Seattle’s Tasveer Film Market Unveils 40+ South Asian Projects

The inaugural Tasveer Film Market has unveiled over 40 projects selected from more than 300 submissions across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Australia. The initiative, positioning itself as a new hub for South Asian and diaspora filmmakers, is set to launch as part of the 19th Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle.

Notable talents presenting projects include Radhika Apte (“The Sleepwalkers”), the Cannes-winning “Joyland” team of Apoorva Charan and Saim Sadiq, Sarvnik Kaur (“Against the Tide”), Q (“Garbage”), Nabeel Qureshi (“Na Maloom Afraad”) and Hania Chima (“Laal Kabootar”). The lineup also features the adaptation of Soniah Kamal’s “Pride and Prejudice” adaptation “Unmarriageable,” led by Sadia Ashraf and James McMillan.

Industry leaders scheduled to attend include filmmakers Deepa Mehta and Pan Nalin, along with representatives from Amazon MGM Studios, Blumhouse, HBO, EST N8, Creativeland Studios, NBCU, CAA and WME. The market has partnered with organizations such as NBCU, K&L Gates and Washington Filmworks.

The Tasveer Film Market’s jury comprises notable industry figures including producer and curator Dominique Welinski, former Vice Media executive Falguni Adams, Shobha Sant, CEO, Creativeland Studios, filmmaker Hemal Trivedi and producer Swati Shetty.

The market will present 20 Jury Select projects to studio executives, producers and industry figures. An additional 20 Tasveer Film Market Select projects and 20 finished films in an out-of-competition section round out the offerings. The event will also host the final pitching session of the 5th Tasveer Film Fund, supported by Netflix, where nine U.S. narrative shorts finalists will compete for a $25,000 grant.

Rita Meher, founder and director of the Tasveer Film Market, said: “Through the Tasveer Film Market, our vision is for these filmmakers to secure financing, access vital resources, engage directly with industry leaders, and gain distribution. It’s time for South Asian stories to transcend borders and be celebrated on the global stage.”

Anupama Bose, advisor and associate director, Tasveer Film Market, added: “Our goal is to create a platform where South Asian and diaspora filmmakers can connect with the global industry, particularly in North America, where diverse voices are being amplified more than ever. We believe the Tasveer Film Market will become a vital stepping stone for these unique voices to gain the attention they truly deserve and for the ecosystem to incorporate and nurture more representation of South Asia, the diaspora, and their concerns. Being in Seattle, we will also bring a boom to the creative economy of the region.”

The Tasveer Film Festival and market are scheduled for October 15-20 in Seattle.

Tasveer Film Market Jury Select Projects

“A Country Without A Post Office” by Umbreen Butt (Canada) – Documentary Feature (animation)
“Birdie” by Prarthana Joshi (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Burnout” by Swetha Regunathan (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Feral” by Nihaarika Negi (U.S./India) – Narrative Feature
“Hori” by Arun Deo Joshi (Nepal) – Narrative Feature
“Jackie and Jilal” by Jyothi Kalyan Sura (U.S.) – TV
“Kabootar” by Ishan Sharma (India) – Narrative Feature
“Mangal – The Holy Beast” by Triparna Maiti (India) – Narrative Feature
“Samosa” by Nipunika Fernando (Sri Lanka) – Narrative Feature
“Their Life is Water” by Brayden Yoder and Aditi Mediratta (U.S./India) – Narrative Feature
“Montu Went To The Moon” by Radhika Apte (India) – Narrative Feature
“Rain Echoes Fire” by Ayon Pratim Saikia (India) – Narrative Feature
“Queen Peak” by David Barchet and Hania Chima (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“The Aunt” by Ranjan Ghosh (India) – Narrative Feature
“Umbrellas of the Acrobats” by Mukesh Subramaniam (U.S.) – Documentary Feature

Tasveer Film Market Jury Select – Work in Progress Projects

“Adi” by Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia (India)
“A Street Play” by Tanmaya Shekhar (India)
“Laptein AKA Flames” by Ravi Shankar Kaushik (India)
“The Return” by Anjali Kamat and Rehan Ansari/Sanjna Selva (U.S.)
“Waste-Side Story” by Supriyo Sen (India)

Tasveer Film Market Select Projects

“Anandibai” by Samip Mallick (U.S.) – ShortDoc Animation
“Behind The Scene” by Bilal Sami (U.S.) – TV
“Chilli Score” by Vinny Anand and Ronald Austin, Jr. (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Disrupted” by Sarvnik Kaur (India/U.S.) – Documentary
“Dreams Uprooted” by Meghna Damani (U.S.) – ShortDoc
“Fara” by Arshad W. Khan (Canada) – Narrative Feature
“Good Girls” by Hira Shiraz (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Lone Star Hijra – An Indian Fairy Tale” by Sheila Sawhny (U.S.) – Narrative Feature (WIP)
“Nisa (Woman)” by Ambarien Alqadar (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Patel” by Ravi Kapoor (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Prisoner” by Nabeel Qureshi (Pakistan) – Narrative Feature
“Unmarriageable” by Sadia Ashraf (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Suraiya” by Shibabrata Barman and Robiul Alam Robi (Bangladesh) – Narrative Feature (WIP)
“Tandava” by Vinay M. Umapathy (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“The Laughter” by Saim Sadiq and Apoorva Charan (U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“The Pharaoh of Pharma” by Zaki Chinde (India/U.S.) – Narrative Feature
“Untitled” by Tanuja Chandra (India) – Documentary
“Welcome Home Jhaiji” by Pallavi Somusetty (U.S.) – Documentary
“Whistle in the Mist” by Jahnu Barua (Australia) – Narrative Feature
“Zewel” by Q (India) – Narrative Feature

Tasveer Film Fund Finalists

“Bombil Fry: Sunsets Limited, Cigarettes Pivoted and Sambal Swallowed” by Tushar Gidwani
“By Design” by Moitri Ghosh
“Extreme Vetting” by Shehryar Mir
“Lavenders Bloom” by Sara Rangooni
“Open Shaadi” by Jerika Marchan and Dini Parayitam
“Pooja in Her Prime” by Kesav Wable and Asavari Kumar
“Tabbasum” by Sri Ram Burgula
“The Sale” by Meera Angelica Joshi
“Yakshi” by Karan Sunil