Filmmaker Nidhi Saxena's directorial debut Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman has been awarded with the prestigious Asian Cinema Fund 2024. Nidhi is the first Indian woman filmmaker to receive this award in the post-production fund category. She is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), class of 2017, with a diploma in TV Writing.
The film is set to have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in October 2024.
The Asian Cinema Fund provides essential in-kind post-production services such as digital intermediate (DI), sound mixing, English subtitle spotting, and DCP creation for Asian and Korean feature-length fiction film projects.
Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman centres on two women living in a decaying ancestral house that reflects their emotional stagnation. Grappling with trauma, both women find different ways to cope and escape until they stumble upon something that might change their lives forever.
Speaking on the inspiration for her film, Nidhi said, "As a child, I often wrote letters to an imaginary friend, expressing fears and dreams I couldn't share with anyone else. These letters became a lifeline, a way to navigate the emotional turbulence of my upbringing." She added, "I wanted to create a dreamlike atmosphere where memories and current realities coexist.”
The movie is produced by Cannes award-winning Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, known for his film Sulanga Enu Pinisa, and Indian producer Ajender Chawla. "Being part of this journey, I have huge faith in her. I know what she has created is pure cinema. She is not just telling stories as a filmmaker; she is capturing the essence of life itself through her lens," Vimukthi said.