When an Indian engineer-turned-filmmaker working alone in Gdańsk can get a 17-minute thriller noticed by 40 different festivals across four continents, the independent film world should take notice. Sank Roshan’s debut short, The Liar, is proving that a Poland-made production with virtually no budget can compete on the same stage as projects backed by far deeper pockets.
The Filmmaker’s Headshot
Indian autodidactic filmmaker Sank Roshan’s independently produced debut techno-thriller continues its international festival run after being created in Poland.
If you can’t fly then run,
if you can’t run then walk,
if you can’t walk then crawl,
but by all means keep moving forward.”— Martin Luther King Jr
GDAńSK, POMORSKIE, POLAND, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Indian autodidactic independent filmmaker Sank Roshan, currently based in Gdańsk, his debut short live-action film, THE LIAR, reaches a new milestone of 40 international awards, nominations, finalist placements and official selections, with its festival journey continuing worldwide.
The 17-minute English-language psychological techno-thriller was independently produced in Poland with limited resources and has carried a Poland-made production into international festival and competition programmes across Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania.
⬩➤FROM GDANSK TO THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL CIRCUIT:
Sank moved from India to Poland for his Master’s studies and has spent the past four years navigating life in a foreign country while developing his filmmaking ambitions.
An Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering graduate, he previously spent approximately seven years working in the corporate sector before choosing filmmaking as his long-term creative direction.
For THE LIAR, Sank took on the majority of the creative and technical responsibilities, serving as writer, director, lead actor, cinematographer, video editor, sound editor, colorist, VFX artist and producer.
The film has travelled through festival and competition circuits in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Romania, Italy, Finland, Scotland, Nigeria, New Zealand and Poland, with additional submissions still awaiting results.
At selected international festival lineups, THE LIAR was also the only production listed from Poland among films representing multiple countries, providing an opportunity for a film created in Gdańsk to reach international audiences.
Among its 40 recognitions, THE LIAR has received honors and placements 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 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
➢Best Synopsis.
⬩➤A STORY ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DECEPTION:
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.
The film asks a contemporary question: if artificial intelligence learns from human behavior, could it also learn one of humanity’s most powerful flaws – deception?
Film’s Teaser : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKykLYpvRFc
⬩➤BEYOND THE AWARDS:
For Sank, the festival journey has become an education extending beyond filmmaking itself.
“Through THE LIAR, I began understanding festival strategy, positioning, distribution, audience outreach and the business side of independent cinema. It has made me think increasingly not only as a filmmaker, but also as a creative entrepreneur.”
The film has also received praise from filmmakers and festival professionals internationally, including Michael McGlone, Hollywood Insider actor, writer and director; Victor Gulley, founder and director of A Taste of Theatre Festival in Chicago; Mark Tillman, casting director in Melrose; Tony Tilton, festival director in Minnesota and many more positive reviews from other festivals.
⬩➤FOUR YEARS IN POLAND AND THE NEXT CHAPTER:
Four years after arriving in Poland, Sank’s journey has moved from studying and building a professional life in a foreign country to creating a film in Gdańsk that is now travelling across international festival programmes.
Through Sankmotion Productions, he is now developing his next and significantly larger ambition: a commercial feature-length film.
The project is currently in development, with Sank preparing to raise the financing required to take it into production.
As an independent filmmaker building his career without the backing of a traditional production house, he is open to financial, production, technical, creative and industry partnerships for his future projects, including potential producers, investors, production companies, creative collaborators, technical partners and other industry professionals.
“My attempt has always been to make each project as good as I possibly can with the resources available to me. THE LIAR began with virtually no budget, but I wanted the film to compete on the same platform as productions that had access to significantly greater financial and technical resources. I now want to build on that experience and take my filmmaking to the next level with a commercial feature film with requisite financial support”
Sank’s objective is to establish a sustainable filmmaking career and contribute to the wider entertainment industry through original stories and professionally produced cinema.
The international festival journey of THE LIAR remains ongoing.
⬩➤ABOUT SANK ROSHAN:
Sank Roshan is an Indian independent filmmaker and international student based in Gdańsk, Poland. An Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering graduate with approximately seven years of professional corporate experience, he transitioned from the technology and corporate sector toward filmmaking.
Through Sankmotion Productions, he develops narrative projects combining psychological storytelling, technology and independent cinema.
Sank Roshan’s LinkedIn
Stage32 : https://www.stage32.com/profile/1174801/about
⬩➤ABOUT SANKMOTION PRODUCTIONS:
Sankmotion Productions is an independent filmmaking and production banner founded by filmmaker Sank Roshan and based in Gdańsk, Poland. The production collective focuses on developing original narrative projects that combine psychological storytelling, technology, contemporary themes and cinematic experimentation, with a long-term ambition to develop professionally produced independent and commercial films for audiences internationally.
Sankmotion Production’s Website
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/sankmotionproductions
Sankmotion Production’s Instagram
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@SANKMOTIONPRODUCTIONS
⬩➤ABOUT THE LIAR
Title: THE LIAR
Genre: Psychological Techno-Thriller
Runtime: 17 minutes
Language: English
Country of Filming: Poland
Production: Sankmotion Productions
Writer / Director / Performer / Cinematographer / Video & Sound Editor / VFX / Colorist: Sank Roshan
Additional Camera Assistance: Sylwia Kalinowska
Media Contact:
Sylwia Kalinowska
Sankmotion Productions
+48 787 112 705
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
The Liar Teaser
Why it matters: Roshan’s 40-festival haul shows that resourcefulness and a strong concept can still break through the noise of the global festival circuit, even without studio backing. For aspiring indie filmmakers watching from outside the traditional production hubs, his path from Gdańsk to the world stage offers a tangible blueprint — and proof that a single, self-shot short can open doors to a feature career.
