Songs The Woods Sing + The Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know

“A village loses its rhythm when a grandmother commits an unspeakable act.” Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is a lyrical tale that unravels through silence, atmosphere, and fragments of daily life. Rooted in rural India, the film blurs the line between myth and reality, showing how one small transgression can disturb an entire community’s balance. Audiences can expect an immersive visual journey — meditative, slow-burning, and textured with lived-in detail. It is less a story told and more an experience felt: a portrait of people, land, and silence in collision. Awards & Recognition: • Winner, La Cinef – Festival de Cannes 2024, National Award for Best Script, Winner- Banglore International Film Festival • Official Selection, multiple national & international festivals • Praised for its evocative cinematography and distinctive storytelling voice

“When a grandmother breaks a village taboo, silence turns into a haunting presence.” Winner of La Cinef at Cannes 2024, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is an atmospheric short film set in rural India.
Blending myth and reality, it captures the fragile balance between people, place, and secrets. Expect a poetic, immersive experience where every image carries weight and every silence speaks.

Songs The Woods Sing
Raghu and Megha walk through a silent, empty forest, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Beside a quiet lake, Raghu finally breaks the silence. His words shatter her. She turns away, stepping into the unknown. Songs the Woods Sing is a haunting meditation on love, loss, and the quiet violences that shape us in the spaces between what was and what will never be.

Vallabh Khatri is a Mumbai-based screenwriter and filmmaker. His transition into films allowed him to explore the intricacies of storytelling, and he has since collaborated with notable directors such as Akshat Verma, Randeep Jha, and Prosit Roy. Throughout his career, Vallabh has taken on diverse roles, including Assistant Director (AD), Director’s Assistant (DA), and Script Supervisor. He has contributed to various projects, including Halahal, Shantaram, Mai, Little Things, and Chakda 'Xpress. Vallabh is currently working on several original projects that reflect his unique voice as a writer and director. Through his work, Vallabh aspires to create narratives that delve into the often-overlooked micro-emotions that define the human experience. He seeks to tell the stories of individuals entangled in their own inner worlds and the circumstances surrounding them, exploring themes of loss, redemption, and grief. Vallabh aims to illuminate the ever-shifting nature of morality, revealing how it can bend and reshape according to convenience and how these complexities influence the characters’ journeys.