Mumbai
(Maharashtra)
[India],
August
24:
Los
Angeles,
CA
/
Mumbai,
Maharashtra:
Vibha
Kulkarni,
a
talented
filmmaker
from
Bandra,
Mumbai,
is
poised
to
make
her
directorial
debut
in
Hollywood
with
the
romantic
comedy
“7TH
HOUSE.” Not
only
will
Kulkarni
direct
the
film,
but
she
will
also
take
on
the
lead
role,
marking
a
significant
milestone
in
her
burgeoning
multi-hyphenate
career.

In
a
bold
move,
Kulkarni
cast
herself
as
the
lead
character
in
her
debut
feature,
reflecting
her
unique
approach
to
storytelling.
“Casting
is
crucial
to
directing
for
me.
I
visualise
characters
and
their
worlds
with
specific
actors
in
mind
while
writing
itself.
The
lead
character
in
‘7TH
HOUSE’ is
based
on
me,
a
filmmaker
in
her
thirties.
I
couldn’t
see
anyone
else
playing
her
but
me.
It’s
not
something
I
do
for
every
story,
but
for
this
one,
it
felt
necessary,”
she
explained.

An
extensive
and
diverse
creative
background
has
marked
Kulkarni’s
journey
to
this
moment.
An
alumnus
of
St.
Xavier’s
College
in
Mumbai,
Karnataka
Chitrakala
Parishath’s
College
of
Fine
Arts
in
Bengaluru,
and
the
National
Institute
of
Design
(NID)
in
Ahmedabad,
she
further
honed
her
craft
at
the
prestigious
American
Film
Institute
(AFI)
Conservatory.

With
over
a
decade
of
experience
in
various
storytelling
mediums,
including
Fine
Art,
Performance
Art,
Interactive
Art,
Theater,
Indian
Classical
Dance,
and
Poetry,
Kulkarni
is
well-versed
in
the
art
of
creative
expression.
Her
short
film
“ARO’S
WORLD,” a
psychological
horror
exploring
the
coming-of-age
theme,
garnered
significant
attention,
winning
the
“Best
Young
Performer
Award”
at
the
Chicago
Horror
Film
Festival.
The
film
also
premiered
at
several
notable
festivals,
including
BAFTA,
Canadian
Award,
and
Oscar-qualifying
L.A.
Shorts.
It
is
set
to
make
its
Canadian
Premiere
at
the
International
South
Asian
Film
Festival
Canada
(ISAFF).

As
Vibha
Kulkarni
steps
into
the
dual
roles
of
director
and
lead
actor
in
“7TH
HOUSE,” the
film
industry
is
taking
notice,
marking
her
as
a
rising
filmmaker
to
watch
in
Hollywood.