‘Holy Curse' is an official selection at the 31st Palm Springs International Short Film Festival (ShortFest 2025). The coming-of-age short film is helmed by US and India-based filmmaker Snigdha Kapoor, known for her work exploring gender, sexuality, and societal norms.
The Indo-US Hindi co-production screened on Thursday, June 26 as part of ShortFest’s Growing Pains strand, which features sensitive, stirring, and fantastical coming-of-age shorts that explore the complex emotional lives of young people today.
Following its win for Best Short Film at the 19th Tasveer Film Festival—the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival—'Holy Curse' became eligible for submission to the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best Live Action Short category. It also recently won Best LGBTQ Short at Australia’s Flickerfest International Short Film Festival.
The film centers around 11-year-old Radha, an immigrant in America who, during a family visit to India, is subjected to orthodox rituals believed to cure an alleged ancestral curse. As Radha grapples with the confusion of puberty and the complexities of their gender identity, they must also confront the deeply ingrained beliefs of their family, who turn to astrology and rituals in an attempt to ‘correct' Radha’s thought.
Watch the trailer below:
‘Holy Curse highlights the often unspoken ways rigid gender norms and societal expectations pressure young individuals to suppress or reshape who they are in order to be accepted. These quiet, everyday forms of coercion are rarely acknowledged but can have a profound impact on a child’s sense of self. The film underscores the vital role of family support in helping young people navigate this vulnerable phase with courage and authenticity.
The film stars Mrunal Kashid in a breakout role alongside Adithi Kalkunthe, Anup Soni, Prayrak Mehta and Shardul Bhardwaj.
Kapoor’s creative team includes Emmy-nominated cinematographer Juhi Sharma, Indian National Award-winning editor Anadi Athaley, lauded colorist Mahak Gupta, composer Alex Symcox, and Producer Neeraj Churi (Cactus Pears) of Lotus Visual Production- a staunch advocate for LGBTQIA+ stories.