SRFTI is thrilled to announce that our short film “A Doll Made Up of Clay”, presented by the Department of Producing for Film & TV, has been OFFICIALLY SELECTED for the 78th Festival de Cannes 2025 in the prestigious La Cinef section!
Congratulations to our talented students who made this achievement possible.
Producer: Sahil Manoj Ingle
Writer & Director: Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay (Ethiopia)
DOP: Vinod Kumar
Editor: Haru – Mahmud Abu Naser (Bangladesh)
Sound Design: Soham Pal
Music Composer: Himangshu Saikih
Executive Producer: Uma Kumari & Rohit Kodere
Line Producer: Avinash Shankar Rhurve
Lead Actor: Ibrahim Ahmed (Nigeria)
Casts: Geeta Doshi, Ibrahim Ahmed, Rwitban Acharya
About Film
Driven by ambition, a young Nigerian athlete sells his father’s land to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer in India. However, a career-ending injury leaves him disillusioned and stranded in an unfamiliar country. Through physical pain, emotional trauma, and an identity crisis, he reconnects with the spiritual traditions of his ancestors, finding redemption and meaning. A Doll Made Up of Clay is a powerful exploration of displacement, loss, and cultural resilience.
This 23-minute experimental film, produced under SRFTI’s Producing for Film and Television (PFT) department, showcases cross-border collaboration. Produced by Sahil Manoj Ingle, a PFT student, and directed by Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, an Ethiopian student under the ICCR African Scholarship, the film underscores SRFTI’s dedication to global cinematic innovation.
Receiving an invitation to compete in La Cinef at Cannes, the film highlights emerging talent from top global film schools. The festival takes place in France this May.
