NYC South Asian Film Festival

10/25/2022

There’s a new SISTER festival in town, folks! The first-ever is proud to present 15 films over six hours at the .wangcenter on the campus on Saturday, Nov. 19th from noon to 6 pm. Tell your friends about it & help us spread the word! Tickets & full lineup coming soon!

08/17/2022

Happy birthday 🎈to the hardest working Artistic Director in the biz! Your family adores you, ! Design Credit:

03/24/2022

Press + Influencer Screening of -produced, rom com 7 Days, co-written & directed by & starring , & . Almost full house on a cold/rainy NYC night. Screening co-hosted by & . Thanks to for your support! The movie opens in theatres on Friday, March 25th. Go check it out with the person who was your strongest support system during the in 2020.

03/15/2022

NYC South Asian Film Festival is proud to co-host a press + influencer screening of the Duplass Brothers-produced, Independent Spirit Awards-winning, mainstream film with both leads at Village East Cinema next week!

Watch the trailer HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGdmJMLu-Kg

*RSVP directly by sending an email to [email protected], and we'll make sure you are on the list (first-come, first-served basis)! Stick around for the as well (details revealed after the Q&A).

Proud PR Partner: Jingo Media

11/18/2021

Not only was it the film at the 3rd annual , its writer/director won “Best Director” at our festival last month!

Now, is coming to a Theater near you this Friday, November 19th!

Please take the whole family & go support Indepenent cinema opening weekend, so that producers know they can bank on our demographic & continue making these types of films!

This is a huge for the entire in !

*Congratulations to the cast, crew & distributors:) Click on this link for local theaters & show times: https://bleecker.me/isasSAmedia

11/06/2021

Kannada film DOLLU, which just got selected for the section at , is currently available on through Sunday at midnight PST for audiences only!

Synopsis: Dollu is the story of Bhadra, a Dollu drummer-dancer. Time puts his team to the test, as money becomes a bigger factor and passion takes a backseat. The team leaves their village behind in search of greener pastures, only to land in an unforgiving metropolitan city, Bengaluru. Bhadra realizes that their temple's annual rituals would remain incomplete without the team's performance. He sets to reunite his team to keep the centuries’ old tradition alive. Art isn’t defined by the constructs of the society is the takeaway from this Kannada film.

Go to www.virtualsaff.moviesaints.com to watch NOW!

11/03/2021

This week on Virtual SAFF, check out films like Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s EK DUAA, produced by and starring Esha Deol.

Synopsis: The film examines how society suppresses the inner voice of mothers, especially those with girl children.

Watch the trailer below & go to www.virtualsaff.moviesaints.com to check out the long, short film in its entirety, before midnight on Nov 7th!

This is "EK DUAA_TRAILER-2_New_Revised" by Assorted Motion Pictures on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/28/2021

Wondering what to watch this weekend?

Well, you have 35 options of shorts, docs & features premiering at the 2nd annual Virtual South Asian Film Festival (VSAFF), presented by Toyota USA & supported by AARP Texas, taking place now through Sunday!

Go to www.virtualsaff.MovieSaints.com to pick which indie floats your boat. Pay per view & watch curated cinema from the comfort of your couch!

American Kahani offers its top picks below…only open to audiences!

Virtual SAFF: Watch Films Presented by South Asian Film Festival From the Comfort of Your Home

10/25/2021

WE DID IT! Last night was lit! Thanks to everyone who attended the 3rd annual closing night party & awards ceremony, presented by , at the gorgeous

And the winners are…

Best Film: Mehrunisa, directed by

Best Actor: for

Best Actress: Farrukh Jaffer for Mehrunisa

Best Short Film: Barefoot Empress, directed by

Best Long Form Short: Laali, directed by & Exec Produced by

Best Director: for (releasing in theatres Nov. 19th)

Social Impact Award: Women of My Billion (WOMB), directed by & produced by & Exec Produced by

Lifetime Achievement Award: for her contributions to film & music

Best of Fests: Best Director for .thefilm

Best of Fests: Best Actor for .thefilm

A huge shout out to my partner-in-crime & thanks to for entertaining us with his musical prowess!

The incredible took these beautiful pictures.

