MYSURU: Mysuru-based filmmaker Nagabhushan Deshpande has achieved a historic milestone with his debut short film titled ‘Distant – Bera Hudukida Mara’, which has been selected for the Light of Asia competition section at the 19th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) in Indonesia. This is the first time a Kannada short film has been chosen for this prestigious competition, adding a significant feather to the cap of Kannada cinema.

The festival, renowned for celebrating Asian filmmakers, will take place from November 30 to December 7. An engineer turned filmmaker Deshpande who honed his craft of filmmaking at the prestigious Prague film school has come up with this regional story with universal appeal highlighting the societal issue.

The film tells a deeply emotional and thought-provoking story centered around Rohith, a 13-year-old boy navigating the challenges of his fractured family. The story resonates deeply, addressing toxic masculinity, the undervaluation of women, and the awakening of a child’s understanding of gender roles.