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

Schedule of Events:

11:00 am: Resilience To Move On: A Dream Called Khushi - Story Of A Rock

A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness)

Against All Odds, A Rohingya Refugee Fights For Education In Bangladesh's Camps. When She Meets Ap Journalist Rishabh Jain, Her Story Ignites Public Outrage, Revealing Her Resilience And The Plight Of Rohingya Refugees Denied Basic Rights. Dreaming Of A Life In Canada, Where She Can Study, Will She Be The One In A Million To Break Free?

A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness) Has Been Announced As One Of The Winners Of The 2024 Student Academy Awards!

Director: Rishabh Raj Jain

Runtime: 35 Minutes

The Story Of A Rock

In "The Story Of A Rock," A Teenage Girl Relocates To A City Slum As Her Mother Ventures To The Middle East For Migration Work. Taking On Her Mother's Responsibilities, She Cares For Her Siblings. When Her Mother Doesn't Send Money, She Faces Eviction, Overdue Tuition, And A Grocer's Ultimatum. Reluctantly, She Becomes A Maid, Challenging Her Beliefs. The Job Becomes A Nightmare With An Abusive Employer. Upon Deciding To Quit, A Fateful Event Unfolds. Abused By The House Guard And Imprisoned, Luck Turns When She Is Unexpectedly Freed By Someone. Despite Escaping, She Collapses On The Sidewalk, Unnoticed By Indifferent Pedestrians. In This Tale Of Adversity And Resilience, The Unexpected Kindness Of Some People That Comes To Her Rescue Offers A Glimmer Of Hope And Solace amidst The Darkness. The Story Aims To Highlight The Complex Interplay Between Cruelty And Compassion In The Human Experience.

Director: Zak Mir

Runtime: 84 Minutes

11:00 am: A Quest For Empowerment: Prathi - The Clown - Mala - Unlocked - Don't Be Late Myra

Prathi

In The Haunting Landscapes Of Sri Lanka, Prathi Unfolds A Psychological Drama That Blurs The Lines Between The Supernatural And The Human Psyche. When A Young Girl Experiences Mental Trauma Following Harassment, Her Elders Mistakenly Attribute It To An Evil Spirit Targeting Unmarried Women. As Her Concerned Grandmother Delves Deeper Into The Belief Of A Malevolent Presence, The Film Takes A Chilling Turn. In The Second Half, The Granddaughter's Journey To Salvation Through A Priest Unravels Disturbing Memories Of Past Harassment. Prathi Becomes A Thought-Provoking Exploration Of Faith Exploitation, Generational Disparities In Mental Health Awareness, And The Overlooked Issue Of Public Transport Harassment, Ultimately Revealing The Indomitable Strength Of The Human Spirit.

Director: Narthanie Yasadi Serasinghe

Runtime: 13 Minutes

The Clown

After Her Imposing Husband Locks Her In Each Night, Minahil Escapes Her Domestic Prison, And Lives Out A Double Life As A Clown Outside A Fast-Food Restaurant. That Is Until One Day Her Husband Shows Up Her Street Corner With Another Woman.

Director: Kamil Chima

Runtime: 15 Minutes

Mala

Mala Is A Docile Wife, Mother, And Maid Who Endures Her Abusive Married Life. However, When Her Husband Is Hospitalized After An Accident, She Finds Solace And Sees A Glimmer Of Hope For A Better Future For Her Daughter. Yet, Her Newfound Peace Is Threatened When Her Husband Shows Signs Of Recovery.

Director: Neelabh Gupta

Runtime: 25 Minutes

Unlocked (Riha)

Zoya Is The Wife Of An Abusive Husband. She Is A Minority In A Climate Of Religious Persecution. She Is A Woman In A Patriarchal Society. She Is A Mother To A Child She Regrets Not Being Able To Protect. And Then She Is Sought Out For Help By Another Victim Of Abuse. While They Are Divided By Class, They Are United By Spirit And Their Quest For Freedom.

Riha (Unlocked) Is A Self-Produced Debut Short By Self-Taught Director Arastu Zakia. The Film Is A Tribute To His Mother - The Lady Who Rescued Him From Domestic Violence And Went On To Lead The Movement That Brought The Ban On Triple Talaq In India (Unilateral Oral Divorce). Her Journey Has Been Covered Extensively In The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Tedx And So On.

Don't Be Late, Myra

A Ten-Year-Old Pakistani School Girl, Myra, Is Forced To Walk Home Alone, Dodging The Men Harassing Her On The Road…But Soon Things Escalate In This Surreal Thriller Where A Sinister Turn Quietly Awaits Her...

