Debut Director's Film Mayilaa Earns Prestigious Rotterdam Premiere

In a significant achievement, filmmaker Semmalar Annam's debut feature film Mayilaa has been selected to premiere at the Bright Future Section of the prestigious International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2026. Semmalar, who is an actress as well, is overwhelmed by the recognition, stating that she is "happy and pleasantly surprised" by the selection.

Mayilaa explores the story of a woman living in rural Tamil Nadu as she navigates a toxic marriage, economic hardships, and her journey towards liberation. Semmalar shares that the film's narrative was inspired by her interactions with women in villages during her acting projects. "I would speak to women there, and listen to their life stories. I included all that in my film," she explains.

Interestingly, Semmalar's own daughter, V Shudar Kodi, plays the daughter's role in the film, while Melodi Dorcas portrays the protagonist. Semmalar emphasizes that she wanted the film to provide a sense of healing to the audience, stating, "I've played characters who go through a lot of pain. People keep telling me, 'I cried after watching you cry on screen.' So, I felt no one should feel sad after watching Mayilaa. I wanted to present it in a light-hearted tone."

The filmmaker also credits editor A Sreekar Prasad and producer Pa Ranjith for their contributions in shaping the film and securing its selection at the prestigious Rotterdam festival.