The First OSN Original In The Region To Debut At The Toronto International Film Festival 2023
Yellow Bus is all set for its global premiere at the 48th TIFF taking place this month
OSN’s first original movie in the MENA region is all set for its global premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023.
OSN’s first original movie in the MENA region, Yellow Bus, is all set for its global premiere at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, which is from September 7 – September 17, 2023. The much-anticipated release is written and directed by Wendy Bednarz and produced by Screen Project and Metatron Productions in co-production with Sikhya Entertainment and Pix44 Productions.
The filming took place in Abu Dhabi with support from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and is based on the story of a South Asian woman living in the region. According to tiff.net, “In Wendy Bednarz’s feature debut, an Indian woman living in the Arabian Gulf embarks on a search for truth and accountability after her daughter is left to die on a school bus in the sweltering desert heat.”
The upcoming release has a stellar star cast, including renowned actor and director Tannishtha Chatterjee, who is best known for her roles in Brick Lane, Parched, Lion, Anna Karenina, Island City, Angry Indian Goddess and Dekh Indian Circus. The film also stars Kinda Alloush, a Syrian actor based in Cairo.
According to The National, Wendy has said, in a recent statement, the film aims to explore “visceral explorations of loss, love and the weight of avoidable tragedies.” “It is my hope that Yellow Bus will debunk stereotypes by shining a light on a part of the world that is often left in the shadows, stories untold. We are excited to have our world premiere at Tiff and we eagerly await the film fraternity’s response to a tale that, at its core, speaks of what it truly means to be human.”
The film, Yellow Bus, is Wendy’s first narrative feature film and the screenplay has already won a variety of awards such as the New York International Screenplay Award, La Film Fest Winner and many more listed on wendybednarz.com. The website also states Wendy spends her time between New York and the UAE where she is the Arts Professor of Film and New Media at New York University Abu Dhabi.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@YellowBusFilm