Thithi

It's only fitting that one of 2015's most endearing debuts explodes out of the starting blocks with a brilliant opening sequence. In a tiny village in South India, no passerby is spared 101-year-old Century Gowda's verbal abuse. When he finally pauses to catch his breath, it proves to be his last. Although we've known him only minutes, we feel the loss. In turn, his son, grandson, and great-grandson descend on his 11-day funeral, intent on claiming what they believe to be rightfully theirs, be it a valuable stretch of property or a pretty shepherdess. A graduate of the Prague Film School, young Bengaluru director Raam Reddy helms a mischievous comedy that's indebted to the freewheeling Czech New Wave while immersing us in both the customs of the Karnataka region and the fraught family dynamics of Century's surviving progeny. Working with nonprofessional actors, Reddy coaxes lively performances that are as authentic as they are uproarious, fulfilling his ambition to capture "a little piece of India's soul on film." (Seattle International Film Festival)