Director: Afia Serena Nathaniel

Runtime: 15 Minutes

1:20 pm: Echoes Of Identity: Elisai - Holy Curse - Iykyk - Mehroon - The Java Plum Tree

Elisai

Juxtaposing The East And West, Elisai Is A South Indian Story Set In London. A Dysphoric Teenager, Elisai And Her Idealist Mother, amalie Grieve The Loss Of Elisai'??S Grandfather. While Elisai Suppresses Her Grief Through Isolation, amalie Focuses On Getting Through To Her Daughter. Despite amalie'??S Implicit Expressions Of Care, Elisai's Deteriorating State Of Mind And Gender Dysphoria Enforces Moments Of Unadulterated Communication, Dissecting The Importance Of Compassion. Shot In Black And White, There Are Flavours Of The Past, Present And Future Traversing Throughout The Film.

Director: Sabrina Joseph

Runtime: 19 Minutes

Holy Curse

On A Visit To India, 11-Year-Old Radha Grapples With Their Gender Identity When Subjected To Manipulative Orthodox Rituals By Their Family, Looking To Dispel A Supposed Ancestral Curse Allegedly Distorting Radha's Thinking.

Director: Snigdha Kapoor

Runtime: 16 Minutes

Iykyk

Everyone Seems To Have A Different Approach To The Elephant In The Room; Her Gender Identity. Address It Or Ignore It. No One Seems To Have A Clue How To Go About It. We Follow A Series Of Dates, Kusum Goes On.

Director: Bonita Rajpurohit

Runtime: 18 Minutes

Mehroon

Mehroon, A Transgender Woman Receives The News Of Her Father'??S Death Through A Text Message From Her Sister, And Her Father'??S Will Through A Courier. The Will States That Mehroon Will Be Eligible For Property Only If She Presents Herself As A Son.

Director: Abu Sohel Khondekar

Runtime: 11 Minutes

1:30 pm: At Play: B For Naoo - Me, Raani - Arkesta - Gold Medal

B For Naoo

B F0r Naoo Is Set During The Rise Of The Taliban Terror Attacks In Ex-Fata Parachinar, Pakistan. The Film Revolves Around Payeem And His Pet Goat Naoo. Payeem's Greatest Wish Is To Attend School, But Faced With Financial Constraints Payeem Is Forced To Take Matters In His Own Hands.

Me, Raani

Where There's A Will There's A Way Is The Heart Of The Film With A Foreground Of A Single Mother's Dream To Provide Education For Her Daughter In A Patriarchal Society. In Her Desperation For Societal Status She Gets Stuck On A Desire For A Carrom Board She Can't Afford And Gets Hit By Reality.

Anju, A 29 Yo Single-Mother Works As A Maid To Provide For Her 9 Yo Daughter, Raani. Anju's Only Dream In Life Is To See Raani Become An Engineer And Move Away From The Male Chauvinist Society That Sees A Girl's Marriage As Her Only Victory. Raani, On The Other Hand Is Nonchalant And Effortlessly A Problem-Solver. amidst The Persistent Hardship And Ever Going Financial Turmoil, Anju's Heart Is Stuck On A Small Unattainable Wish Of Getting Raani A Carrom Board For Her 10th Birthday. Raani Is Least Concerned About The Carrom Board But Her Mother's Helplessness Pushes Her To Find A Unique Solution And Proving That “Queen” Is An Attitude And Not A Title.

Director: Shivani Mehra

Runtime: 19 Minutes

Arkesta

Gokul Is A Single Father Who Is Raising His Son, A Well-Regarded And Actively Involved Member Of Their Community. On A Specific Occasion, Gokul Feels A Sense Of Embarrassment As He Watches His Son's Public Dance Performance, Which Displays Feminine Mannerisms. Determined To Bring About A Change In His Son's Lifestyle And Regain Their Esteemed Standing In Society, Gokul Wholeheartedly Commits Himself To Putting In Considerable Effort And Taking The Required Actions. Over Time, Gokul Gradually Becomes Aware Of His Son's Inherent Feminine Side.

Gold Medal

An Aspirational Yet Unconfident Pre-Teen Named Moti Discovers A Pure Gold Medal While Collecting Coins At The River Bottom. What He Believes Will Bring Him Prosperity Instead Leads Him Down A Path Of Unexpected Challenges.

Director: Ujjwal Patel

Runtime: 34 Minutes

3:40 pm: Paper Flowers

At 22, Shalin Shah Had It All - A Loving And Supportive Family, The Love Of His Life By His Side, And A Promising Future Ahead, Filled With High Minded Ideals Of Changing The World. A Recent Usc Graduate, Shalin Heads Off To Peru To Serve In The Peace Corps For Two Years.

