‘THE FILM OF THE FEST’ at Kalakari Film Festival 2022

The documentary The Tails of Boo-Boo & Cuddly Poo are turning heads everywhere. Especially where it matters – at film festivals. It has pulled out all stops at the 2022 edition of the Kalakari Film Festival to be named the ‘Best Film of the Festival’.

The film is an attempt to sensitize society to the plight of stray animals. A quirky take on a very serious matter, it deftly trains the spotlight on cruelty, abandonment, rescue and love.

Directed by Salil Jason Fernandez, under the banner of Earth Films, whose Founder, Vandana Sethhi played a key role as Producer.

But even beyond these two pivotal players, it was the amazing and heart-warming coming together of celebrities and talent that injected an adrenalized dose of success. The entire project ran pro bono, with every single person – in front of or behind the camera – waiving their professional fee… something that could have run into hefty figures. It was their innate love for animals that sparked the collective benevolence. Truly, a passion-driven effort and a labour of love for the voiceless.

A galaxy of celebrities weighed in on the project, including actors, musicians, stand-up comedians and influencers. The project attracted the likes of Shraddha Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Amrita Puri, Samir Kochhar, Shibani Dandekar, Cyrus Broacha, Maria Goretti Warsi, Sapna Bhavnani, Shaheen Bhatt, Anushka Manchanda, Atul Khatri, Abhishek Upmanyu and Scherezade Shroff, amongst several others. Animal lovers, all!

The universal message of the documentary is about embracing stray dogs and cats – the narrative even narrowing towards pertinent points like the debate of ‘pedigrees versus strays’.

The prestigious Kalakari Film Festival citation is gaining The Tails of Boo-Boo and Cuddly Poo a far wider audience than originally envisaged – it has now created a flutter on the national stage. The international stage awaits next.