The OSN Original is a fictionalised story of a six-year-old South Asian schoolgirl who falls asleep on a school bus and ultimately dies from heat exhaustion.
At the Joburg Film Festival, Wendy Bednarz’s Yellow Bus won the coveted prize for Best Film during a gala award ceremony at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg.
Penned and directed by Wendy Bednarz in her feature debut, Yellow Bus boasts Jordanian producer Nadia Eliewat as a key collaborator. Additionally, the film is co-produced by Indian producer Guneet Monga, an Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards for her work on “\The Elephant Whisperers.”
The cast of Yellow Bus includes Tannishtha Chatterjee portraying the lead role of the mother, Ananda, alongside Amit Sial as the father, Gagan, and Kinda Alloush as the school owner, Mira.
An OSN+ Original film, Yellow Bus narrates the poignant tale of an Indian woman residing in the Arabian Gulf, who embarks on a quest for truth and accountability after her daughter is left to die on a school bus amidst the scorching desert heat. Filmed in Abu Dhabi, the firstl feature film from OSN delves into universal themes such as motherhood, identity, social isolation, and coping with the loss of a child.
In their commendation for the prize-winning film, the jury highlighted: “This film addressed the fundamental challenges encountered by marginalised immigrants. The protagonist’s nuanced performance illuminated the resilience and determination required when an individual confronts a socio-political system.”
Arab distributor MAD Solutions has taken on the responsibility of handling international sales for Yellow Bus.
