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{{short description|2025 Science fantasy drama film by Vimukthi Jayasundara}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Spying Stars
| image = Spying Stars film poster.jpg
| caption = Official poster
| native_name =
| director = {{plainlist|
* [[Vimukthi Jayasundara]]
}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
* [[Nila Madhab Panda]]
* Vincent Wang
}}
| screenplay = Vimukthi Jayasundara
| based_on =
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Indira Tiwari]]
* [[Kaushalya Fernando]]
* [[Samanalee Fonseka]]
* [[Saumya Liyanage]]
}}
| music = [[Alokananda Dasgupta]]
| cinematography = Eeshit Narain
| editing = Saman Alvitigala
| studio = {{plainlist|
* Eleeanora Images
* House on Fire
}}
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|df=y|2025|9|23|[[30th Busan International Film Festival|Busan]]}}
| runtime = 99 minutes
| country = {{plainlist|
* Sri Lanka
* India
* France
}}
| language = Sinhala
| budget =
}}

'''''Spying Stars''''' is a 2025 [[Science fantasy]], [[drama film]] directed by [[Vimukthi Jayasundara]] and produced by [[Nila Madhab Panda]] and Vincent Wang. Starring [[Indira Tiwari]], [[Kaushalya Fernando]], [[Samanalee Fonseka]] and [[Saumya Liyanage]], the film follows the journey of Anandi, a bio-technician, who travels to Hanuman Island to perform last rites of her late father. But when she arrives, she's forced into quarantine at a distant hotel because a pandemic has broken out in a world ruled by machines.<ref name="busan:hr">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/insight/busan-international-film-festival-nila-madhab-panda-backed-spying-stars-selected-as-part-of-inaugural-competition-section/amp |title= Busan International Film Festival: Nila Madhab Panda-Backed 'Spying Stars' Selected As Part Of Inaugural Competition Section|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date= 1 September 2025 |access-date= 6 September 2025|language=en}}</ref>

An Indo-French-Sri Lankan co-production, it had its world premiere at the [[30th Busan International Film Festival]] in Competition on 23 September 2025 vying for the various Busan Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/08/busan-film-festival-unveils-inaugural-competition-line-up-1236497537/ |title=Busan Film Festival Unveils Inaugural Competition Line-Up, Including Ten World Premieres|first= Liz |last=Shackleton |date=26 August 2025|access-date=6 September 2025 |website= [[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Synopsis==

Anandi, a bioengineer, comes back to the Earth after spending years in space. But soon after arriving, she's sent to a quiet mountain resort to be quarantined because of a fast-spreading virus called illvibe. Though the resort is beautiful and fancy, but Anandi notices strange things such as hidden cameras, a [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] heading toward the Earth, and people in the town disappearing or dying without any clear reason. Her sadness grows when her father's ashes arrive, showing he also died from the virus. One day, Anandi runs away into the forest and finds shelter with Nita, a transgender resort worker who had been secretly watching her, and Nita's mother. As she spends time with them, away from the rest of the world, Anandi slowly starts to heal from her grief.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-16 |title=Cannes winner Vimukthi Jayasundara’s Busan Competition Film ‘Spying Stars’ debuts first trailer |url=https://themorning.lk//articles/E0u9HyZQYHIQsvKtYb3Z |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=Latest in the News Sphere {{!}} The Morning}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shackleton |first=Liz |date=2025-09-22 |title=Vimukthi Jayasundara On Spirituality, Sound & Surveillance In Busan Competition Title ‘Spying Stars’ |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/busan-competition-vimukthi-jayasundara-spying-stars-1236551708/ |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Cast==

* [[Indira Tiwari]] as Anandi
* [[Kaushalya Fernando]] as Nita's Mother
* [[Samanalee Fonseka]] as Wasana
* [[Saumya Liyanage]] as Scientist
* Hidaayath Hazeer as Nita
* [[Shreerupa Mithra]] guest appearance

==Production==

The film produced by [[Nila Madhab Panda]], Vincent Wang's House on Fire and National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka Productions, is directed by [[Vimukthi Jayasundara]]. The film received backing from the [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]]’s Hubert Bals Fund, and is supported by France’s CNC – Aide aux CInemas du Monde fund and Taiwan Creative Content Agency’s Taiwan International co-funding program. It was shot around [[Central Province, Sri Lanka|the hills of central Sri Lanka]] in October 2024.<ref name="prod:variety">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/vimukthi-jayasundara-turtles-gaze-on-spying-stars-shoot-1236161259/ |title=Cannes Prizewinner Vimukthi Jayasundara's 'Turtle's Gaze on Spying Stars' Commences Shoot (EXCLUSIVE)|author= Naman Ramachandran|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=1 October 2024 |access-date= 6 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

The film also received the [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 20,000 for post-production from visions sud est, the Swiss fund for film in countries with low production capacity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visionssudest.ch/projects/spying-stars |title=Spying Stars (Vimukthi Jayasundara)|access-date=6 September 2025|website= visions sud est |language=en}}</ref>

==Release==

Bangkok-based Diversion has acquired the international sales rights of the film in August 2025.<ref name="gen:sd">{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/diversion-boards-vimukthi-jayasundaras-busan-competition-drama-spying-stars/5208232.article |title=Diversion boards Vimukthi Jayasundara's Busan Competition drama 'Spying Stars' |author= Silvia Wong|date=27 August 2025 |access-date= 6 September 2025 |website=[[ScreenDaily]] |language=en}}</ref>

''Spying Stars'' competed in the Competition section of the [[30th Busan International Film Festival]] on 23 September 2025 for 'Bosan Awards'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/busan-film-festival-reveals-first-competition-lineup-ahead-of-2025-edition/5208202.article |title=Busan film festival reveals first Competition lineup ahead of 2025 edition |author=Michael Rosser |website= [[Screen Daily]]|date=26 August 2025 |access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref>

==Accolades==

The film competed for various Vision Awards at [[Busan International Film Festival]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
! scope="row"|[[Busan International Film Festival]]
| [[30th Busan International Film Festival|September 26, 2025]]
| Main Competition (Official Selection)
| ''Spying Stars''
| {{Nom}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_view.asp?idx=82795&c_idx=427&sp_idx=&QueryStep=2 |title=Spying Stars (World Premiere)|publisher=[[Busan International Film Festival]]|date=6 September 2025 |access-date=6 September 2025|language=en}}</ref><ref name="gp:variety">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/shu-qi-girl-resurrection-busan-competition-1236498500/ |title=Shu Qi's 'Girl' and 'Resurrection' Among Competition Titles as Busan Film Festival Unveils Lineup for 30th Edition |author= Naman Ramachandran|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=26 August 2025 |access-date= 6 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecS_SvI3UK8 Official trailer] on [[YouTube]]
* [https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_view.asp?idx=82795&c_idx=427&sp_idx=&QueryStep=2 ''Spying Stars''] on [[Busan International Film Festival]]

{{Vimukthi Jayasundara}}

[[Category:2025 films]]
[[Category:2025 science fiction action films]]
[[Category:2025 Sinhala-language films]]
[[Category:2025 French films]]
[[Category:2025 Indian films]]
[[Category:2020s fantasy action films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan drama films]]
[[Category:French science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Indian science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Science fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Films set in Sri Lanka (1948–present)]]

Spying Stars - Revision history

Veronasie: adding first stub more to come