Bengaluru's 'Pankaja' makes history at Sundance 2026
Pankaja, a Kannada short film from Bengaluru directed by Anooya Swamy, is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2026.
This marks the first time a Kannada short film—and the first by a Kannadiga filmmaker—has been officially screened at this iconic event, with screenings scheduled between January 22 and February 1 in Utah.
What's the story?
The film follows Pankaja and her daughter as they search for her missing husband in Bengaluru's slums.
Swamy drew on personal family experiences to bring authenticity to the story.
Why is this a big deal?
Pankaja was picked out of over 11,000 entries for Sundance's Short Film Program—only 54 made the cut.
It'll also go on tour with the Sundance Institute's Short Film Tour across US and international theaters.
Who's behind it?
Swamy wrote, directed, and produced Pankaja alongside Nakirekanti Swamy, Archana Swamy, and Vindhya Gupta.
She studies at NYU Tisch and has even assisted Spike Lee—quite an impressive journey so far!