And that’s a wrap, folks! See you next year, NYC!!! 🎬

10/23/2021

Don’t miss our closing night feature, ’ , starring , , , , & ! This screening WILL sell out, so purchase your tickets for the film () & after party () on our website link in bio. See you Sunday at 6 pm!

10/23/2021

Our hearts are so full after a fantastic opening night red carpet, screening & Q&A of & team’s phenomenal documentary WOMB (Women of My Billion) at the 3rd annual , presented by !

The pics from last night speak volumes about the kind of reunion we all had in our city of dreams & movies! We love you, NYC!

Photo Credit:

10/20/2021

Filmmaker & dear friend Chef Vikas Khanna has done it again! The extraordinary story of 96-year-old Karthiyani Amma, a temple cleaner in Kerala who decides to educate herself by enrolling in 1st grade at the local school, makes its world premiere at the 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota USA, this weekend at the Helen Mills Event Space & Theater in Chelsea.

*New Yorkers, don't want to miss your chance to meet Khanna at the post-event Q&A and find out how he stumbled upon his subject, the BAREFOOT EMPRESS. Showtimes and ticket information is available at www.nycsaff.com. See you at our movies!

10/09/2021

After the tremendous success of his gay, silent film SISAK, Faraz Arif Ansari (in attendance) is BACK with the le***an drama Sheer Qorma, starring the iconic Shabana Azmiji, Divya Dutta (in attendance), Swara Bhasker and Jitin Gulati.

The short makes its Texas and New York premieres, as part of our LGBTQIA+ programming, at the 7th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival & 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota USA!

Synopsis: Sheer Qorma is a story of belonging and acceptance, identity and family told through courageous, q***r women choose to embrace love that exists beyond their personal beliefs and social moralities.

*Purchase your tickets early because this screening has been SOLD OUT at every festival this year! Watch the trailer below to understand why…oh, Faraz & Divya will also be at both screenings:)

Sheer Qorma | Official TrailerStarring Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, Swara BhaskerWritten & Directed by Faraz Arif AnsariProduced by Marijke deSouzaCo-Produced ...

10/07/2021

New York City Cinephiles, we are officially LIVE!

22 finely-curated shorts, docs & features comprise the lineup of the 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota USA, taking place from Oct. 22nd to the 24th at the Helen Mills Event Space & Theater in the ❤️ of .

*4 World Premieres, 7 North American Premieres & 11 NY Premieres over 3 days!!!

Check out the entire schedule, trailers, synopses and ticket information now at www.nycsaff.com. And come out to support independent cinema, especially after the painful 1.5 years the industry has suffered!

*Special shoutout to our Artistic Director, , who has taken our curation & website to a whole new level this year!!!

09/30/2021

Doctors. Store clerks. Computer nerds. always play the same roles. But what if one Indian man decided he was done with the stereotypes? S*x and Indian food abound when T.J. (a young ) tries to claw his way out of obscurity in . But to land the perfect acting gig, he'll first have to face down , and his own outspoken .

This is the premise of director Roxy Shih’s INVISIBLE BROWN MAN, introducing Pritesh Shah (in attendance) and starring Richa Moorjani (NEVER HAVE I EVER fame), part of our “Men’s Shorts Programming” at the 7th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival & 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota USA!

*Check out the trailer below, which EVERY male in will probably relate to…

Film available on YouTube on February 12th at 6 p.m. PSTFollow:https://www.instagram.com/invisiblebrownmanhttps://www.instagram.com/thepriteshshah​Doctors. S...

09/28/2021

This is one of the slickest, most opulent trailers we’ve seen for a 15-minute short film, but then again, it’s a production, so we would expect nothing less!

Brothers, Co-Writers and Co-Directors, Shivin and Sunny are a duo of Filmmakers based between and . Their films revolve around human struggles set in visually-stylized worlds that take the audience on a cinematic journey.

THE LONELY PRINCE makes its and debuts in the 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ section of the 7th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival, 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival & , all presented by Toyota USA!

Synopsis: A lonely Prince invites a sculptor to his court to create a piece of art just for him. As the days pass, the Prince and sculptor grow closer, and the reason for the Prince’s abandonment becomes clear.

