MISAFF: NEW VOICES IN SOUTH ASIAN CINEMA

March 23 – 26: 40 films, an exciting program of industry events and the return of the MISAFF Star award

Celebrating its 10th edition, Canada’s leading South Asian film festival, the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) make its return in person at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre and the Cineplex Square One Cinemas.

The festival’s opening night red carpet gala film will be the North American premiere of the Pakistani drama film Kamli which revolves around the intertwining stories of three women and their restrained desires. Directed by Sarmad Khoosat, and featuring Pakistan’s leading actresses Saba Qamar (Hindi Medium), Sania Saeed (Joyland) and Nimra Bucha (Ms Marvel). The evening will feature a Q&A with acclaimed actress Sania Saeed in attendance.

This year, the festival will showcase 40 films from Canada, India, USA, Pakistan, UK, and Bangladesh including eight feature films, four documentaries and 28 shorts.

Highlights include the Canadian premieres of Sanaa directed by Sudhanshu Saria, about an ambitious young woman who is raging against an internal battle that is rooted in unhealed trauma.

Kuldip Patel’s Powai, a triptych of stories about three women from diverse socio-economic backgrounds living in the titular developing suburb of Mumbai. As they struggle to realize their aspirations and claim their autonomy in a fast-changing, male-dominated, chaotic and often unforgiving urban landscape, their lives intersect in small, unexpected ways.

The Balochi language film Doda about a former boxer DODA from a small town directed by Adil Hussain Bizanjo. 

Hawa by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon from Bangladesh depicts the journey of men on a fishing trawler, where the mystery of life and relationships gets re-interpreted when they catch a beautiful and mysterious young girl.

Shankar’s Fairies, directed by by Irfana Majumdar is a slice-of-life movie set in rural 1960s India. It revolves around Shankar, the servant in the household of a middle-class Indian family.

The festival will also feature the Oscar shortlisted Pakistani film Joyland directed by Saim Sadiq about the severe patriarch of the middle-class Rana family who wants his children to give him a grandson

The closing night film will be What’s Love Got To Do With It directed by Shekhar Kapoor. Set between London and Lahore, a filmmaker documents her childhood friend and neighbour’s arranged marriage to a bride from Pakistan. The film stars Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson, Indian parallel cinema diva Shabana Azmi and beloved British star Lily James.

“MISAFF brings daring films to Canada and offers them the spotlight on the silver screen in Mississauga,” said Festival Director Arshad Khan. “The Festival introduces new voices that reflect new ideas in our communities. Cinema has been a catalyst for change and the programming at MISAFF reflects the daring spirit of today’s South Asian filmmakers.”

There’s also an exciting selection of feature documentaries including the award-winning To Kill A Tiger by Nisha Pahuja, While We Watched by Vinay Shukla, Exegesis: A Love Story by Qais Pasha and Marginalizing Minorities by Dipti Gupta. The festival is also hosting 12 Canadian short films including the world premiere of The Love We Made directed by V.T. Nayani.

MISAFF will also host an exciting program of industry events including Instagram Conversations With Filmmakers facilitated by the On Canada Project, MISAFF Chat with the creators and cast of the hit new television show Bollywed in partnership with CBC and the announcement of the 2023 MISAFF Star presented by ACTRA Diversity.

Full list of films and the schedule at www.MISAFF.com.