Natesh Hegde’s Kannada film Pedro has been selected for the 65th edition of the British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival. Bankrolled by actor Rishab Shetty under the production banner of Rishab Shetty Films, the film will be screened on October 14 and 15 at the film festival. The BFI London Film Festival recently unveiled its lineup, which included over 150 feature films and 21 world premieres. The screenings are set to take place in theatres across London and the UK, as well as virtual premieres on the BFI player platform.
Sharing the news on social media, Natesh Hegde wrote: “Woh! Pedro is having its European premiere at prestigious BFI London Film Festival. @shetty_rishab @filmbazaarindia @BFI #pedro.” The film has been selected under the ‘Dare Strand’ category of the festival. “From the formally audacious to the narratively unpredictable, the Dare Strand celebrates risk-taking cinema at its most exhilarating,” a tweet by BFI’s official Twitter handle read.
“In a village in southern India, Pedro, an outcast and a drunk, accidentally kills a cow and sets off a revelatory chain of events that pit him against the entire community,” reads the description of the plot on the BFI’s official website. The film reportedly explores themes of toxic masculinity, communalism as well as aspects of life in a remote village. Shot by Vikas Urs, Pedro stars Gopal Hegde, Ramakrishna Bhat Dundi, Raj B Shetty, Medini Kelmane, and Nagaraj Hegde.
Woh!
— Natesh Hegde (@hegde_natesh) September 7, 2021
Pedro is having its European premiere at prestigious BFI London Film Festival. @shetty_rishab @filmbazaarindia @BFI #pedro https://t.co/vhCmBqSg9i
The film was earlier selected to be screened at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Pedro is the first Kannada film to be screened at the BIFF, which is scheduled to take place between October 6 to October 15. It has been selected for the ‘new current section’ of the festival. According to a report in The New Indian Express, Pedro was also shortlisted for the Directors Fortnight Cannes 2020, but the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.
ನಟೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಅವರ ಚೊಚ್ಚಲ ನಿರ್ದೇಶನ @rishabsfilms ನಿರ್ಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ತಯಾರಾದ #Pedro ಸಿನೆಮಾ ಇದೀಗ @busanfilmfest ಗೇ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯಾದ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಿತ್ರ ಇದಾಗಿದ್ದು new current section ನಲ್ಲಿ World primier ಆಗಲಿದೆ @Natesh_kottalli #Pedro pic.twitter.com/PMkYmeqwr4
— Rishab Shetty (@shetty_rishab) September 1, 2021