But When Shalin Suddenly Becomes Ill And Is Diagnosed With A Rare Form Of Cancer, His Life Is Completely Upended, And A Once Bright Future Becomes Dim. Through Chemotherapy And Self Introspection, Shalin Tumbles On A Downward Spiral, In Spite Of His Family's Best Efforts. But With The Help Of Fiona And Her Undying Love For Him, They Pull Out Of The Darkness Together And Shalin Realizes That Even In The Midst Of Death And A Shortened Life, He Still Has An Opportunity To Change The World By Living His Life In The Moment And Sharing His Experience With Others.

Paper Flowers Is A Journey Of Love And Loss, Tragedy And Hope, And Most Of All, A Roadmap For All Of Us Living And Breathing To Not To Take Our Moments For Granted And To Remember To Stop And Smell The Flowers.

Director: Mahesh Pailoor

Runtime: 101 Minutes

4:00 pm: If Only: The Story Of Yuvraj And Shahajahan - Farewell - Non **** - All The Men I Met But Never Dated - If - Pink

The Story Of Yuvraj And Shahajahan

Yuvraj, A Young Village Boy Feels Drawn To Bangle Seller, Shahjahan. They Meet In A Secluded Place. They Share Their Stories With Each Other. Yuvraj And Shahjahan Lead A Duel Life In A Society That Detests Homosexuality. They Depart On The Note Of Meeting Again.

Director: Santosh Ram

Runtime: 25 Minutes

Farewell

Two Friends: One With A Broken Heart, The Other On The Brink Of Marriage. Together They Set Out On A Day's Journey That Leads Them To Confront Their Past amidst Shared Grief And Hopes For A Brighter Future. Centred Around Intimate Friendships Between Men Of Colour, Farewell Presents Evolving Expressions Of Modern Masculinity.

Director: Soham Kundu

Runtime: 15 Minutes

All The Men I Met But Never Dated

When Ali And Oliver Meet, It Seems Like Love At First Sight. But Because Ali Is Muslim And In The Closet, It'??S Not As Simple As Boy-Meets-Boy. As Oliver Starts To Wonder Where Their Relationship Can Go, Ali Must Choose Between The Love He Wants And The Family And Faith He Has.

Director: Muneeb Hassan

Runtime: 10 Minutes

Pink

Pink Is Based On The True Story Of Yassa Khan, Who In 2001 Spent A Fleeting 24 Hours With His Bank Robbing Father, Hassan Khan. Hassan, Who Had Just Been Released From A Twelve Year Prison Sentence, Takes His Son Yassa On A Whirlwind Journey Into His Criminal Way Of Life. As The Pair Get To Know Each Other Again In The Most Unexpected Of Circumstances, They Go On An Emotional Journey Through Crime, Pain, And The Past. Culminating In Yassa Coming Out To His Father As Being Gay, Which Shows Yassa Who His Father Really Is And In Turn Who He Is.

Director: Yassa Khan

Runtime: 23 Minutes

6:00 pm: Centerpiece Film And Party: The Umesh Chronicles

The Centerpiece Film Screening Features The Dazzling North american Premiere Of "The Umesh Chronicles!"

Pooja Kaul, Writer And Director, Explores Urban Life Examining Contemporary Indian Society In The Light Of Its Richly Developed Past, Finding Parallel Textures And Sensibilities, And Forging Connections Between The Past And The Present. In This Film, You Will See The Life Of Middle-Class Indians Which Has Never Been Acknowledged, Or Put On Screen In This Way Before. It Is A Document Of A Lost India, But Which Can Come Back; Which Needs A Second Chance. The Umesh Chronicles Is Both Timeless And Of Its Time. The Film Boasts A Star-Studded Cast - amitabh Bachchan, Irfan Khan's Son, Babil, And Other Notable Actors.

The Umesh Chronicles

Young Radha, Surrounded By Books And Family, Has Little Contact With Sundar, A Boy Who Helps Her A Life Of Privilege. Sundar Runs Away And When She Meets Him Years Later, Radha Considers That He May Be More Free Than She Is. In Her 30s, In Modern India, Served Again-This Time By Umesh, She Thinks Of Sundar And Seeks Him Out.

The Umesh Chronicles Is A Map Of The Past And A Sketch For The Future.

