The much-anticipated debut production of actor-couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, titled ‘Girls Will Be Girls,’ is set to grace the screens at the prestigious 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in the US.

Directed by Shuchi Talati, the film will be part of the ‘Festival Favourites’ section at the annual event in Austin, Texas, scheduled from March 8 to 16, PTI reported from Mumbai.

‘Girls Will Be Girls’ unfolds in a boarding school nestled in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India, depicting the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl, whose rebellious awakening intertwines with her mother’s unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.

The cast includes Preeti Panagrahi, Kani Kusruti, Jitin Gulati, Preeti Panigrahi, and Kesav Binoy Kiron.

As an Indo-French co-production, the film is a collaborative effort between Chadha and Fazal’s joint venture Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films, and Dolce Vita Films.

Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ earned acclaim by securing two awards: the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category and the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting, awarded to Preeti Panagrahi.

Expressing their excitement, Chadha and Fazal stated in a joint statement, “We are elated and honored to have our debut production, ‘Girls Will Be Girls,’ selected for the prestigious SXSW Film Festival. This journey from concept to screen has been immensely rewarding, and the film’s recognition at Sundance only fuelled our excitement.”

They continued, “Collaborating with an exceptional team led by director Shuchi Talati, we aimed to deliver a coming-of-age story that resonates universally. The selection in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW validates our collective efforts and affirms the film’s impact. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the audience, critics, and the festivals for embracing ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ with such warmth.”