Exclusive | Triparna Maiti's Stop-Motion Short 'The Chair' Set for World Premiere at Palm Springs ShortFest

Kolkata-based filmmaker Triparna Maiti's stop-motion animated short The Chair has been selected for the 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest, where it will have its world premiere on June 26, 2026. This is the film's first festival selection.

The Chair, inspired by Maiti’s childhood memories of growing up in a conservative Indian household, follows a young girl and her fascination with her grandfather's wooden armchair as she ponders belonging, identity and power within a patriarchal family structure. 

The film is an international co-production between Luminary Pictures, Safarnaama Pictures (USA), Humans of Cinema, Flying Turtle Studio (India), and Damned Films (France), with producers Rita Meher, Nazim Momin, Harshit Bansal, Yohann Cornu, and Maiti herself. The project’s crew includes Anirban Ghose as the film’s cinematographer, Mark D'Rozario as animation director, and Keerthan Berny as sound designer.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the film, Maiti said, “This story emerged from a childhood memory that stayed with me for years. Looking back, I realized it carried deeper reflections on power, belonging, and the invisible dynamics within families. The film is my attempt to revisit that memory and explore how such moments quietly shape who we become.”

Commenting on the selection, Rita Meher, one of the film’s producers and Founder of Luminary Pictures and Co-Founder & Executive Director of Tasveer, said, “What drew me to The Chair was its emotional honesty and Triparna's remarkable artistic voice. The film transforms an ordinary object into a powerful vessel for memory, identity, and human connection. We are delighted to see the film receive this recognition and make its world premiere at Palm Springs International ShortFest.”

Maiti's previous short film, Water, has screened at international festivals including Anifilm, Monstra, FilmSchoolFest Munich, and the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival.

Her next project, The Tale of The Holy Beast, an animated feature, is currently in production and has been selected for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab, Annecy's Mifa Pitches, Busan's APM Market, Tasveer Film Market, and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum.