Roopa Rao is a visionary filmmaker and storyteller who left a successful career in IT as a Project Manager at Infosys to follow her calling in cinema. With a Master’s degree in Commerce and Finance from Mysore University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Film Direction and Production from the Asian Academy of Film & Television, New Delhi, Roopa brings a unique blend of structured professionalism and creative vision. She’s best known for her award-winning debut feature film Gantumoote (Baggage), which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. The film won ‘Best Screenplay’ at the New York Indian Film Festival 2019, along with multiple nominations across major Indian and international festivals including SIIMA, Critics Choice Awards, and the Ottawa Indian Film Awards.

Roopa rose to fame with The ‘Other’ Love Story, India’s first same-sex love story web series, which gained cult status and over 90 million views on YouTube. It won her international awards for Best Director (NY Web Fest) and Best Story (Toronto Web Fest), and recognition as ‘Woman of the Year’ by The Week magazine in 2016. Her other acclaimed works include B’F’F, a TIFF-selected short film, and Asmin, a featurette that has won 7 international awards. She’s also produced the Kannada feature Kenda (July 2024 Theatrical release), and created several short films like Silent Passage, shot entirely during lockdown.