SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — The 14th annual San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival will be held by 3rd i Nov. 10-13, Cupertino will play sister-city to the hosting on Nov. 19. Diya TV is a Grand Sponsor of the event.

Screenings will take place at San Francisco’s New People and Castro Theaters Nov. 10-13, the festival’s South Bay addition unfolds a week later on November 19th, at the BlueLight Cinema in Cupertino. Fifteen screenings will take place of narrative and documentary features and shorts by independent filmmakers from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora, including stories from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada, and the USA.

What once began as a three-day event back in 2003 now runs over five days in two separate editions. The audiences of the festival’s has grown, and diversified, over the years — not only does the festival receive a large amount of support from its desi audience, but it also has supporters from the diverse communities that make up the Bay Area tapestry. The festival’s focus this year on Diaspora seeks to present an expansive view on the immigrant experience.

 

Indie Narratives take brave risks and explore issues from madness to modernity, sex to social justice; 3rd i’s commitment to the celluloid celebration of Women’s Stories and Queer Voices continues as strong as ever; and Bay Area Filmmakers, shorts and documentaries are on the docket as always.

While all of the festival’s films are in the waiting, some of the screenings taking placed have been highly anticipated.

The World of Goopi and Bagha, one of the Castro Theater centerpiece films, will become the first animated film the festival has ever screened. The film, dedicated as part of the festival’s Focus on Women’s Stories series, is a remake of a Bengali children’s story. Shilpa Ranade, the filmmaker of the project, will attend the screening in person.

Khoya, which will screen at the Castro Theater on Nov. 12, is a drama by Sami Khan and is part of the festival’s Diaspora focus. The story tracks the journey of Rog, who travels back to India from Canada in search of his birthparents. Rupak Ginn, the lead actor in the film, and Khan will both attend the screening.

Ticket prices to the festival range between $10-$13, more information regarding purchase and festival details can be found here.

Diya TV is a sponsor to the event.