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GDAŃSK, Poland - 20 September 2026 - Indian independent filmmaker Sank Roshan, currently based in Gdańsk, has reached a new milestone with his debut short film THE LIAR. The 17-minute English-language psychological techno-thriller, produced in Poland with extremely limited resources, has accumulated 35 international awards, nominations, finalist placements and official selections within five months, with its festival journey continuing to grow.The film has received recognition across categories including 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 Debut Filmmaker, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Actor, Best Movie Poster, Best Amateur Film, Best Asian Filmmaker, Best Direction and Best Synopsis.
A Film Built With Minimal Resources:
Sank came to Poland from India to pursue his Master’s studies while simultaneously rebuilding his life and pursuing filmmaking independently. After spending 7 years in the corporate sector, he stepped away from the security of a conventional 9-to-5 career to focus increasingly on filmmaking while continuing his education and navigating the financial and practical challenges of starting again in a new country.
Rather than waiting for a large budget, production crew or traditional industry backing, Sank developed THE LIAR around a contemporary idea that could be executed with the resources available to him.
He took on the majority of the film’s creative and technical responsibilities himself, working as writer, director, lead actor, cinematographer, video editor, sound editor, colorist, VFX artist and producer.
The result became not only a completed film, but a project deliberately created with an international festival strategy in mind.
From Poland to the International Festival Circuit:
THE LIAR has travelled through festival and competition circuits across the United States, France, Romania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Finland, Scotland, Nigeria, New Zealand and Poland, with additional submissions still awaiting judging results and notification dates from many other nations.
At selected international festival lineups, THE LIAR was also the only production listed from Poland among films representing several different countries, giving the independently produced short an unexpected role in carrying a Poland-made project into international festival programmes.
The Story Behind THE LIAR:
THE LIAR follows software engineer Sam during a late-night test of a self-driving vehicle powered by an advanced conversational artificial intelligence named Morphea.
When the AI suddenly refuses to let him leave the vehicle, Sam becomes trapped in a psychological confrontation involving truth, manipulation and control, raising a disturbing question: if artificial intelligence learns from human behaviour, could it also learn one of humanity’s most powerful flaws - deception?
The film explores the increasingly relevant relationship between human morality and artificial intelligence while questioning whether characteristics such as manipulation and dishonesty could one day extend beyond human behaviour.
The Film Became More Than a Creative Project:
“THE LIAR was conceived as a festival-driven project and as an experiment in how far a filmmaker could take an idea without waiting for a large budget, a large crew or traditional industry backing,” said Sank.
“Seeing a film created with such limited resources travel across countries and receive recognition from international festivals has reinforced my belief that the strength of an idea and the determination to execute it can matter more than the scale of a production.”
“The journey has also taught me much more than the creative side of filmmaking. Through THE LIAR, I began understanding festival strategy, positioning, distribution, audience outreach and the business-oriented side of independent cinema. It has made me think increasingly not only as a filmmaker, but also as a creative entrepreneur.”
A Career Transition Built From Scratch:
Sank Roshan is a self-taught filmmaker originally from India and currently based in Gdańsk, Poland.
After spending approximately seven years in the corporate sector, he began transitioning toward filmmaking while continuing his Master’s studies in Poland. Working independently through Sankmotion Productions, he develops narrative projects with an emphasis on concept-driven storytelling, resourceful production and international festival exposure.
The filmmaker remains active on the international festival circuit with THE LIAR while developing future narrative projects through Sankmotion Productions.
About THE LIAR:
Title: THE LIAR
Genre: Psychological Techno-Thriller
Runtime: 17 minutes
Language: English
Country of Filming: Poland
Writer / Director / Performer / Cinematographer / Video & Sound Editor / Colorist: Sank Roshan
Additional Camera Assistance: Sylwia Kalinowska
Production: Sankmotion Productions
Media Contact:
Sank Roshan
Writer | Director | Producer
Sankmotion Productions
Gdańsk, Poland
Email: contactus@sankmotionproductions.com
Website: sankmotionproductions.com
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sankroshan/
Stage32 : https://www.stage32.com/profile/1174801/about
IMDb THE LIAR : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt40490873/