Bengaluru, India, June 20, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– The Story Behind Chhoti Baarish Chhoti Baarish was born from a moment of quiet beauty — a young child from a slum staring longingly at the falling rain, caught between wonder and restraint. This fleeting image became the soul of a film that questions when society taught us to suppress our innate joy and expression. It speaks of innocence lost and the silent pressures that stifle our emotional freedom.
Despite its simplicity, making the film came with major challenges. Shot over four days instead of the planned two, the production struggled with unpredictable weather conditions essential to the narrative. The budget nearly doubled due to delays in capturing specific natural light and rain sequences. The film’s five-minute musical montage, edited by the film’s composer Saikat, used over 100 precisely timed clips, showcasing intense artistic commitment.
With minimal funding and no studio backing, Saha relied on sheer passion and a talented circle of collaborators — including a skilled cinematographer and veteran Bangalore-based theatre actors — many of whom worked without pay. The project took nearly two years to complete, balancing tight resources with creative perseverance.
Recognition & Impact Chhoti Baarish has resonated with both young and adult audiences due to its universal theme — the beauty of small joys in everyday life. Through its nuanced storytelling, the film strikes a chord across cultures and age groups, offering an emotionally rich viewing experience that reflects on the often-overlooked delights of living.
Its festival journey reflects its emotional depth and cinematic merit, garnering praise from critics and viewers alike. The film’s success also highlights the importance of meticulous pre-production and a solid script — values that Saha holds at the core of his creative process.
Meet the Filmmaker: Ritopriyo Saha Ritopriyo Saha, the mind behind Chhoti Baarish, is a Kolkata-born filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist now based in Bangalore. His creative journey began in the early 2000s as a visual artist. He later founded Trippink, a Tattoo, Art & Music Studio in Koramangala, which evolved into a vibrant community of over 1,000 artists, hosting weekly music and art jam sessions.
Saha’s artistic pursuits span painting, sculpture, theatre, writing, music, and filmmaking. He writes film scripts, short stories, poetry, and composes original instrumental piano music. His independent short films have earned international acclaim and selections in several top-tier festivals. His progressive approach to storytelling and art was recently covered in the Times of India.
Feature Film Projects on Offer At BSFF-25’s Film Market, Saha is pitching three high-concept, emotionally rooted feature film scripts. All three are fully developed, market-ready, and adaptable for short format or web-series production based on budget and platform needs.
1. Moh Maya Mukti Genre: Action-Adventure Fantasy | Theme: Migration & Material Illusion A dark, anime-inspired musical about a warrior girl, Maya, fighting demons through a mystical forest. The story is a metaphor for modern migrants, who abandon their roots in pursuit of “golden feathers.” Inspired by: Dancer in the Dark, Emilia Perez, Climax Why It Works: Visually striking, globally relevant, and rich in festival and merchandising potential.
2. Teen Yaari (Three Wild Kids) Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama | Theme: Teenage rebellion & friendship Three emotionally scarred teenagers flee their village homes and confront the harsh realities of a chaotic urban world. Inspired by: Iranian masters like Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, and Jafar Panahi Why It Works: A moving portrayal of youth and resilience; family-friendly, relatable across generations, perfect for OTT platforms.
3. May I Love U? Genre: Sci-Fi Romance | Theme: Loneliness, motherhood & human-AI connection A single mother, emotionally distant from her teenage daughter, finds unexpected love in an AI humanoid that mimics human emotion and presence. Inspired by: Her (Spike Jonze), Black Mirror Why It Works: A timely, emotionally resonant story with broad commercial and global appeal. Visually contemporary and perfect for theatrical or streaming release.
Vision & Collaboration Goals Saha is currently seeking:
1. Independent producers and financiers with a ₹1 crore budget (~$120K) for a high-quality feature film, inclusive of PR and distribution. 2. Creative producers and executive producers to assist with budgeting, financial planning, and production execution. 3. Collaborators and co-producers who believe in emotionally charged, original Indian narratives with global sensibility.
Each script is complete, and Saha is open to flexible collaborations — including series development, co-productions, and short-format adaptations depending on the funding landscape.
Connect with the Filmmaker Ritopriyo Saha invites fellow filmmakers, producers, and festival participants to connect during BSFF-25 and explore future collaborations. Saha closes his pitch with a message of unity: “Let’s keep bringing out amazing stories for our world together.”
Contact: Ritopriyo Saha Writer | Director | Storyteller Company: Trippink Talkies Location: Bengaluru, India Email: trippinktalkies@gmail.com Phone: +91 9748298107
Portland, OR, November 27, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– The FAN EXPO Portland celebrity guest list has always featured great variety, and five new additions to the 2026 lineup for the pop culture extravaganza are further proof of that. Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw), Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard), Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Star Wars: The Acolyte) and “Peggy the Dog” (Deadpool & Wolverine) will now attend the event set for January 16-18 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Elwes gained wide acclaim for his portrayal of “Wesley” in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride and reached new audiences by headlining the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights and later Saw. He also recently appeared in the Tom Cruise features Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and portrays “Mayor Larry Kline” in Stranger Things 3.
