The 19th edition of the Tasveer Film Festival, a leading South Asian film festival in North America, concluded in Seattle with a celebration of this year’s top films.
The week-long festival showcased a diverse range of narratives from South Asia and its diaspora. This year’s juried competition awarded All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia as Best Feature Narrative.
Holy Curse, directed by Snigdha Kapoor, won Best Short Narrative, while Bhangaar by Sumira Roy was named Best Feature Documentary. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: Now and Then received an honorable mention in the documentary category.
Speaking about the festival’s curation, Rita Meher, executive director of Tasveer, said, "We aim to uplift independent South Asian filmmakers, many of whom face censorship and suppression both in South Asia and in the diaspora."
Shailaja Rao, associate director of the festival, added, "These filmmakers often confront challenging social, legal, and political conditions that limit their freedom of expression. The festival offers them a vital space to tell their stories."
The festival’s audience-based competition also honored several standout films. A Nice Indian Boy, directed by Roshan Sethi, was named Best Narrative Feature, while Pink by Yassa Khan won Best Narrative Short. A Dream Called Khushi by Rishabh Jain was recognized as Best Documentary Short.
Overall, 110 films representing 15 countries, including 36 world premieres were screened during the festival. Over 50 of the featured films were directed by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers, a news release noted.
Audience awards also recognized standout work in acting, animation, and direction, with Faizan Sheikh being named Best Actor for his role in Stalled and Renuka Shahane’s Loop Line winning Best Animation.
In addition to its focus on cinematic excellence, Tasveer introduced its inaugural Film Market at this year's festival, further cementing its place as a hub for South Asian cinema in North America.
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