Rima Das's 'Village Rockstars 2' lands global sales deal ahead of Berlinale debut

Assam filmmaker Rima Das's sequel to her acclaimed 'Village Rockstars' has secured worldwide distribution through Bangkok-based sales company Diversion, just as the film makes its European premiere at the 2025 Berlinale film festival.

The film, which screened to a full house at Berlin's Zoo Palast theatre on February 16, stands as the only Indian feature in the Generation 14 Plus category at this year's festival. It follows the story of a teenage girl navigating her musical aspirations against the backdrop of harsh rural realities.

"I'm overwhelmed by today's premiere at Berlin. We had a packed screening at the beautiful Zoo Palast theatre, and the audience gave us so much love," said Das, who serves as the film's writer, director, producer, and cinematographer.

The film has already garnered significant recognition, winning the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film at the 29th Busan International Film Festival. This success follows the trajectory of its predecessor, which premiered at TIFF 2017 and went on to become India's Academy Awards entry for 2019.

Das, who joined the Academy as a member in 2024, has maintained a strong connection with Berlinale. Her previous film 'Bulbul Can Sing' received Special Mention at the 2019 festival, and she served as a jury member in 2020.

The film is a co-production between Flying River Films, Akanga Film Asia, and Bad Rabbit Pictures Co. Ltd, featuring performances by Bhanita Das, Basanti Das, Junumoni Boro, Boloram Das, and Manabendra Das.

Regarding the distribution deal, Das noted, "I'm also happy to share that we are now collaborating with Diversion for sales. Looking forward to this journey and hoping to bring the film to theatres in India soon!"

The Berlinale International Film Festival runs from February 13-23, 2025.