In The Making, Longlist - Short Film - Non Fiction
Shortlist - Short Film - Non Fiction

Holy Cowboys

Varun Chopra

The Corner Shop

Holy Cowboys is a window into the world of cow vigilantism through the eyes of young boys from a small town in India. It captures the current wave of Hindu nationalism through violent vigilantism in the name of the cow - a docile animal considered sacred and likened to a nourishing mother.

Varun Chopra is a New Delhi based filmmaker and Sundance Ignite Fellow. He became the youngest Indian national to showcase his documentary short God On A Leash at Cannes Film Festival and featured among a new wave of diverse young film makers in The LA Times in a discussion on diversity in Hollywood. Having completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production in the USA, Chopra is keen to continue to merge that with his distinct perspective living in India and to universalise his stories, recognising that globalisation and international film festivals are changing Indian narratives and how they are told. His passion lies in telling niche stories. Compelling narratives with elements of social realism about subjects that dwell on the fringes of the society. His films have screened at film festivals worldwide including San Sebastian, Oaxaca and IFFLA. Abandon was picked up by PBS for nationwide broadcast and worldwide online release, a study of children confined in a broken system, forgotten by society. His latest short Wreck It Raj was supported by The Academy and picked up by Comcast and Alaska Airlines.