McFadden had the key role of “Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other iterations of the franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”
Koenig is best known for his recurring television portrayals both of the hated, intensely driven “Alfred Bester” (Babylon 5) and the likable, perpetually cheerful “Pavel Chekov” (Star Trek). Koenig’s film work includes the first seven Star Trek feature films, for which he earned two Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor nominations. His many other films have been independent projects with challenging roles.
Jacinto played “Jason Mendoza” on the full four-season run of The Good Place (2016-20) and later appeared as “Lt. Fritz Avalone” in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Also among his more than 50 TV and film credits are runs on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the animated series Hailey’s on It!
Peggy, earning the title of “Britain’s Ugliest Dog” in a national competition there, has gone on to stardom as “Dogpool” in the Marvel Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. A portion of proceeds from her appearance at FAN EXPO Portland will support a local charity in the Pacific Northwest.
The five bolster an already impressive FAN EXPO Portland celebrity roster that includes: • The Lord of the Rings headliners Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan • Mike Colter (Luke Cage, Men in Black³) • Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone) • Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) • Harry Potter duo of Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright • Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon) • Robbie Rist (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Brady Bunch) • Ernie Reyes Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) • Brian Tochi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Revenge of the Nerds) • Kenn Scott (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, director/Adventures of Johnny Tao) • François Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost) • Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, American Dad) • Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!, The Goldbergs) • My Hero Academia standouts Eric Vale, David Matranga, J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis and Clifford Chapin • Hazbin Hotel regulars Christian Borle, Joel Perez and Krystina Alabado
More FAN EXPO Portland guest announcements will follow from the worlds of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, animation and more in the coming weeks.
Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available now at www.fanexpoportland.com. Advance pricing is available until January 1.
Portland is the second event on the 2026 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events.
About FAN EXPO HQ FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Toronto Comicon, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada, FAN EXPO Dallas, VIDCON Anaheim, EDMONTON EXPO, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available on the website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.
Nashville, TN, November 20, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– A fourth-generation U.S. Virgin Islander who has called Nashville home since 1993, de Lugo transitioned from an award-winning career in music publishing and feature film producing, with Platinum and Gold Albums, Arista Records A-Team Award, BMI #1 and more, to lavender farming in 2018. Focusing exclusively on Peace Tree Farm’s trademarked, heat- and humidity-tolerant hybrids—Lavender Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, and Exceptional!®—she has proven these cultivars are the definitive choice for Southern growers.
Lloyd Traven, President of Peace Tree Farm, the original breeder of these global-standard varieties, praises de Lugo’s early foresight and influence:
“Over a period of the last decade, Gigi has been highlighting our introductions that have become the Gold Standard for lavender worldwide, and she was an early proponent because she saw the extra value of these introductions… Once she knew the plants were different and far superior, she committed to making the right choice for her customers. She can now proudly say that she has started over 30 new farms on their journey across an area ranging from Virginia through to Iowa!”
From its original rented fields in Whites Creek—Gigi’s Lavender, was celebrated by “Garden & Gun” magazine as one of the South’s top lavender destinations—the licensed nursery has supplied thousands of Peace Tree-bred plants throughout Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, de Lugo founded “The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” an exclusive membership alliance offering ongoing technical support, resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and agritourism promotion to farms that source their plants exclusively from Gigi’s Nursery.
Traven also highlights the impact of this network: “Gigi also knows the great importance and value of marketing with expression of clear benefits and a clear message. She created the Lavender Exchange with this in mind—to provide an outlet for cooperative marketing and sharing of equipment and machinery and product ideas.”
This strengthened ownership ensures continuity for de Lugo’s research, educational outreach, and product innovation at the Joelton location, including her newest Patent Pending offering, “ZWave Mg”—a topical magnesium spray infused with pure Phenomenal lavender hydrosol steam-distilled exclusively from flowers grown by TLx member farms. Designed for relaxation, muscle relief, and better sleep, ZWave Mg showcases the wellness potential of Southern-grown lavender.
“This milestone gives us the stability and security to continue investing in our Southern lavender research, development, product distribution, and growing community of the farms we support through The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” said Gigi de Lugo. “From the beginning I set out to prove lavender could become a viable cash crop for Tennessee and Southern farms—not only a pretty agritourism field, but a real harvestable commodity built on Phenomenal®. It took courageous pioneers willing to bet on the unproven and stay the course with me. These years, alongside the extraordinary farmers of our TLx family, have been one of the greatest adventures of my life.”
Experience the pure essence of Southern lavender: Gigi’s premium products, including the breakthrough ZWave Mg, are available exclusively through her website, and retail partners across Tennessee. Gigi is in discussion with a Nashville based manufacturer to expand her ZWave Mg production capacity for 2026.
About Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm is a Tennessee-licensed grower and an exclusive Southeast source for Peace Tree Farm’s Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, Exceptional!®, Inspirational!® lavender cultivars. It serves as headquarters for The Lavender Exchange (TLx), a premier network advancing lavender agriculture and agritourism across the South and Midwest.
