American actor Mark Bennington says he has visited Lucknow only twice, but his connection with the city has shaped new avenues. The Heeramandi actor says that his visit inspired him to make the short film Dear Tillo , with which he turned writer, director, and producer.
“Last winter I did the whole edit and sound design, everything. And then this year, started submitting it to the film festivals. We had our world premiere in Chicago South Asian Film Festival, at International Film Festival South Asia Toronto, then Mumbai and in Pune where we got the best actor award. After Lucknow, we are going to Jaipur, the Indian festival in Florence. It is slowly making its way around the globe.”
Recently seen in Vibes and Operation Safed Sagar , Bennington says he shot for the film last year.
Because of my previous visit to Lucknow as a jury member, on his recent visit, to participate in Lucknow Film Festival Season 4, he says, “It’s a film that actually happened. I saw so many short films and it kind of gave me an idea of what I would do if I were to ever make a short film? It inspired me to make a universally themed film that is easy to watch, with which the audience could relate to, and has a little twist at the end. So, the seed of this short film was born in Lucknow. Two years back, during the screening, it was a pretty respectable audience that was quietly watching and intent and listening. But, this time, people were having full conversations while someone was even doing a video call which was quite distracting. Even during the question and answer session it continued. There’s only so many times you can tell somebody to be quiet. But, anyways, I watched some nice films, so it was a mixed experience. He film was showcased in the Beyond Borders in the international film section.
On his experience in Lucknow he says, “This time I noticed a change.
