'Shape of Momo' director brings village dispute drama to Busan market

Tribeny Rai, the director behind “Shape of Momo”, is returning to Busan with a new village drama working-titled “A Chronicle of Minor Things”, according to Variety.

The project has been selected for the Asian Project Market, the forum where film-makers pitch early-stage features to potential backers. The market runs inside the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market, the festival’s industry arm for buying and selling films and series. The script is still in development.

The story centres on two villages disputing jurisdiction over the spot where a 15-year-old girl died. She is found at daybreak hanging from a tree rooted in one village, while the branch stretches over the other village. That single, stark image sets up a dispute about borders, responsibility and who must act.

Rai and her team will use Busan to look for co-producers and financiers. She is listed on the project alongside producer Kislay, who worked with her on “Shape of Momo”. The India project is one of 30 selections unveiled for the market’s 2026 edition, according to Variety, and appears as entry No. 7 on the official market list.

It is Rai’s second project after a strong festival run for her debut. “Shape of Momo” premiered at Busan in 2025. It then won the Songwon Vision Award and the Taipei Film Commission Award at Busan, followed by the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award at the Kolkata International Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

What makes this stand out is the route Rai is taking. For general viewers, a project market can sound inside baseball. In practice it is simple. Directors bring scripts, footage or ideas, and leave with money, partners or distribution help. Success at Busan last year gives her a calling card. The next test is whether buyers join this one.