Anuparna Roy’s Venice-winning Songs of Forgotten Trees to premiere at DIFF 2025, she calls it a 'fitting homecoming'

Songs of Forgotten Trees director Anuparna Roy has shared her thoughts on how the home audience will finally get to witness the film at DIFF 2025.

After scripting History at Venice Film Festival, Anuparna Roy’s Songs of Forgotten Trees is all set to premiere at the upcoming Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) 2025. In September, the film won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. Songs of Forgotten Trees was the only Indian film that got selected in the section.

Songs of Forgotten Trees follows the story of two women and how their lives get intertwined in Mumbai.

Songs of Forgotten Trees to premiere at DIFF 2025

Songs of Forgotten Trees will now be the closing film at DIFF, which is set to take place from October 30 to November 2. Anuparna shared her thoughts on how the home audience will finally get to witness the film at the hillside festival. She said, “Our film has been seen by the global audience in the last couple of months, but gives me immense joy, about bringing it home."

Anuparna Roy talks about her film's screening

"To have its India premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival— a festival that celebrates cinema with heart, thought, and soul - feels deeply personal. Dharamshala’s mountains, its silences, its spirit… they echo so much of what this film stands for. I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting homecoming to close our journey,” she added.

About Songs of Forgotten Trees

After Venice, Songs of Forgotten Trees were screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS). Songs of Forgotten Trees have been produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi and Ranjan Singh. It has been co-produced by Navin Shetty and Anuparna.

Songs of Forgotten Trees follows the story of two women and how their lives get intertwined in Mumbai. According to the film’s official synopsis, Songs of Forgotten Trees is about Thooya, a migrant and aspiring actor, who survives the city by leveraging beauty and wit, occasionally trading intimacy for opportunity. The film also stars Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel.