Seven South Asian Film Festivals in USA and Canada Unite for the Largest Ever South Asian Film Festival, Produced by Tasveer

SEATTLE, July 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented effort by the South Asian film festival community in North America and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, seven well-established South Asian film institutions are unifying to host the Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals (CoSAFF). The first-of-its-kind virtual festival will run for 15 days from October 3-17, featuring online screenings, virtual Q&As with the creators, industry topics, and panel discussions on the intersection of current news topics and the South Asian arts community.

CoSAFF is produced by Tasveer, a South Asian social justice arts non-profit organization based in Seattle, bringing together:

Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (TSAFF), Seattle

Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF), Chicago

DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF), Washington DC

Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF), Mississauga/Toronto

Nepal America International Film Festival (NAIFF), Maryland

South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM), Montreal

Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF), Vancouver

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused upheaval in the film industry resulting in loss of revenue and uncertainty for arts organizations and the filmmakers. In order to help the film community and encourage viewership of independent cinema, CoSAFF is curating cutting-edge, critically acclaimed films and making them accessible to the public free of cost.

In a joint statement, the Coalition adds: 

"We're excited and honored to be coming together during this very challenging time, in a  show of unity and in pursuit of the creation of something meaningful for all our communities to engage with. Now is the time to collaborate rather than compete, and to work together to support our film professionals. CoSAFF's efforts will provide filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their hard work to the widest possible audience in a respectful, secure manner. And, in turn, for all our audiences to have a shared experience watching these films without the burden of having to pay for them.

Filmmaking and storytelling are not just crafts but also a crucial way for us to share emotions and experiences with each other, especially during difficult times. We're planning a rich and diverse lineup which will represent the very best filmmaking voices of South Asians from around the globe.

We can't wait to bring CoSAFF to the audiences of North America and the world."

High-resolution pictures in our press room

SOURCE Tasveer

Related Links

https://tasveer.org