CHICAGO (Diya TV) — The 15th edition of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival was held in downtown Chicago to mark another year of growth in South Asian cinema. This festival has become a prominent platform to represent the creativity and vast storytelling of filmmakers from South Asia and its diaspora and has long been sponsored by Diya TV.
The world premiere of Boman Irani’s directorial debut, The Mehta Boys, opened the festival with a glamorous red carpet event from where it then screened into the course of a 48-hour odyssey an intricately crafted relationship between father and son, featuring Avinash Tiwary and Shreya Chaudhry with Irani. The rest of the weekend promised much, as high-profile premieres and cultural exchange events formed a highlight-filled agenda.
A Q&A session followed, where Irani and the film’s team revealed insights into the making of The Mehta Boys and creative inspirations. Other notable films were Namak, a short film directed by Abhiruchi Chand and featuring Bollywood stars Divya Dutta and Vijay Maurya, which screened on the opening night.
Four years since its establishment in 2010, CSAFF has become one of the premier film and arts festivals screening feature-length, as well as short films that celebrate the diversity of South Asian experiences in the US. This year’s festival features panel discussions, masterclasses, and a bridge of cultural narratives between South Asia and the wider world.