Entertainment / Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal

Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal

Entertainment Apr 24, 2023

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

The 12^th South Asian Film Festival Of Montreal (SAFFMontréal) is coming! With over 58 award-winning films from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Norway, the Czech Republic, the UK, Canada, USA, as well as from Iran and Turkiye, film enthusiasts will get plenty of cinematic goods to dive into. With short, long, documentary and feature selections are all up for juried awards. This 12th edition takes place from April 28-May 10th, and includes many movies that are available for free, thought-provoking panel discussions as well as a combination of in-person and online presentations. It all comes to life with their opening night screening of “All That Breathes” at the Grande Bibliothèque, an award-winner both at Cannes and Sundance and an Oscar-nominee. This is the only film festival of its kind in Québec. Check out all the details on films and ticket info right here!

Montreal Québec will be getting a delightful dose of cinematic excellence as the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal (SAFFMontréal) makes its in-person return on April 28^th – May 7^th. The SAFFMontréal is being “…presented by Kabir Centre for Arts & Culture, a charitable organization promoting various art forms and activities such as music, dance, cinema, literature and poetry…in collaboration with Bibliothèques de Saguenay with a nascent partnership with Cinémathèque Québécoise.”

**Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal:** **The festival is now in its 12th year with no signs of slowing down!** Photo Credit: www.saffm.centrekabir.com

Along with its partners, festival Director and Head of Programming, Syeda Nayab Bukhari, is thrilled about this year’s line-up of films, which includes 58 incredible films.

Did I mention that these films have all won awards?

You won’t want to miss out!

This year, the SAFFMontréal is being operated in a hybrid fashion, making catching one of the films possible, even if you’re not in Québec. Between April 28^th – May 7^th, 30 of the films will be available for festival-goers to attend in person “at the auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque and moves on to De Seve Cinema (Concordia) and to Cinémathèque.” The remaining 28 films will be available to viewers online between May 1^st – May 10^th to watch from the comfort of their homes, anywhere in the world!

As mentioned, the incredible roster of films includes submissions from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Norway, the Czech Republic, the UK, Canada, Iran and Türkiye, and the USA. What each film has in common is that they were carefully selected for the festival as they explore the South Asian region and its diaspora. As well, each film will be presented with English and French subtitles.

Here’s what to expect:

Since its inception in 2011, the film festival has continued to expand, and it has not gone unnoticed. For example, TK Raghunathan, the president of SAFFMontréal notes that “this important annual event is gaining wider audiences every year. We have now brought it forward from the greyness of late autumn to the cheer and light of the mid-spring season. Well-known filmmakers are eager to have their films shown here; our closing film Joyland was the first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival where it received a standing ovation, as well as the Jury Prize and Queer Palm prize for best LGBTQ-relevant film.”

How amazing is that?!

**Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal: This film needs to go to the top of your ‘must-watch’ list!** Photo Credit: www.saffm.centrekabir.com

In addition to an amazing closing film, the festival’s opening night film, All That Breathes, will air at the Grande Bibliothèque. The film is set in Delhi during what seems to be a catastrophic time and follows two brothers who are trying to save a precious bird, the Black Kite. The film was an award-winner both at Cannes and Sundance and an Oscar nominee. If the description alone wasn’t enough to entice you, this film (along with many others) is being shown for free!

**Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal: Be sure to check out this poetic film, which will be aired for free on the festival’s opening night!** Photo Credit: www.saffm.centrekabir.com

There will be panel discussions that will include filmmakers, experts, and some surprise guests who are coming into town just for this event. In particular, attendees can expect to see the fabulous Sivan Spector, Meghna Damani, and many other filmmakers take the stage to facilitate and participate in many of these important conversations. That said, the themes of these films are quite heavy but are presented in approachable and humourous ways that are intended to enable meaningful discussions about crucial topics in the South Asian community. For instance, the films will touch on various hot-button issues, such as immigration and displacement, LGBTQ+ issues, religious freedom, women’s rights, aging and the generation gap, the environment, gender parity, parenthood, various art forms and the struggles of rural life.

**Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal:** **Award-winning filmmaker, Meghan Damani, who made *Bajre Da Sitta*, will be in attendance!** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

Spector is the star of one of the more prominent films in the festival this year, Jhini Bini Chadariya, which won the Film Critics Circle of India Award at the New York Indian Film Festival 2022. The film explores the “…history of Hinduism and Islam,” according to IMDB.

**Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal: *Jhini Bini Chadariya (The Brittle Thread)* is another incredible film that you will not want to miss.** Photo Credit: www.saffm.centrekabir.com

Trust me when I say, don’t walk, run to your nearest device to book your tickets. For the complete list of films being featured this year and to secure your tickets, please visit SAFFMontreal.

Main Image Photo Credit: www.instagram.com

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Author

Devika (@goberdhan.devika) is an MA graduate who specialized in Political Science at York University. Her passion and research throughout her graduate studies pushed her to learn about and unpack hot button issues. Thus, since starting at ANOKHI in 2016, she has written extensively about many challe...

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Here’s Why You Can’t Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

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