Indian super 8mm short film “The Storm, The Calm, The Madness, The Magic,” written & directed by Nihar Palwe, has been officially selected as one of the Top 8 films globally in the prestigious Straight 8 competition.

Creating history, this marks the first time in over 25 years of the competition that an Indian film has ever made it to Straight 8’s Top 8 since its inception, breaking new ground for Indian filmmakers in the experimental, analog space.

The film will have its World Premiere at BFI IMAX in London on May 24 and will have a special screening on the sidelines of Cannes Film Festival 2025, at Cinema Olympia.

Straight 8 is a 25-year-old legendary UK based filmmaking challenge where participants must shoot a film on a single Super 8mm cartridge, edited entirely in-camera, with sound submitted blind. No post-production, no retakes, just pure, instinctive storytelling. Out of hundreds of entries from around the world, only the top 8 are selected for premiere at Cannes.

The Jury for 2025 Straight 8 challenge includes names like Oscar winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy and Diego Maradona), BAFTA nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, American Honey) and editor Justin Wright (The Last King of Scotland), Stuart Brown, Rachel Clark, Mark Jenkins, Madeleine Mullet, John Maclean, Jo Duncombe and Hedda Archbold.

The film was made in association with Harkat Studios, an international boutique arts studio and alternative performance space based in Mumbai and Berlin. Harkat is known for its commitment to analog filmmaking, hosting events like the 16mm Film Festival, and supporting experimental cinema through its artist-run film lab and community initiatives.

Shot on a single roll of 8mm film and entirely in sequence with no post production, the film captures themes of chaos, serenity, and artistic surrender, mirroring the very nature of the Straight 8 format.

The film stars Prit Kamani (Middle Class Love, Maska) and Aditi Sandhya Sharma (Fighter, Deva), two rising talents in mainstream Hindi cinema, who took on the extraordinary challenge of performing with no second takes and no playback. In a format where every movement, glance, and emotion had to land in a single shot, their deeply internal performances bring tenderness and quiet strength to a story about purpose, illusion and finding meaning in chaos.

The writer/director Nihar Palwe, who also runs Mumbai-based production house Desi Cut Productions says, “This is a huge moment, not just personally, but for Indian cinema as a whole. It’s an honour to represent the country on such an unfiltered, global platform,”

The soundscape is as crucial as the visuals in this film. The music was composed by Adith Anande, who scored the entire film blindly, without ever seeing a single frame, a challenge in itself, and one he met with incredible emotional clarity.  “Composing without the visuals was terrifying at first, but once I leaned into the unknown, it became deeply emotional. I had to feel what the film might be, not see it,” said Adith Anande, Music Director.

The film’s cinematographer, Leslie D’Souza, executed the director’s vision using only the camera’s built-in viewfinder, making each shot a single attempt at visual storytelling. No playback, no retakes. Just raw, analog risk.

The film was shot on an original USSR-era Zenit Quarz 1x8S-2 Super 8 camera, a beautifully preserved piece of engineering from the bygone era. Every frame was exposed manually, with no monitor or playback, just instinct and trust.

Logline: At his lowest, with nothing left, a glimpse of her earrings sparks a fire within: A purpose? Or just another illusion?

Nihar Palwe Profile

Nihar Palwe is a writer-director and founder of Desi Cut Productions, known for his emotionally charged, visually striking work across music videos, ads, and short films.With a distinctive style that blends realism with bold cinematic language, Nihar crafts stories that are rooted in character, culture, and emotional truth. His work often explores themes of identity, rebellion, memory, and the unspoken dynamics between people, delivered with rhythmic precision and a strong sense of mood..In 2025, his 8mm film *_The Storm, The Calm, The Madness, The Magic”_ , shot entirely on Super 8mm, was selected in the global Top 8 for the prestigious Cannes Straight 8 Showcase and is about to premier at the BFI IMAX in London.His direction is marked by purposeful camera movement, seamless transitions, and an intuitive understanding of how music, silence, and imagery can carry a narrative.Currently, he is developing his debut Hindi features  “Blockbuster” along with “Maut ka Kuan”, a father-son drama set in the world of traveling stunt riders, his most personal work to date..

Screening Dates:
May 19, 2025 – Cinema Olympia, Cannes | Straight 8 Top 8 Cannes Premiere

May 24, 2025 – BFI IMAX, London | World Premiere