmakers carry with them not only their own visions but also the spirit of a place that believes in cinema as both an art and a calling.
As Busan opens its doors this September, the stories born in Kolkata’s classrooms will meet audiences from across the world. And in every applause, perhaps, will echo the heartbeat of SRFTI—steady, determined, and endlessly creative.
