Join us for the 19th Annual Tasveer South Asian Film Festival!!!

Schedule of Events:

9:00 am: Tfm: Tasveer Film Fund Pitches With Netflix

In The Tasveer Film Fund (Cycle 5, 2024-2025), Shortlisted Filmmakers Will Pitch Their Projects To Industry Experts In Hopes Of Securing Funding And Mentorship. This Event Provides Emerging Talents A Crucial Opportunity To Showcase Their Creativity While Allowing Industry Professionals To Discover Innovative Films. Three Winners Will Receive Awards Of $25,000 Each.

12:00 pm: Tfm: Networking Lunch

The Networking Lunch Offers A Relaxed Setting For Attendees To Connect With Industry Professionals Over A Shared Meal. It's A Great Opportunity To Build Relationships, Discuss Projects, And Explore Collaborations In An Informal Environment.

1:00 pm: Industry Panel: Empowering Independent Filmmakers: The Role Of Film Commissions

Independent Filmmakers Often Face Numerous Challenges, From Budget Constraints To Logistical Hurdles. Film Commissions Provide Invaluable Resources That Can Ease The Path To Successful Production. This Panel Brings Together Experts From Various Sectors Of The Industry To Explore How Film Commissions Can Help Independent Filmmakers Secure Locations, Streamline Permits, Access Financial Incentives, And Build Local Partnerships.

This Session Aims To Demystify The Role Of Film Commissions, Highlighting How Filmmakers Can Tap Into These Resources To Bring Their Creative Visions To Life, Whether Filming In Their Own City Or On The Other Side Of The Globe.

1:00 pm: Tfm: Actor's Representation
2:00 pm: Tfm: Embracing Diversity In Entertainment

It Captures The Essence Of Exploring Diversity From Multiple Perspectives Within The Entertainment Industry. Why Are These Stories Needed? What Should Be Your Approach When You Are Not A White Male Entering The Industry. Pov - Industry Professionals, Talent, Content

4:00 pm: Tasveer Film Fund World Premiere: Yatra - Channel Bibi - Billo Rani - Witness - Big, Yikes

This Collection Of Films Are Past Winners Of The Tasveer Film Fund. We Are Excited That They Have Completed Their Projects That World Premiere In The Tasveer Film Festival.

The Tasveer Film Fund Is An Initiative Established In 2020 With The Goal Of Supporting Underrepresented North america Based South Asian Filmmakers And Elevating Their Voices And Stories Through The Medium Of Film. The Tasveer Film Fund Plays A Crucial Role In The Talent Development Of South Asian Filmmakers, Supporting, Nurturing, And Providing Them With Financial Support, Resources, And Mentorship Needed To Bring Their Stories To The Screen.

Yatra

"To Heal After Her Mother's Sudden Death, Aney, An Indian-american Doctor, Returns To Rural India To Change The System That Failed Her.

She Rallies A Ragtag Group Of Volunteers To Run A Clinic For Village Outcasts, And There She Meets Farida-A Promising, Wisecracking Teenager From A Wandering Tribe. While Aney Works With The Tribe To Address Their Long-Standing Ailments, The Unconditional Love She Receives From Farida Begins To Set Aney Free From The Trauma Of Her Mother's Death. Then The Unthinkable Happens.

Covid Sweeps India And Aney's Work Grinds To A Halt. She's Forced To Flee Back To The Us. Meanwhile, Farida's Father Dies Of Covid When The Hospital Kicks Him Out Because He Runs Out Of Money. Farida's Life Turns Upside Down. She Drops Out Of School And Is Forced To Prepare Herself To Be Married Off. Seeing Both Her Dreams And Farida's Life Unravel, Aney Quits Her Job And Jets Back To India … Hopefully Before It's Too Late.

Filmed Over Seven Years, This Deeply Personal East-Meets-West Story Of Mutual Healing Shows How The Sufferings And Joys Of The Human Experience Blurs Borders And Boundaries; Countries And Caste."

Director: Hemal Trivedi, Matt Alesevich

Runtime: 27 Minutes

Channel Bibi

When A Lonely Grandmother Becomes An Internet Sensation On Youtube, She Questions Whether Her Online Fans Can Replace Her Distant Family. Channel Bibi, A Narrative Short, Explores Generational Trauma In A Fantastical World Of Hashtags, Followers, And Influencer-Status.

