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.