All Things South Asian From The Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival in New York City showcases a diverse selection of features, short films, TV, music, games, panel talks, and we are seeing a strong representation of the South Asian diaspora in this year’s selection. About eight films with South Asian American cast and crew are screened through the ongoing festival. Each of these curated films explores various issues and at large highlight, a potential shift being brought into the industry by the South Asian ensemble.
From a comedy-heist like “Four Samosas” by Ravi Kapoor to a documentary “An Act of Worship” by Nausheen Dadabhoy that peeks into the life and stories of Muslim Americans, South Asian films have found a place across categories. The other films include “Land of Gold,” “Coming Out With The Help of a Time Machine,” “Two Sisters and a Husband,” “Corner Office,” “Summer of Soul,” and “Untrapped” directed by Karam Gill. Touching upon the topics of acceptance of love, parent-child relationships, riveting family drama, to office satire are depicted through these films. But what is positively highlighted is the global reach for the South Asian stories and the willingness to look, learn, and understand our culture through this art on big screens. There are happy-go-lucky stories that will leave you with whole smiles and there are documentaries that will present the stark realities.
What’s more, ahead of the “Four Samosas” world premiere, tickets were sold out within 10 minutes! The film got another show due to popular demand. It once again shows how film junkies are ready to see the authenticity of South Asian American stories on the big screen, without getting lost in translation.
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It’s no less than a milestone in itself to have such South Asian representation at the reputed Tribeca Film Festival, that goes beyond the stereotypical roles written for our characters. Bollywood has been representing Indian cinema at large, but there is a lot more to the genre than the peppy song, dance, and drama.
This lineup of not one but eight South Asian films making it at a renowned film festival reveals an exciting time for other filmmakers. The 2022 Tribeca Film Festival began on June 8th and will go on till June 19th.
