Director Triparna Maiti’s animated short film The Chair was officially selected for the 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest. This marked its first festival selection and world premiere on 26 June 2026.
Inspired by Maiti’s childhood memories growing up in a conservative Indian household, The Chair follows a young girl’s fascination with her grandfather’s wooden armchair as she quietly navigates questions of power, belonging, and identity 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). In addition to directing the film, Maiti also serves as a producer alongside Rita Meher, Nazim Momin, Harshit Bansal, and Yohann Cornu.
Produced over seven months by a small team of artists in Kolkata, The Chair was created using handcrafted animation techniques and resourceful production methods. Through its intimate storytelling, the film explores themes of memory, identity, belonging, and the emotional significance attached to everyday objects.
The film’s core creative team includes Maiti’s fellow Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute alumni Anirban Ghose (cinematographer), Mark D’Rozario (animation director), and Keerthan Berny (sound designer), all of whom have been closely associated with the project since its early stages and played an integral role in shaping the film’s creative journey.
Commenting on the selection, Luminary Pictures founder and producer & Tasveer co-founder & executive director Rita Meher 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.”
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 realised 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.”
Maiti is an animation artist, writer, and filmmaker based in Kolkata and an alumna of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. Her previous short film, Water, has been screened at international festivals including Anifilm, Monstra, FilmSchoolFest Munich, and the Oscar-qualifying Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. She is currently developing her animated feature project, The Tale of The Holy Beast, which has participated in the NFDC Screenwriters Lab, Annecy’s Mifa Pitches, Busan’s APM Market, Tasveer Film Market, and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum.
Luminary Pictures develops film and television projects that connect South Asia and North America through culturally rooted and globally relevant stories. The company is currently developing a slate of projects across drama and thriller genres, including the upcoming Bangla feature Deshlai, directed by Q.
