Gdańsk filmmaker’s debut thriller hits 40 festival recognitions

Sank Roshan’s self-made short film The Liar has reached 40 awards, nominations, finalist spots and official selections as it continues an international festival run from its Poland base. The milestone highlights how a low-budget debut made in Gdańsk is finding audiences across Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania.

Why it matters: - Sank Roshan’s debut short, The Liar, has turned a limited-resource production into a wide festival entry, showing how independent filmmakers can build global reach without a traditional studio setup. - The film’s run also gives a Gdańsk-made title visibility on international stages across Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania. - Roshan is now using that momentum to pursue a larger commercial feature film and seek financing, partners and industry support.

What happened: - The Liar has reached 40 international awards, nominations, finalist placements and official selections. - The 17-minute English-language psychological techno-thriller was independently produced in Poland. - Sank Roshan, an Indian filmmaker based in Gdańsk, made the film as his debut live-action short. - The film continues to circulate through festival and competition programs worldwide. - The teaser is available here.

The details: - Roshan moved from India to Poland for his master’s studies and has spent four years building his filmmaking career there. - Before filmmaking, he worked about seven years in the corporate sector after graduating in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. - Roshan served as writer, director, lead actor, cinematographer, video editor, sound editor, colorist, VFX artist and producer on the project. - The film has appeared in festivals and competitions in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Romania, Italy, Finland, Scotland, Nigeria, New Zealand and Poland. - Some submissions are still awaiting results. - In some festival lineups, The Liar was the only production listed from Poland among films representing multiple countries. - The film’s recognitions include Best Short Film of the Year 2026, Best Thriller Film, Best Suspense Film, Best Sci-Fi Film, Best International Short Film, Best Narrative Film, Best Fiction Short Film, Best Indie Short Film, Best Debut Filmmaker, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Actor, Best Movie Poster, Best Amateur Film, Best Asian Filmmaker, Best Direction and Best Synopsis. - Roshan says the project taught him festival strategy, positioning, distribution, audience outreach and the business side of independent cinema. - He said the experience pushed him to think like both a filmmaker and a creative entrepreneur. - The film has also drawn praise from filmmakers and festival professionals internationally, including Michael McGlone, Victor Gulley, Mark Tillman and Tony Tilton.

Between the lines: - The film’s festival traction reflects a common indie-film strategy: use awards and official selections to build credibility before moving to a larger commercial project. - Roshan’s multi-role credit list signals a lean production model, where one creator covers most of the creative and technical work. - The cross-border festival run also suggests that stories about artificial intelligence and deception can travel well beyond their country of production.

What’s next: - Roshan is developing a commercial feature-length film through Sankmotion Productions. - The project is in development while he prepares to raise financing. - He is open to partnerships across production, technical, creative and investment roles. - The international festival journey for The Liar is still ongoing.

The bottom line: - A low-budget debut made in Poland has become a calling card for Roshan’s next stage as an independent filmmaker.