International South Asian Film Festival Canada

While we weren’t able to attend in person, the festival ran smoothly from our perspective. Good communication and a lineup we were proud to be part of.

t was an honor to have my film Chasing Red Flags screen at ISAFF. This was one of the best festival experiences I’ve had so far. The programming team curated an exceptional lineup of films with great diversity and depth, creating a space that truly celebrates independent voices. The events and panels were thoughtfully designed, insightful, engaging, and valuable for filmmakers at any stage. The team was incredibly warm, communicative, and organized throughout the process, making me feel supported every step of the way. As an alum, it was my first time attending the screening in person, and the sense of community and celebration made it all the more special. I would absolutely love to keep returning and highly recommend ISAFF to any filmmaker looking for a meaningful and inspiring festival experience.

I have been attending ISAFF for the past few years and it continues to be one of the most inspiring festivals around. My short film was part of ISAFF last year and this year my documentary screened here, both experiences have been incredible. ISAFF has truly been a strong supporter and believer in South Asian cinema, stories, and creators. Every year the festival keeps growing and setting new standards, not just with the quality of films that premiere but also through its amazing networking events, panels, and galas. I am deeply honored to have our documentary included this year and especially love how ISAFF celebrates both emerging voices and established veterans in the industry. Getting to see and listen to Deepa Mehta this year was an unforgettable highlight. I am already looking forward to next year’s festival.

My narrative short Cow Heavy And Floral had its international premiere at iSAFF and it was truly a fantastic experience overall. This festival gets 12/10 for putting filmmakers, hospitality and curation top of mind. The films were exceptional in quality - I loved every single film my short was programmed with, that's always a good feeling. Their Industry Day events were fantastic too. I made such good connections with so many established and emerging filmmakers and the entire time there was a lovely feeling of warmth and hospitality. Also, their red carpet gala is really fancy (note to self: dress better next time!). I would like to attend this festival even when my films aren't programmed, I enjoyed it that much. Thank you again Mannu, Panzy, Pulkit, Pallavi, Keertana, Anisha, Hasnain, Roshni, Priyanka, Nikit and all the volunteers for making me and my work feel so appreciated!!

Great festival, programming team, filmmakers, quality of films. We had our Canadian premiere for The Last Resort (doc short) here, and I felt a lot of thought was put behind the curation of the whole festival, the special events, engaging audiences and community. The films themselves were all considered thoughtfully and every program had so much to offer. The team behind the festival is so personable and welcoming, you can tell they work well together and really enjoy putting this festival together -- it has a lot of heart. As someone who makes work primarily about the South Asian diasporic experience, I felt like this was a great place to premiere our film.