Next month, the much awaited 19th edition of the festival will open North America’s first-ever global film market for Indian filmmakers.
The much awaited Tasveer Film Festival & Market (TFFM) is set to take place next month. The film “Wakhri,” directed by Iram Parveen Bilal and centered around a Pakistani widow who becomes an overnight sensation, will open the festival. Closing the event will be Roshan Sethi’s “Nice Indian Boy,” which stars Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff.
The festival will feature 110 films, of which 50 are directed by women, transgender, and non-binary directors. The organizers say that the films “selected films reflect the vision and filmmaking artistry of South Asian filmmakers and important issues from the subcontinent and diaspora.” Among them are Payal Kapadia’s feature narrative debut, “All We Imagine as Light,” which won the 2024 Cannes Grand Prix, and Nik Dodani’s LGBTQIA+ semi-autobiographical drama “Blue Boy.”
There will be 91 short films screened at the festival this year, including 22 North American, 33 Seattle, and 35 world premieres.Some of the short films in the lineup are Yassa Khan’s “Pink” (world premiere), Rippen Sindher’s “Flight 182″ (North American premiere), and Tathagata Ghosh’s” If” (Seattle premiere), among others. Tasveer is the only Oscar qualifying South Asian Film Festival in the world in the short film category, and has “championed social change through the power of South Asian storytelling,” according to a festival press release.
The festival’s 19th edition honors the dynamic storytelling of the area while also launching the first-ever global film market in North America specifically for South Asian filmmakers: the Tasveer Film Market (TFM), which takes place from October 15–17. The festival’s renowned, multi-award-winning director Deepa Mehta (Fire, Water) will be the market’s first keynote speaker.
“A groundbreaking initiative designed to reshape financial and distribution models for South Asian filmmakers worldwide,” is how the initiative’s organizers describe TFM.
With a focus on “expanding the reach and fostering collaboration, the market will host events such as the co-production market, Tasveer Film Fund pitches (supported by Netflix), industry panels, and networking sessions. “These activities aim to empower creatives by connecting them with producing partners, distributors, and global platforms,” organizers said. Other participants at TFM include will include and Pan Nalin (“Last Film Show,” “Angry Indian Goddesses”), and representatives from companies such as CAA, WME, Blumhouse, NBCU Launch, Amazon MGM Studios, Red Sea Film Foundation, and more.
“As the first film market dedicated to the South Asian community, our mission is to build a groundbreaking platform where diverse voices can thrive and be heard,” said Rita Meher, founder of the Tasveer Film Market and co-founder of the Tasveer Film Festival. “By carving out this space, we aim to empower underrepresented filmmakers, amplify South Asian stories, and foster global connections that will bring these narratives to the world stage.”
Mehta said in a statement that she is “honored to inaugurate” TFM. “Tasveer Film Festival’s legacy and contribution to South Asian cinema is one for the history books,” she said. “Launching the first South Asian film market on a global scale could not have come at a better time.”
This year’s festival is proud to have a number of well-known jurors, including Oscar-nominated director Geeta V. Patel (“House of the Dragon”), actor Omi Vaidya (“3 Idiots”), and filmmaker Shaunak Sen (“All That Breathes”).
In addition, there will be fascinating fireside discussions, post-film Q&As with international filmmakers, and an incredible roster of top industry talent at the festival.
