The Hindi-Kannada film September 21, directed by 22-year-old Karen Kshiti Suvarna, has been officially selected for the Marche du Film section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, scheduled to be held from May 12 to 23, 2026. The film will have its world premiere on May 16, 2026, at 5:45 PM at the Palais Theatre in Cannes.
The film stars Priyanka Upendra, Zarina Wahab, Praveen Singh Sisodiya, Ajit Shidhaye, and Amit Behl. It is produced by Visica Films, FMD Productions, Hamaramovie, and Filmsmax.
Before its theatrical release, September 21 will premiere across 12 cities, including Mumbai West, Mumbai Central, Pune, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Delhi-Noida, Lucknow, Kolkata, Dubai, and New York.
The film, supported by ARDSI, focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and caregivers. Director Karen Kshiti Suvarna stated that the struggles faced by caregivers are often greater than those of the patients, and the film attempts to convey that emotional and silent burden to the audience.
Written by Rajashekhar with music composed by Vinay Chandra, the film narrates the story of a father suffering from dementia and a son caught between ambition and responsibility.
Hamaramovie, a production company co-founded by Preeti Ali, wife of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, and Vinay Mishra, has previously supported festival films such as Follower and Tortoise Under the Earth.
September 21 is among the youngest Indian directorial entries to be presented at Cannes.