Director: Rajan Singh Gill

Runtime: 15 Minutes

Billo Rani

When Hafsa, A Sparkly And Impulsive 12-Year-Old Girl, Is Made Aware Of Her Unibrow At Islamic Sunday School In A Lesson On “Cleanliness,” Her Eyebrows Come Alive And Begin To Speak To Her.

Director: Angbeen Saleem

Runtime: 10min

Witness (Shams)

A Revered Small-Town Imam Faces A Crisis Of Faith When He Must Choose Between Upholding The Values Of His Mosque Or Protecting The Safety And Spiritual Belonging Of A Male Congregant.

Director: Radha Mehta, Saif Jaan

Runtime: 15 Minutes

Big, Yikes

After A Regretful Night, Yassin Seeks His Cousin Ayesha's Help To Retrieve His Nonconsensual Video.

Director: Ibrahim Rana

Runtime: 17 Minutes

7:00 pm: Opening Night Film And Red Carpet Gala: Loop Line - Wakhri

Get Ready For A Night Of Cinematic Magic At 19th Tasveer Film Festival Kickoff! Start With An Exclusive Red Carpet Reception-Walk The Carpet, Snap Photos, And Soak Up The Glamor. Then, Dive Into The Seattle Premiere Of “Wakhri” At The Iconic Paccar Imax Theatre.

Schedule

6:30 pm: Red Carpet Walk
7:00 pm: Screening Of Wakhri And Loop Line (Short Film), Post-Film Qna With Filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal, Producers, Abid Aziz Merchant And Apoorva Bakshi Would Be There To Answer All Of Your Questions. Loop Line's Director Renuka Shahane Will Also Be Present.
9:30 pm: Reception With Delicious Pakistani Dinner And Dj Dance Party With Dj Anjali And The Incredible Kid

We Are Excited To Bring Dj Anjali And The Incredible From Portland, Oregon.

Dj Anjali And The Incredible Kid Have Spent More Than Two Decades Igniting Dance Floors With Cutting Edge Music Not Limited By National Borders Or Language. They Host The Longest-Running Bhangra And Bollywood Party In The World (Andaz Est. 2002) And Co-Founded The Pacific Northwest's First Global Bass Dance Party (Atlas 2003-2013.) They Are Most Known For Incinerating Dance Floors With The Heavy Dance Floor Artillery Of South Asia, But The Duo Scour The Globe For Any Hard-Hitting Music That Combines Local Music Traditions With Window-Rattling Production.

Wakhri (One Of A Kind)

Wakhri Is About A Widowed School Teacher In Pakistan Who Becomes A Viral Sensation Overnight When She Accidentally Unleashes Her Unabashed Opinions On Social Media. This Newfound Fame As An Unlikely Influencer Comes With Its Own Challenges As She Has To Navigate Archaic Mindsets And Secret Identities While Raising Her Ten-Year-Old Son In A World Where Women's Right To Have A Voice And Own Their Own Space, Physical Or Online, Is A Constant Challenge. The Film Draws Inspiration From The Bravery Of Individuals Like Qandeel Baloch, Pakistan's First Social Media Celebrity Who Was Strangled To Death By Her Brother For Bringing Disrepute To The Family's Honour. Qandeel Rose To Prominence Due To Her Videos On Social Networks Discussing Her Rights As A Pakistani Woman And Various Controversial Issues Which Were Considered Bold And Outrageous By The Conservative Pakistani Community. With Wakhri, We Aim To Support And Encourage All Those Who Aspire To Be Seen And Heard.

Director: Iram Parveen Bilal

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Loop Line

In The Heart Of Mumbai, A Middle-Aged Housewife, Endures Her Husband's Chauvinism And The Tedium Of Her Relentless Chores. She Finds Solace In Her Rich Fantasies. Her Husband's Departure To Work Allows Her To Reduce The Pace Of Her Work A Little, But His Return From Work With Misogynistic Colleagues Shatters Her Peace.

Director: Renuka Shahane

Runtime: 9 Minutes