Sandip Patel used this year’s Cannes Film Festival to push SRHP Films deeper onto the international stage, with the Augusta, Georgia-based producer and filmmaker drawing attention around the upcoming Hollywood project Holy Father. The film, directed by Shravan Tiwari and featuring Eric Roberts and Mary Lyrette, was one of the titles that brought film professionals and international buyers into Patel’s orbit at the festival.
Patel’s recent Cannes presence came as he spent time in business meetings, networking sessions and discussions tied to international film distribution. He was also present around the launch ceremony for Sundown Town, held on May 23, 2026, with the Hollywood project introduced as another collaboration with Tiwari and as a production led by Patel and Rita Patel. The makers say Sundown Town is scheduled to release in 2027.
The attention at Cannes gave SRHP Films a platform that went beyond a single film pitch. Patel has been taking the company to major international platforms, and the festival put that strategy in front of buyers who matter for overseas sales and future partnerships. The conversations centered on one question that has long defined the ambitions of Indian producers working abroad: how Indian cinema can keep expanding its reach in overseas markets without losing the commercial edge that gets projects financed in the first place.
That effort was not happening in isolation. Patel is associated with the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association, and IMPPA Vice President Atul Patel offered guidance on global film opportunities during the festival period. The message around the table was practical, not ceremonial: if Indian projects are going to travel, they need the right alliances, the right buyers and a clear path to distribution beyond home territory.
There was also a visible support team behind Patel in Cannes. He was accompanied by award-winning photographer and digital marketing expert Ashvin Borad, who had previously been honoured at the Filmfare India International Film Festival. In a market built on contacts, presentation and timing, that kind of backing matters as much as the titles themselves.
The tension in Patel’s Cannes push is that SRHP Films is now trying to do two things at once. It is building credibility with Hollywood-linked projects such as Holy Father and Sundown Town while also trying to convince international players that an India-rooted company from Augusta can be a reliable bridge into global distribution. Cannes provided a stage, but the next step will be whether those meetings turn into deals and whether Sundown Town’s 2027 release can carry the momentum beyond the festival floor.
