14th Annual Tasveer South Asian Film Festival Submissions Now Open
Submissions Open: February 15, 2019
Festival Dates: Sept 26th–Oct 6th, 2019
Seattle, WA: Submissions for the 14th Annual Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (TSAFF) are now open. The largest South Asian film festival in the United States, TSAFF screens some of the year's most anticipated films from South Asia and its diaspora across the globe.
Tasveer’s mission, according to a press release, is to inspire social change through films and storytelling. 14th TSAFF seeks thought-provoking narrative features, shorts, documentaries, animated films, experimental works and AR/VR immersive films that tell South Asian stories and challenge stereotypes. This year’s theme will highlight diaspora stories, relaying the experiences of people of South Asian descent living around the world. In addition, with India as the focus country, we seek to bring to Seattle-area new and groundbreaking independent films from the home of the world’s largest film industry.
#TSAFF2019 will open with a red carpet event on Thursday September 26th at SIFF Cinema Egyptian in Seattle, attended by celebrity and emerging filmmakers from Pakistan, India, US, Canada, the rest of South Asia and the diaspora. The 11-day festival will include film screenings, panel discussions, and workshops, audience awards at multiple venues across the Greater Seattle Area, including UW Seattle South Asia Center, Seattle Art Museum, SIFF Film Center, Seattle University Pigott Auditorium, Bellevue Arts Museum, Roy Street Cafe, Redmond area theater, and Northwest Film Forum.
We define South Asia to include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet and the diaspora around the world.
See our full submission call and submit films at FilmFreeway.com/TSAFF/.
According to the press release, TSAFF advisors are highly experienced filmmakers, who have previously shown their work in and/or attended Tasveer events in Seattle. Advisors help us connect with filmmakers in their respective regions, advise us on programming, and attend festival events when possible. The 2019 TSAFF Advisors are: award-winning prominent Indian director Vishal Bhardwaj; two-time Academy Award winner and six-time Emmy winner Pakistani documentary filmmaker SharmeenObaidChinoy; veteran Pakistani director and Tribeca Alum MehreenJabbar; Academy Award-nominated Indian American director Mira Nair; Hollywood producer Aditya Sood; award-winning Napalese director SubarnaThapa; and one of Sri Lanka’s foremost directors PrasannaVithanage. We are truly humbled to have the support of such highly accomplished South Asian filmmakers as advocates for Tasveer’s mission to provide a platform to South Asian storytellers from around the globe.
For media inquiries contact: Laila Kazmi, Director of Programming at laila@tasveer.org.
TSAFF info: tsaff.tasveer.org
TSAFF is presented by Tasveer, an arts and culture organization founded in 2002 by Rita Meher and Farah Nousheen. Tasveer was formed as a response to increased discrimination faced by South Asian Americans immediately after the tragic events of 9/11. Since its founding, Tasveer has become a beacon, illuminating South Asian voices around the globe. With its year-round programming, Tasveer harnesses the power of art through film and storytelling to engage in dialogue, debunk stereotypes, and celebrate culture, while welcoming over 8,000 attendees during its annual events.
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