A Forward Society, the debut feature by NYU Tisch alumna Vindhya Gupta and produced by Platoon One Films, has been selected for the 15th Biennale College Cinema. One of 12 global projects in the 2026–27 cycle, the micro-budget film will undergo intensive development in Venice, positioning Gupta among a notable lineage of acclaimed international indie filmmakers.
A Forward Society, the debut feature film from NYU Tisch alumna Vindhya Gupta, has been selected for the 15th edition of the prestigious Biennale College Cinema—an initiative by La Biennale di Venezia dedicated to developing and producing micro-budget feature films from emerging global talent.
The title is among the 12 selected projects from around the world (nine international, three Italian) for the 2026–27 cycle.
Gupta and producer Shilpi Agarwal Bora, co-founder of Platoon One Films, will travel to Venice in October 2026 for the initiative’s intensive development workshop and to compete for production grants.
Written and directed by Gupta, whose short film Lice premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, A Forward Society follows a numb, sexually restless video editor at a shady Indian troll farm. She forms the sole real bond of her life with a young intern, teaching him her craft so well that he weaponises it on a college election, tipping into a chaos neither of them can pull back.
"What drew me to A Forward Society was the singularity of Vindhya’s voice and the film’s ability to explore something deeply contemporary through a very personal and cinematic lens," said producer Shilpi Agarwal Bora.
"Being selected for Biennale College Cinema is an exciting validation of that journey, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the programme challenges and develops the film, while bringing Vindhya’s voice to an international community of filmmakers and audiences," the producer added.
The selection places A Forward Society in a notable lineage of international indie breakthroughs developed through the Biennale College, including The Fits, This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection, and India's Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation).
Calling the Biennale College Cinema selection "a meaningful first step" towards bringing the world of A Forward Society to life, filmmaker Vindhya Gupta said, "For us, it is also a reminder of what the independent film ecosystem can make possible that films which are personal, formally ambitious and difficult to neatly categorise can find the right environment to grow. Having Platoon One Films believe in the film and champion its journey has made this step possible, giving A Forward Society the space and confidence to find its path."
A Forward Society is produced by Platoon One Films, founded by Shiladitya Bora. The studio's credits include Picasso (National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi), Ghaath (73rd Berlinale), Bayaan (Toronto International Film Festival), and Yours Truly (Busan International Film Festival).