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Abhishek Pathak and Sandeep Francis’ 11-minute thriller Switch Off has been selected for the 32nd edition of L’Étrange Festival in Paris. The film will be screened at Forum des Images as part of the festival, which is being held from September 1 to September 12, 2026.
Abhishek Pathak, Sandeep Francis’ Switch Off selected for L’Étrange Festival in Paris
The selection comes after the short film was also screened at South Korea’s Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN). Pathak, who has produced the film, said the Paris selection offers a different kind of recognition for the project.
“Being selected for L’Étrange Festival Paris is a wonderful recognition for the film and the team,” Pathak said.
Abhishek Pathak on the film’s international run
Switch Off follows a mobile repairman whose night takes an unexpected turn after he finds himself alone on the streets of Kochi. Pathak said he was drawn to the way Francis approached the story and built its atmosphere.
“What attracted me was the way Sandeep had approached the story. The film largely takes place at night, beginning inside a small mobile repair shop where the repairman is working alone. From there, he finds himself alone on the streets of Kochi,” he said.
Pathak believes the film’s narrative style could connect with festival audiences in Paris. “I think they will connect with the way the story is told. The film gets the audience into the world very quickly and keeps the story moving,” he said.
He also spoke about the difference between commercial success and festival recognition. “They are very different experiences. A box-office success gives you the excitement of scale, while a festival selection gives you the satisfaction of seeing a story travel in a completely different environment. For us, having Switch Off selected at L’Étrange Festival Paris is a very special moment,” Pathak said.
He added that the film’s short runtime allowed the team to build an engaging experience. “The idea itself is simple, but an interesting cinematic way of presenting it did work well. When I saw it, I felt there was enough happening within those few minutes to keep an audience engaged and take them somewhere emotionally.”
Also Read: Drishyam The Conclusion director Abhishek Pathak says story continues from where Drishyam 2 ended
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