Check out the trailer on our festival’s website below…and let us know your thoughts!

A lonely Prince invites a sculptor to his court to create a piece of art just for him. As the days pass, the Prince and sculptor grow closer, and the reason for the Prince’s abandonment becomes clear.

09/28/2021

After its theatrical release in LA over the weekend, actor/writer/director Sujata Day’s Indo-American, model minority satire, Definition Please (also one of Mindy Kaling’s top flick picks of the year), will have its & premieres next month at the 7th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival & 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota USA!

Synopsis: Dramedy follows a former Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, as she tries to reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother.

Both and lead actor Ritesh Rajan will be in attendance! Check out the trailer below & come out to support

Nobody ever spells out how to grow up. Watch the official trailer for Definition Please written, produced, and directed by Sujata Day.Press/sales inquiries: ...

09/19/2021

Beyond ecstatic to unveil the gripping trailer of Rajaram Rajendran’s sci-fi thriller, , the FIRST of our feature films selected for the 3rd annual NYC South Asian Film Festival ( ), presented by Toyota USA!

Synopsis: For Rani, the caretaker at an abandoned factory, in an almost-abandoned Indian village, it's just an ordinary day, trapped in a struggle for survival between a feckless husband on the one hand, and his brother and ruthless sister-in-law on the other. But when she happens upon a group of opportunists seeking to prove the efficacy of their mysteriously-acquired device to a potential buyer, her fortunes seem set to change.

*Director Rajaram & editor Jyolsna Panicker will be in attendance fo the NYC physical festival, taking place Oct 22 to 24 @ AMC Loews 34th Street 14!

A mind-bending sci-fi from India. Starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Asif Basra, Alex O'Nell, Danny Sura. Produced by Eleven Elements, directed by Rajaram Rajendran.

09/18/2021

We’re back in PERSON very soon & we’ll be sharing our list of “official selections” on this space! For now, Save the Dates (Oct 22 to 24) for the 3rd annual & check out our lit 🔥 Laurel, created by !

08/16/2021

*It’s our Artistic Director ’s birthday 🥳 & her ONLY wish is that you all SAVE THE DATE for our physical & virtual festivals:

*NYC SAFF - Oct 22 to 24 in Manhattan

*Virtual Festival - Oct 25 to 31 on MovieSaints (open to everyone in North America)

12/08/2020

Thanks Canada in India (High Commission of Canada) for your support & kind words!

, we are officially merging with I View World 2020, which means you can go to www.plexigo.com/iviewworld2020, create a watch list & watch 50+ ground-breaking, human rights cinema from around the world...all in the comfort of your home...totally FREE! See you at our movies!

11/24/2020

So proud to share the for ’s I View World 2020, a hybrid, film festival taking place physically & virtually in and from December 10th to January 24th!

Even prouder to share that NYC South Asian Film Festival is merging with this year, and next year, we’ll be hosting this festival physically in !

Myna Mukherjee, collabarating with you makes me feel so alive and reminds me why we do what we do. Love that we are embarking on this new journey together!!!

*Proud PR Partner: Jingo Media
*Exclusive Media Partner: AVS - Asian Variety Show
*Sponsors: Canada in India (High Commission of Canada) + The Pearl Academy

Festival Dates: Dec 10 - Dec 20, 2020. Engendered’s I-View World Human Rights Film Festival acquires 50 International Features, Shorts & Docs for its new Hyb...

11/09/2020

Breaking News: En Gendered’s I View World 2020 returns home to its origin city and is merging with in 2020. Moving forward, the human rights festival will alternate its live presence between New Delhi and New York City every other year, with virtual programming available in BOTH markets every year. This year has been super challenging but has brought with it amazing opportunities and helped us imagine a truly global festival. The founders of these two festivals, Myna Mukherjee & Jitin Hingorani, have a long and illustrious history dating back over a decade, and this partnership symbolizes the arrival of a new global cinema curated by global citizens. We hope you will send us your blessings, so that we may continue the festival's commitment to human rights issues globally and shifting perspectives via world cinema. Here is to future world-class screenings, red carpets and conversations in our respective cities, and the world, year after year!

