North America’s leading platform for South Asian cinema returns October 8–12, 2025 in Seattle, showcasing premieres, industry deals, and the next generation of filmmakers at the Tasveer Film Center
SEATTLE, WA (TIP): The Tasveer Film Festival Market, the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival in the world, and North America’s leading platform for South Asian storytelling, returns this October for its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of groundbreaking storytelling. The Tasveer Film festival runs from October 8–12, 2025 at their recently acquired property, Tasveer Film Center (4812 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA).
At the Launch Party tonight, Tasveer released the full official festival lineup, market projects, and list of visiting filmmakers and film industry executives. The Tasveer Market’s second year hosts a day-long AI convention and welcomes a growing number of industry representatives, including executives from Jordan Peele’s Monkey Paw Productions, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, Taika Waititi's Waititi Productions, Atomic Monster, Daniel Destin Cretton’s Hisako Films, South Stack Studios, Entropy Media, Merelta Films, Exit 44 Entertainment, among others.
Highlighted films at this year’s festival include:
- Opening Night Feature: Little Jaffna, Directed by Lawrence Valin (North America Premiere, France 2024) (AlUla Audience Award, Red Sea Film Festival)
- Centerpiece Film: I, the Song, Directed by Dechen Roder (North America Premiere, Bhutan, 2024) (Tallinn Black Night Film Festival —Best Director)
- Documentary Feature: Farming the Revolution, Directed by Nishtha Jain (Washington State Premiere, India, 2024) Best International Documentary, Hot Docs
Film Festival 2024
- Diaspora Focus: Have You Heard Judi Singh?, Directed by Baljit Sangra (USA Premiere, Canada, 2025)
- Tasveer Emerald Screening: Humans in the Loop, Directed by Aranya Sahay (Washington Premiere, India, 2025)
- Closing Night Feature: Zewel, Directed by ‘Q’ (World Premiere, Bangladesh/India 2025)
- Market Highlight: AI Day with Runway
The 20th edition of Tasveer Film festival spotlights 109 films from around the world, 43 of which are world premieres, spanning 22 countries and 24 languages and local dialects.
Rita Meher, Tasveer Film Festival and Market Executive Director remarks, “For 23 years, we’ve stayed true to our mission of uplifting South Asian voices by bringing bold, thought-provoking films to Seattle. It’s humbling to see that work recognized, and my vision is to establish Seattle as a global hub for cinema—building our own table, focusing on quality and experience, and staying at the edge of industry trends from storytelling to AI.”
The festival also serves as a creative hub—hosting industry panels, networking events, and conversations that connect filmmakers, producers, artists, and audiences. Tasveer has developed an ecosystem for South Asian filmmakers connecting South Asian and diaspora filmmakers with financing, mentorship, and industry opportunities through the Tasveer Film Market, Film Fund and Tasveer Producers Lab. Since 2020, Tasveer has distributed $228,000 in grants, in partnership with Netflix, creating a vital talent pipeline for underrepresented South Asian filmmakers.
The Tasveer Film Market, to be held from October 8-10, 2025, is the first global market, a curated marketplace for upcoming South Asian films in late development to meet executives in North America. The market includes networking events, live pitches, 1-1 meetings, panels, and educational AI workshops for industry badge holders. In 2024, they received 300 unique project submissions, curating 63 live project pitches, and announcing 7 deals at the closing of the market.
Award-winning filmmaker Mohammed Ali (Mo) Naqvi, who recently joined the Tasveer Film Market as Artistic Director after serving as Chairman of the Advisory Board last year, emphasized the global impact of the Market alongside his colleagues Anushree Shukla, Associate Director, and Neha Dutta, Sr. Manager, Industry Relations.
Naqvi said: “As a filmmaker myself, I started almost 20 years ago when something like this—a film market created by and for South Asian filmmakers in the diaspora—felt like a fantasy. The fact that we are doing it now, with partnerships from some of the biggest global brands in entertainment and tech, who are not only supporting us but championing a new generation of filmmakers, feels like a dream come true. I feel privileged to help make this happen with such an incredible team”.
Tasveer Film Festival Market Schedule
October 8–12, 2025 • Seattle, WA
Day 0: Tuesday, Oct 7th, 2025
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Local Filmmakers Showcase
Day 1: Wednesday, Oct 8th, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM – At the Intersection of AI & Film
4:00 PM – Tasveer Film Market Opening
7:00 PM – Tasveer Producers Lab Pitch
8:00 PM – Tasveer Film Festival Screening
Day 2: Thursday, Oct 9th, 2025
9:00 AM – Tasveer Select Pitches
12:00 PM – Networking Lunch
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Panels | Meetings
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Networking Reception
7:00 PM – 20th Tasveer Film Festival Opening Night & Red Carpet Gala
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM – After Party
Day 3: Friday, Oct 10th, 2025
9:00 AM – Tasveer Film Fund Pitch Day
12:00 PM – Networking Lunch
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Industry Panels
1:00 PM – Tasveer Film Festival Screening
3:00 PM – 11:00 PM – TFF Screenings Begin
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Networking Happy Hours
10:00 PM – Market Closing Party
Closing Ceremony of the Market; Producers Lab Fellow Award
Day 4: Saturday, Oct 11th, 2025
10:00 AM – Breakfast with Filmmakers
11:00 AM – Film Screenings Block
Day 5: Sunday, Oct 12th, 2025
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM – TFF Screenings
5:00 PM – Closing Night Film & Awards Ceremony
About Tasveer Film Festival; Market
Founded by Rita Meher and produced by Tasveer, TFFM has grown from a grassroots initiative into North America’s leading platform for South Asian storytelling—and the world’s only Oscar®-qualifying South Asian film festival. For over 20 years, the Tasveer Film Festival (TFF) has used the power of film to bridge cultures, challenge perspectives, and foster global connection through curated films, interactive workshops, and bold conversations. In 2023, Tasveer launched the Tasveer Film Market (TFM), North America’s first industry hub connecting South Asian stories with global executives. Tasveer, originally founded in 2002 by Rita Meher and Farah Nousheen, is a Seattle-based nonprofit to inspire social change through South Asian cinema and storytelling.
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