Premiere

Taskovski Films Sales picks up “Redlight to Limelight”, directed by Bipuljit Basu.

The film was produced by Nilotpal Majumdar and co-produced by John Webster and Uldis Cekulis, with Emma Hindley and Somnath Gosh acting as executive producers. The film will have its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest in the International First Feature Competition.

Logline: A high-spirited group of Indian sex workers and their families begin making short films to transform their own lives and inspire others.

Synopsis: Redlight to Limelight follows a group of young children who are passionately weaving stories with mothers and sisters through their video production unit called CAM-ON to cultivate a meaningful change in the lives of a special community of sex workers in the brothel of Kalighat, Kolkata.

Keeping aside the ghosts of their grimy reality and who they were, women and children get immersed in an incredible joy of storytelling with a burning desire to turn the brothel into a better place. Woven around the experiences of mothers and sisters, CAM ON embarks on making a new short fiction Nupur, which is often entwined between memories and actuality, takes them through a catharsis when the community premieres the film for a public screening.

With joy and the power of storytelling, artful voices make their grimy universe a liberating space of self-assertion.

Irena Taskovski, CEO & Head of Acquisitions at Taskovski Films:

“Redlight to Limelight is a powerful testament to the healing force of cinema and a celebration of friendship and long-term collaboration. Discovering new Indian talent like Bipuljit Basu and working with long-time partners such as Nilotpal Majumder, who has spent decades nurturing Indian documentary voices through Docedge Kolkata, and dear colleagues like Uldis Cekulis and John Webster is a true privilege.

Set in Kolkata’s most stigmatized red-light district, the film follows the CAM-ON collective’s creative journey, revealing stories of resilience and hope. It shows how filmmaking can transform pain into purpose and give marginalised voices dignity and joy.”

Bipuljit Basu, Director:

“With Redlight to Limelight, it was essential to let the mothers and children of Kolkata’s red-light district tell their own stories through their own lens. In this process, we uncover a shared desire for dignity and transformation. We partnered with Taskovski Films because they truly understood our vision—the power of collective creativity to inspire change.”

Nilotpal Majumdar, Producer:

“Taskovski Films has long been a supporter of bold Indian cinema, with an award-winning catalogue that has inspired us for years. Their deep commitment goes beyond distribution—they nurture each film with care and vision. We’re proud to join forces with a team that truly elevates the stories they represent and bring Redlight to Limelight to global audiences.”

“Redlight to Limelight” Team at the Sheffield DocFest:

Bipuljit Basu (Director): June 18th – June 23rd

Nilotpal Majumdar (Producer): June 18th – June 23rd

John Webster (Producer): June 18th – June 21st

Uldis Cekulis (Producer): June 18th – June 21st

Somnath Ghosh (Executive Producer): June 18th – June 23rd

Emma Hindley (Executive Producer): June 19th

Screenings:

Thursday, June 19th 21:00 The Light – Screen 6

Saturday, June 21st 17:45 Showroom – Screen 2

BIOGRAPHIES:

BIPULJIT BASU – Director Bipuljit Basu, a Sundance Institute and IDFA grantee, is an emerging filmmaker specializing in Indian factual cinema, reality cinema, and documentaries. His work focuses on bringing lesser-known South Asian marginal stories into mainstream film and media. A postgraduate in Social Development, Bipuljit uncovers unexplored narratives with significant social relevance in popular culture, aiming to create a meaningful impact across broader social spectrums. He firmly believes in showcasing inclusion as a powerful tool for social change.

From 2016 to 2019, Bipuljit also worked as an overseas distributor, bringing carefully curated social-issue-based stories to audiences in North America and Europe. Additionally, Bipuljit served as an Asian jury member at the Science Film Festival, hosted by UNDP and the Goethe Institute, which took place across 94 countries.

NILOTPAL MAJUMDAR – Producer Nilotpal Majumder, a postgraduate from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, specializing in Editing, spearheaded the first Asian documentary pitching forum, Docedge-Kolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary. This initiative advances alternative reality storytelling in the region through skill development, incubation, and professional assistance. He has contributed to numerous films as a Director, Cinematographer, and Editor, and has participated in international festivals, forums, and workshops as a jury member, tutor, and mentor.

Formerly, he served as the Dean of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Government of India. Currently, he is the Director of the Manipur Film & Television Institute in Imphal. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the culture of global documentary cinema, he was honored with the European Documentary Network Award in 2017.