Newton Cinema arrives at Cannes with auteur slate

Newton Cinema made its Cannes market debut at the Marché du Film with a screening of Mayilla, directed by Semmalar Annam, at Lérins Cinéma Club. The milestone marks a significant international moment for Newton Cinema as it unveils an auteur-driven slate spanning Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, English, French, and German cinema, a body of work shaped by distinct voices, artistic courage and global resonance.

Newton Cinema also announced 'Leftover,' the fifth directorial feature from Salim Ahamed, starring Arjun Radhakrishnan, Zarin Shihab, Tanmay Dhanania, Shweta Basu Prasad and Roshan Mathew. Written by Salim Ahamed and P. V. Shajikumar, the film features cinematography by Sharan Velayudhan, editing by A. Sreekar Prasad, music by Christo Xavier, production design by Ashik S, sound design by Vishnu Govind, costume design by Gayathri Kishore and makeup by Salam.

Salim Ahamed is internationally recognised for Adaminte Makan Abu (Abu, Son of Adam), which won four Indian National Film Awards and was India’s official submission to the Academy Awards. His acclaimed filmography also includes Pathemari, Kunjananthante Kada and And the Oscar Goes To….

“LEFTOVER comes from silence, memory and moral urgency,” said Salim Ahamed. “It carries pain without spectacle, dignity without explanation, and a shared human experience that transcends borders. I am grateful to introduce the film to the international industry with Newton Cinema.”

Mayilla arrives at Cannes following its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and its Audience Award win in Cinélatino Toulouse. Plans for the world premiere of Leftover will be announced in the coming weeks.

Newton Cinema’s Marché slate also includes ‘The Gambler,’ directed by Prasanna Vithanage and written by Vithanage and Anushka Senanayake. The film stars Roshan Mathew, Shweta Basu Prasad, Prakash Raj, Mahendra Perera, and Lakshan Abeynayake, with cinematography by Rajeev Ravi, editing by A Sreekar Prasad, music by K and sound design by Tapas Nayak. The slate further includes The Sorbonne Conspiracy and The Wild Hunt from TIFF alumnus Nithin Lukose.

Newton Cinema is currently in advanced discussions with international sales representatives and Indian distribution partners for the festival journeys and theatrical releases of Leftover, Mayilla and its broader slate.

Anto Chittilappilly, founder, CEO and Producer of Newton Cinema, said they are building a home for auteur cinema, for filmmakers whose work carries both a signature and a conscience. "With Leftover, Mayilla and our upcoming slate, we aim to champion independent filmmakers, protect difficult and necessary stories, and bring voices from the margins into world cinema,” he said.

Newton Cinema is an international production house dedicated to auteur cinema, independent filmmakers and underrepresented voices, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Colombo and Kochi.