Kolkata-based filmmaker Triparna Maiti's stop-motion animated short film The Chair is set to have its world premiere at the 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest on June 26, marking its first festival selection and international debut.
Inspired by Maiti's childhood memories of growing up in a conservative Indian household, The Chair follows a young girl's fascination with her grandfather's wooden armchair as she grapples with questions of power, belonging and identity within a patriarchal family.
The film is an international co-production between Luminary Pictures, Safarnaama Pictures (USA), Humans of Cinema, Flying Turtle Studio (India) and Damned Films (France). Maiti has also served as a producer alongside Rita Meher, Nazim Momin, Harshit Bansal and Yohann Cornu.
Created over seven months by a small team of artists in Kolkata, the stop-motion film employs handcrafted animation techniques to tell an intimate story about memory, identity and the emotional significance attached to everyday objects.
The film's creative team includes Maiti's fellow alumni from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute — cinematographer Anirban Ghose, animation director Mark D'Rozario and sound designer Keerthan Berny — all of whom have been involved with the project since its early stages.
"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," said producer Rita Meher, founder of Luminary Pictures and co-founder and executive director of Tasveer.
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."
