Anoop Lokkur’s debut Kannada feature ‘Don’t Tell Mother’ to premiere at Busan Film Festival

Mumbai: Filmmaker Anoop Lokkur’s debut Kannada feature Don’t Tell Mother will have its world premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the makers announced on Saturday.

The film will be showcased under the "Windows to Asian Cinema" section, which puts spotlight on the latest films from the well-established as well as rookies of the global film industry.

Set in 1990s Bangalore, the Indo-Australian production is described as a tender, emotionally resonant portrait of childhood and family. It stars Siddharth Swaroop, Aishwarya Dinesh, Anirudh P Keserker and Karthik Nagarajan.

The story follows a young boy enduring corporal punishment at school, his mother struggling against a patriarchal society, and a family forced to confront long-suppressed truths after tragedy strikes.

Lokkur, who has also written and produced the film, said the project draws from deeply personal childhood memories.

“'Don’t Tell Mother' is the most personal thing I’ve ever made. It comes from a vulnerable place, memories of my childhood and the love I have for my mother. Writing it helped me understand her struggles in a way I hadn’t before. To now have our world premiere at Busan feels almost unreal,” the filmmaker said in a statement.

Shot by Mathew Jenkins and edited by Pavan Bhat, the film is produced by Lokkur, Jenkins and Mikalya Henke under Papunu Films and East Reel Films, with Nishil Sheth and Karan Kadam as co-producers.

The 2025 Busan International Film Festival is scheduled to run from September 17 to 26.