09/23/2020

Join us for the glamorous virtual red carpet of Draupadi Unleashed with the entire cast of the film on the AVS - Asian Variety Show page Wednesday evening at 9 pm CST. The films opens in 14 cities around the country on Thursday!

08/14/2020

To commemorate Pakistan & India’s Independence Days (Aug 14th and 15th, respectively), we would like to share a ONE-MINUTE short film called AZAAD (FREEDOM), which is a collaboration between Texas & NYC filmmakers. We just love the sentiment...

From the Filmakers: “Azaad (Freedom) is a short film commemorating the conscious birth of Pakistan & India. Borrowing from a long tradition of Sufi-Urdu poetry, the piece attempts to capture the confusion and revelation of the decolonizing mind, one that must both experience a conscious death while working to give rise to something pure; a process that we are collectively experiencing to this day. On the bridge between man-made marvel and natural wonder, the Sufi stands and contemplates, honoring the past and accepting the future.”

*Directed by Yasir Masood
*Edited by Harris Ansari
*Written & Performed by Aman Soni
*1st AC Zoya Khan

Happy Independence Day, brothers & sisters!!!

Azaad (Freedom) is a short film commemorating the conscious birth of Pakistan & India. Borrowing from a long tradition of Sufi-Urdu poetry, the piece attempts…

06/18/2020

*ATTENTION Indian Classical Dancers & Dance Enthusiasts:

Announcing the WORLD PREMIERE of Swapna Maini's GANGA: RIVER ETERNAL at this weekend's ECSA: Escapist Cinema of South Asia, with music by Sai Ganesh Nagpal. Check out the incredible "making of" segment below of this short film, a dance & musical ode to the ! BEYOND STUNNING!!!

Register: https://www.onlinefest.us/courses/18155/webinars/9237

This video is the preview/trailer of 'Ganga: River Eternal' - a short musical art film that celebrates the sacred beauty of the magnificent River Ganga throu...

06/10/2020

What's cooking this Saturday night at ECSA: Escapist Cinema of South Asia you ask? Well, FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA (the short film), of course...as part of our "Comedy Programming!"

Synopsis: Coming-of-old-age story that follows a devoutly religious vegetarian who finds a new lease on life after mistakenly eating chicken at her retirement party.

Brought to you by our new "supporting sponsor" Moji Masala, a spice company that also has its own Tandoor-style baked chicken masala mix. Use code SAFF2020 at checkout to receive a FREE Palak masala mix with your order.

*So, this Saturday evening, order from , make and watch 🙂

Register: https://www.onlinefest.us/courses/18155/webinars/8820. Director Rahul Chaturvedi will join us for Q&A after his short film.

06/09/2020

We're excited to announce that ECSA: Escapist Cinema of South Asia has a new "Supporting Sponsor!"

Meet Moji Masala, a quick fix to all your Indian cooking woes! One packet of pre-mixed spices is perfect for one dish of chicken, lamb, salmon or daal, a la "just like your mom makes it!" And the simple-to-follow recipe is on the back of each packet:)

*From now until the end of June, use the code SAFF2020 when ordering your spices at www.mojimasala.com and receive a FREE palak masala packet with each order! Price points range from $3 to $7 a packet, and they ship all over the U.S.

Mission: make it super easy for YOU to cook fresh, homemade Indian food regularly...lockdown or not!

Promotional video for Moji Masla + DFW NYC South Asian Film Festival SAFF2020 www.mojimasala.com / www.dfwsaff.com

06/06/2020

Shot on KODAK SUPER 8 film during the start of the , Vijaykumar Mirchandani's short film LOVE CAN'T BE LOCKED DOWN will have its tonight, as part of the ECSA: Escapist Cinema of South Asia online festival, co-presented by sister festivals DFW South Asian Film Festival & NYC South Asian Film Festival!

Below is the of the trailer, brought to you by our American University of Antigua, College of Medicine. For every person who registers for the screening, we donate a mask to Texas & NYC hospitals in need!

So, WATCH A FILM, SAVE A LIFE! Register @ https://www.onlinefest.us/courses/18155/webinars/9002

Locked down in New York during the pandemic, a young Asian woman figures a way to share her smile and finds true love in a faceless society hidden behind masks

06/05/2020