Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS): Ridham Janve's debut feature "The Gold Laden Sheep & The Sacred" will have its international premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) this year.

The film, presented by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), is competing with 20 films from all over the world in the Bright Future Competition Section, which highlights new talents and new approaches to cinema, read a statement.

The fest will be held from January 23 to February 3.

Set among the Gaddi community in Himachal Pradesh, the film explores the adventures of elderly shepherd Arjun (played by Bhedpal Arjun Pant) who sets out to find a pilot who crashed near the mountain. The film is in the Gaddi language.

"I'm very happy that our film will have its international premiere at IFFR Rotterdam. It is the ideal place to show an unconventional film like ours," Janve said.

"The film is like a contemporary myth in the making. Comprising of an all non-actor cast from the Gaddi community playing themselves, the film lingers between the real and the hyper real. The overriding intention is for any person to be transported to these beautiful yet unforgiving mountains and experience the conjecture of beliefs and the nature of nature itself," Janve added.

The project won the Prasad DI Award (Work in Progress lab) at NFDC Film Bazaar 2016 and won the Silver Gateway Award at the 20th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival where it had its world premiere.

NFDC, India has come on board to present the film produced by Mountain Motion Pictures and Dark Matter Pictures.

N.J. Shaikh, Director Finance, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), said: "NFDC is happy to present the powerful and mystical feature film in the rare Indian Gaddi language."

To this, Akshay Singh from Dark Matter Pictures, added: "To have our international premiere at IFFR is an immense accomplishment for the film, for Ridham, for the crew and most heartening, for the Gaddi people who inhabited and inspired this mystery of the sacred mountain."