World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Berlinale Title ‘Lali’ to Open Tasveer Film Festival’s 21st Edition (EXCLUSIVE)
Seattle’s Tasveer Film Festival will open its 21st edition with Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s “Lali”, a Berlinale Panorama title, during its West Coast premiere. Running from 13–18 October, the festival’s “Bring Your Story Home” theme will showcase South Asian stories and diasporic experiences, with programming focused on women’s voices, animation, sport, LGBTQ+ representation and visual storytelling.
The festival will screen 136 films from 16 countries in more than 25 languages, including 20 world premieres, four North American premieres and four US premieres. Highlights include “Mayilaa”, “Breaking the Code”, “The Chair” and Nepal’s Oscar contender “Elephants in the Fog”; the accompanying market will offer panels, pitches and four $35,000 Film Fund grants. Aparna Purohit of Aamir Khan Productions will be chief guest and jury head.
In short
- Tasveer’s 21st festival opens with Berlinale title “Lali”.
- The Seattle event features 136 films from 16 countries.
- Its market will award four filmmakers $35,000 grants.
Explained simply
Tasveer is a film festival based in Seattle that presents work by filmmakers from South Asia and its diaspora: people with South Asian roots living around the world. Its programming spans different languages, countries and experiences, giving audiences a chance to encounter stories that may be less familiar in mainstream cinema.
The Berlinale is the Berlin International Film Festival, and its Panorama section features a range of contemporary films. “Lali” is directed by Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. The festival also includes industry events and funding opportunities, connecting filmmakers with audiences and support for future projects.