Director: Pooja Kaul

Runtime: 125 Minutes

6:30 pm: Relationship Insights: Time For Milking - Static - Earbuds - A Newlywed Story - Thursday Special

Time For Milking

Saroj And Mukesh Are Farmers Living With Their Two Children In The Village. On A Summer Afternoon, Saroj Is Bitten By A Scorpion While Harvesting The Wheat In The Farms. Mukesh, Her Husband, Is Skeptical To Take Her To The Hospital, Anticipating She Would Be Fine. As The Night Grows, It Brings A Feeling Of Restlessness And Contemplation Over The Unaccounted Time In Their Life.

Director: amit Kumar

Runtime: 30 Minutes

Static

As Ruban Anticipates His Arranged Marriage Wife amala's Arrival From Sri Lanka To Start Their Life Together In Canada, He Grapples With Anxiety Over Potential Conflicts Arising From Their Environments. A Chance Encounter With What Seems To Be "amala" On His Last Night As A Bachelor, Offers A Haunting Glimpse Into Their Future, Revealing Familial Discord And Cynicism About Their Marriage. Determined To Shield amala From These Tensions, Ruban Initially Considers Keeping Their Lives Separate. However, amala's Wisdom Prompts Him To Confront Rather Than Evade Their Challenges, Encouraging Him To Envision The Life They Deserve. Awakening From This Vivid Dream, Ruban Realizes That True Happiness Lies In Creating A Home Filled With Love And Acceptance - And So He Takes The Courageous Step Of Bringing Their Families Together To Welcome amala With Open Arms.

Director: Thipika Balakrishnan

Runtime: 14 Minutes

Earbuds

A Bickering South Asian Couple Finds The Answer To Their Relationship Problems During An Unexpected Blackout...While A Zombie Breakout Brews Outside Their Door.

Director: Archana Shinde

Runtime: 16 Minutes

A Newlywed Story

Naina Attempts To Restore A Wedding-Night-Gone-Wrong Chasing The “Happily Ever After” She Was Promised. Will Monty Accept Her Need For Social Validation? Can They Embrace A Path Forward, Or Will It Be Over...Forever?

Director: Renu Razdan

Runtime: 14 Minutes

Thursday Special

27 Years Of A Loving Marriage. 27 Years Of Sharing A Passion For Food. 27 Years Of Celebrating It Every Thursday.

Thursday Special Is A Poignant Tale Of Love, Companionship And Change.

Director: Varun Tandon

Runtime: 27 Minutes

8:45 pm: Katla Curry

Set In The Sleepy Fishing Village Along The Banks Of The River Narmada, A Local Fisherman (Raaymal), Pulls A Young Man (Ratan) Adrift In His Fishing Net, Setting Off A Journey Of Profound Connection And Self-Discovery. As Raaymal Discovers Ratan's Hidden Struggle With His Sexuality, He Extends A Helping Hand To Build A "New Home"; And In His Journey Toward Self-Acceptance. "Katlaa Curry" A Local Fish Delicacy, Becomes A Symbol Of Both Their Connection And Contrast As Raaymal's Huge And Carnivorous Appetite Contrasts With Ratan's Cooking Finesse And Vegetarianism, Central To Igniting Their Physical Chemistry And Deep-Seated Affection. However, Raaymal, Succumbs To Familial Obligations And Societal Pressures, Reluctantly Entering Into Marriage With Kumati, Severing Ties With Ratan And Nearly Extinguishing The Flame Of His Authentic Desires. But A Ray Of Hope Emerges When The Encouragement And Unwavering Support Of His Wife And Friends, Put Raaymal On A Journey Of Self-Discovery, And Determination To Reunite With Ratan While Embracing His Authentic Self.

"Katlaa Curry" Represents All The Delicious Connections That Bind Us Together, Transcending The Limitations Of Tradition And Prejudice.

Director: Rohit Ganesh Prajapati

Runtime: 111 Minutes

9:30 pm: Centerpiece Party! Free W/ Cash Bar

Join Us For A Lively After Party To Celebrate The Centerpiece Film, "The Umesh Chronicles," At Tffm!
All Festival Attendees Are Welcome To Unwind And Connect With The Umesh Chronicles Filmmakers Behind This Captivating Film, As Well As Other Festival-Goers.
Enjoy An Evening Filled With Music From Talented Singers, And Groove To The Beats Of Indie And Eclectic South Asian Tracks Spun By Tasveer Co-Founder Farah Nousheen, Also Known As "Dj Farah."
Savor Delicious Pizzas And Light Snacks While Supporting The Local Fast Fashion Brewery By Purchasing Their Selection Of Beer, Wine, Cider, And Non-Alcoholic Drinks.
Come, Relax, And Be Part Of This Vibrant Celebration!