Bombay Berlin Sets Global Studio Expansion With Turkish Film ‘Thursday Night Is Too Dark’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Indian and Germany-based Bombay Berlin Film Productions (BBFP) is celebrating 15 years of international storytelling and setting its sights on global expansion, following the completion of principal photography on its first Turkish-language feature, “Thursday Night Is Too Dark,” it was revealed at the Cannes Film Market.

The film, the directorial debut of Onur Sefer, is co-produced with Istanbul-based Praksis Entertainment and marks BBFP’s fifth fiction feature. Set over one night in Istanbul, the project is described as “a haunting, introspective look at the emotional toll of modern masculinity.”

“Thursday Night Is Too Dark” was developed with support from the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund, including Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and Turkey’s Istanbul International Film Festival (IIFF) — Meetings on the Bridge (MoB), an initiative mandated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture.

Director Sefer called the film “a deeply personal exploration of male vulnerability in a society that often demands the opposite,” adding, “I’m grateful to BBFP and Praksis for trusting a first-time director with such thematic depth.”

Katharina Suckale, co-founder of BBFP, said: “This project represents everything we stand for — cross-cultural exchange, bold new voices, and emotional truth. Onur brings a fresh and fearless voice from the region.”

BBFP has built its reputation on internationally acclaimed productions including “Loev” (Tallinn Black Nights, SXSW, BFI Flare), “Trijya” (Shanghai, Tallinn) and “The Road to Mandalay” (Venice, TIFF, Tokyo). Now, the company is planning significant expansion in both scope and reach.

“We have never been in a rush. This is one of the fundamental reasons we have sustained and thrived,” said Arfi Laamba, actor-producer and co-founder of BBFP. “In our next chapter, BBFP is not just scaling — we’re transforming. Our slate has expanded to commercial and genre cinema, and we are seeking partners who align with that ambition. We are intentionally and mindfully evolving into a studio grounded in creativity, collaboration, and commercial success.”

As part of its strategic growth, BBFP is set to commence service production on a German feature film produced by Neopol Film in India. The project will access Indian state and central production rebates and benefit from BBFP’s seasoned local production infrastructure.

“We’ve found the perfect home for our production in India with Bombay Berlin,” said Tonio Kellner, producer at Neopol Film. “Their team is creatively aligned and logistically sharp. We hope this is just the beginning of many collaborations.”