Diverse images of South Asians will be promoted this month at the 17th annual San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival, India West reports.
The festival, presented by 3rd i, will launch in San Francisco from Nov. 7 to 10 and move to Palo Alto the following week. According to Indica News, this year’s festival, with the tagline “Bollywood and Beyond,” the festival will screen over a dozen films and shorts by independent filmmakers from across the South Asian diaspora.
According to 3rd i’s website, the festival will feature “edgy, exciting indie narratives.” India West reports that stories range from “art-house classics” to “cutting-edge Bollywood.”
The film lineup includes styles from romantic comedy to historical epic and touch on women’s issues, LGBTQ+ themes, and addiction, among many other topics.
According to India West, both comedy and strong youth characters feature prominently in this year’s festival.
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Several directors will attend the festival to screen their films and participate in panel discussions. India West reports that the festival will offer its first free filmmaking masterclass led by documentary filmmaker Nishta Jain (“City of Photos,” “Lakshmi and Me.”)
San Francisco resident Abhi Singh, who’s had his work screened at multiple international festivals, told SF Weekly that 3rd i is unique because of its community.
He described the annual festival as an incredible showcase of the richness of South Asian cinema, adding that the organizers make it “one of the warmest welcomes anyone can get as a filmmaker.”
“I’m a South Asian filmmaker and to be able to engage with like-minded people — it’s a unique opportunity in that way,” Singh told SF Weekly. “The audience at 3rd i is so amazing… [and] always comes out to support filmmakers like myself.”
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