Nihar Palwe’s The Storm The Calm Makes Cannes History with Straight 8 Win

By Shantivansh Tripathi

Indian writer-director Nihar Palwe’s Super 8mm short film “The Storm, The Calm, The Madness, The Magic” has officially been selected as one of the Top 8 films globally in the prestigious Straight 8 competition. With this achievement, Nihar Palwe has created history — this is the first time in 25 years that an Indian film has made it to the Top 8 since the inception of Straight 8, breaking new ground for Indian filmmakers in the experimental and analog cinema space.

The film will have its world premiere on May 24 at the BFI IMAX in London, followed by a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 at Cinema Olympia.

Straight 8 is a renowned UK-based filmmaking challenge running for 25 years, where participants are required to shoot a film on a single Super 8mm cartridge. The film must be edited entirely in-camera, with sound submitted blindly. There is no post-production, no retakes — just pure, instinctive storytelling. Out of hundreds of global entries, only the top 8 films are selected for premiere at Cannes.

The 2025 Straight 8 jury includes acclaimed names such as Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy, Diego Maradona), BAFTA-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, American Honey), and editor Justine Wright (The Last King of Scotland), among others like Stuart Brown, Rachel Clarke, Mark Jenkin, Madeleine Mullett, John Maclean, Joe Duncombe, and Hedda Archbold.

The film was created in collaboration with Harkat Studios, an international boutique art studio and alternative performance space based in Mumbai and Berlin. Harkat is known for its commitment to analog filmmaking, hosting events like 16mm film festivals, and supporting experimental cinema through artist-led film labs and community initiatives.

Shot in sequence on a single roll of Super 8mm film with no post-production, the film explores themes of chaos, calm, and artistic surrender — perfectly aligning with the raw nature of the Straight 8 format.

The film stars Preet Kamani (Middle Class Love, Maska) and Aditi Sandhya Sharma (Fighter, Deva) — two emerging talents from mainstream Hindi cinema who accepted the rare challenge of performing without a second take or playback. In a format where every movement, glance, and emotion must be captured in a single shot, their deep, visceral performances bring tenderness and quiet strength to a story about finding meaning in confusion and chaos.

Nihar Palwe, the writer-director, runs his Mumbai-based production house Desi Cut Productions, known for emotionally charged, visually powerful music videos, commercials, and short films. With a distinct style blending realism and bold cinematic language, Nihar crafts stories rooted in character, culture, and emotional truth. His work often delves into themes of identity, rebellion, memory, and unspoken human dynamics, presented with rhythmic precision and strong mood.

In 2025, his film “The Storm, The Calm, The Madness, The Magic,” shot entirely on Super 8mm, was selected in the global Top 8 for the prestigious Cannes Straight 8 showcase, and will premiere at BFI IMAX in London. His directing is marked by purposeful camera movement, organic transitions, and a deep understanding of how music, silence, and imagination drive narrative. Nihar is currently developing his debut Hindi feature film titled “Blockbuster,” as well as “Maut Ka Kuan” — a father-son drama set in the world of traveling stunt riders, his most personal project to date.

Speaking about the achievement, Nihar Palwe said: "This is not just a personal moment, but a huge one for Indian cinema. Representing the country on such an unfiltered, global platform is a true honor."

The soundscape of the film is as vital as its visuals. Music was composed by Adith Anande, who created the entire score without seeing a single frame of the film — a major challenge that he tackled with incredible emotional clarity.

Adith Anande shared: "Composing without visuals was initially terrifying, but once I surrendered to the unknown, it became deeply emotional. I had to feel what the film could be, not see it."

The film's cinematographer Leslie D’Souza brought the director’s vision to life using only the built-in viewfinder of the camera. Each shot was a pure attempt at visual storytelling — with no playback, no retakes.
The film was shot on a Zenit Quartz 1x8-2 Super 8 camera from the USSR era — a beautifully preserved example of vintage engineering. Every frame was manually exposed, with no monitors or playback, relying solely on instinct and trust.

Logline: At his lowest point, when nothing remained, a glimpse of her earrings sparked a fire inside — was it purpose, or just another illusion?

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