Cannes, May 15 2009 - For the first time in India’s cinematic history, International sales agent Fortissimo Films has completed a deal to represent a Hindi language film. ROAD, MOVIE, from writer director Dev Benegal (ENGLISH, AUGUST; SPLIT WIDE OPEN) is presented by the leading Indian motion picture studio The Indian Film Company (TIFC) in association with Studio 18. The deal covers markets outside of the Indian territories.

The original screenplay ROAD, MOVIE by Dev Benegal, is produced by eminent producers Susan B. Landau and Ross Katz. Katz earned the Best Picture Academy Award® Nomination for Sofia Coppola’s LOST IN TRANSLATION as well as Todd Field’s IN THE BEDROOM. Susan B. Landau’s dozen strong repertoire includes the Cannes closing night film in 1999, AN IDEAL HUSBAND starring Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore and Rupert Everett. Her production and management company represents SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’s Simon Beaufoy.

ROAD, MOVIE is written and directed by Dev Benegal whose first feature presentation ENGLISH, AUGUST was hailed as a landmark in contemporary Indian cinema and had ignited a wave of independent Indian filmmakers. His second feature presentation Split Wide Open premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

Shot on a lush canvas, ROAD, MOVIE stars screen sensation Abhay Deol, along with festival circuit favourite Tannishtha Chatterjee, and star Bollywood actor/director Satish Kaushik, both who gave notable performances in the 2007 British film BRICK LANE.

ROAD, MOVIE, a carnival-esque drama follows a young man driving an antique Chevy with two old film projectors in the back and discovering love, life and laughter on the Indian highway. The colourful road trip of a lifetime – Benegal’s love letter to cinema and the open road, is set against the backdrop of the epic desert landscape of India – the Kutch region in Gujarat and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. 

On making the announcement Sandeep Bhargava, CEO of the advisory to The Indian Film Company, said, “We are excited that one of international cinema’s most respected and successful sales agents’, Fortissimo Films, has taken a shine to our film and is partnering with us to deliver it to global audiences. ROAD, MOVIE is an important milestone in our company’s endeavour to support India’s growth on the cinematic world stage. And it’s a great honour to collaborate with Susan, Ross and Dev on this project.”

Fortissimo Films’ Co-Chairman Michael J. Werner, remarked, “We are thrilled that our first foray into distributing a new domestically produced feature film from India is director Dev Benegal’s, ROAD, MOVIE. It is a project that we were following for nearly two years and what captivated us about the script was how it captured aspects of India that are at once alluring, charming, revealing and compelling.”

The Fortissimo Films – Indian Films deal brings in to sharp focus the global interest in indigenous Indian films following the critical acclaim earned by box-office smasher SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.