TASVEER FILM FUND

The Tasveer Film Fund supports groundbreaking original short films that the perspective of untold South Asian stories. As the first-ever dedicated grant towards the perspectives of South Asian stories, the fund plays a pivotal role in nurturing bold, authentic, and socially impactful storytelling.

Why Tasveer Film Fund?
Representation matters! Mainstream media often fails to accurately reflect the diversity of South Asian experiences, leaving vital stories untold. Tasveer Film Fund seeks to bridge this gap by empowering storytellers to share nuanced perspectives that challenge stereotypes, inspire empathy, and spark meaningful dialogue.

What We Offer

Since its inception in 2020, Tasveer Film Fund has supported 15 projects, showcasing their work at international festivals like Tribeca and beyond.

Eligibility:
Open to filmmakers residing in the U.S. or Canada with a short film scripts rooted in South Asian stories.

Materials to Submit:
Final script, line-item budget (within $35K), lookbook/pitch deck, director’s background, and a short note on why you’re great to work with.

How to Apply

Submit your application via FilmFreeway by August 5, 2025. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Production Timeline:

Date Milestone
August 5, 2025 Application Deadline
Late August 2025 9 Finalists Selected
October 7–10, 2025 Live Pitch at Tasveer Film Market in Seattle
Mid-October 2025 4 Grant Winners Announced – Each receives $35,000
November 2025 Grant Disbursement + Kickoff Call with Tasveer & Industry Mentors
Nov 2025 – Jan 2026 Pre-production (casting, scheduling, crew hiring)
Feb – March 2026 Principal Photography
March – April 2026 Post-Production (editing, sound, color grading, fine cut)
April 10, 2026 Film Cut Submitted to Netflix for Review
May 15, 2026 Final Film Delivery to Tasveer
October 2026 World Premiere at Tasveer Film Festival 2026

Join Us in Shaping the Future of South Asian Cinema
If you want to create a fund for filmmakers based on a theme, please contact tff@tasveer.org.

Rules & Regulations

Applicants to the Tasveer Film Fund must meet the following requirements:
Story Perspective: Projects must be rooted in or reflect narratives from South Asia or its diaspora, centering South Asian experiences, themes, or characters.
Filmmaker Experience: Applicants should have mid-level experience — having directed or produced at least one short film prior to applying.
Script Requirement: A completed short film script is required at the time of submission.
Residency: Open to residents of the United States and Canada only.
Inclusivity: We welcome filmmakers of all ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, and religions whose work aligns with the fund’s mission to support South Asian stories.

From a pool of exceptional submissions, nine finalists will be selected to pitch their short film projects live at the Tasveer Film Market in Seattle, taking place October 8–10, 2025. A jury of industry professionals will select four winning projects to receive the enhanced grant and bring their bold stories to life.

Must submit one combined PDF
(a) Screenplay (Complete, first draft is fine)
(b) Pitch Deck with
-Logline
-Short Synopsis
-Long Synopsis
-Director’s Bio
-Director’s Statement
-Visual and Treatment Note, or LookBook
-Estimated Budget Top Sheet
-Partners attached (optional)
-Talent attached (optional)

TASVEER FILM FUND WINNERS

2024

Karan Sunil
YAKSHI by Karan Sunil

Karan Sunil is an Indian-American writer and director based in LA. His heist comedy feature, THE FAMILY JEWELS, is being produced by Invention Studios and he is also currently writing a comedy feature for Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media.

In television, Karan has developed a comedy pilot for Hulu and Lionsgate TV based on his hit web series CODE-SWITCHED which he wrote and directed.

He has also developed a dark comedy pilot for Sony Pictures Television. Karan was a 2020 Film Independent Project Involve Writing Fellow and has previously written humor for The New Yorker and McSweeney’s. Having immigrated from India as a young boy, Karan uses genre storytelling to reflect the humor and pain that come from characters caught between different worlds.

He is a graduate of DePaul University with a BA in Digital Cinema & Television Writing.

Moitri Ghosh
BY DESIGN by Moitri Ghosh

Moitri Ghosh is an Indian-born, Atlanta-based director raised in India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the US. Driven by her fascination with human behaviour and visual aesthetics, Moitri studied

Psychology and Graphic Design at Smith College.
At Ogilvy advertising, Moitri climbed the physical production ladder to line producer before transitioning to creative producing for clients such as IBM, American Express, and Comcast. Moitri directed internal videos ranging from pitches for prospective clients to pro bono clients.

At MasterClass, Moitri produced five classes and creative-produced over a dozen class trailers. After she directed b-roll for classes and art directed a trailer, Moitri decided to transition careers to directing.
Moitri developed and followed a self-guided curriculum based on the top film schools. She studied screenwriting, joined acting studios, and took directing workshops under the tutelage of Mary Lou Belli, Bethany Rooney, Lesli Linka Glatter, Rachel Raimist, Peter Werner, Geary McLeod, and John David Coles. During COVID, she remotely directed a narrative short. Moitri co-directed the Mashama Bailey multicam cooking MasterClass and directed the Joan Benoit multicam running MasterClass. She was a semifinalist for the AFI DWW+ 2023-2024 program, and then she was selected as an Alternate for the AFI DWW+ 2024-2025 program. Her narrative short “Choose You” is in post-production. She is fundraising for her next short “By Design” to shoot this fall. Most recently, Moitri completed a virtual shadow with DGA television director Mary Lou Belli where she shot listed an entire episode, storyboarded action sequences, simulated meetings, and presented overheads for select scenes.

Meera Joshi
THE SALE by Meera Joshi

Meera Angelica Joshi is a filmmaker and documentarian who loves to investigate our connection to each other and the planet through her work. She was born in New Zealand, raised in Australia and moved to New York City to study film at NYU.

Driven by her curious spirit, Meera has made short films with farmers in the Andes of Peru and entrepreneurial villagers in India. Her short films have aired on Australian television, been featured in the New York Times and have played at film festivals internationally.

Meera uses skills honed from documentary filmmaking when crafting her scripted projects, thoughtfully researching protagonists with different lived experiences than her own and bringing their voice into every project she writes.

Meera has worked with large companies such as Google and Bloomberg as well as small businesses. She strongly believes in the power of community and has been an active member of collectives including Pano, WOCU, Kalakars and the Pan Asian Screen Collective. She currently produces and directs commercial, narrative and documentary projects for Darling Street Pictures

2023

1016 TSV23 Film Fund Winners 01 2
Documentary
Yatra by Hemal Trivedi

Haunted by her mother’s death, a young Indian-American doctor journeys back to India to find meaning. While there, an unexpected encounter with a young indigenous girl makes her confront her past and question her future.

1016 TSV23 Film Fund Winners 2
SHORT NARRATIVE
CHANNEL BIBI by Rajan Gill

CHANNEL BIBI, a narrative short, explores generational trauma in a fantastical world of Hashtags, Followers, and Influencer-Status. When a lonely grandmother becomes an internet sensation on YouTube, she questions whether her online fans can replace her distant family.

1016 TSV23 Film Fund Winners 04 2
LGBTQIA+ Short
Me and My Guardian Angel by Ibrahim Rana

Amidst the eerie silence of night, Yassin faces a life-altering decision at a desolate bus stop. But fate takes an unexpected turn, propelling him and his resolute cousin Ayesha into a relentless quest for justice against an unforgivable injustice.

2022

Hena Ashraf 2022
NARRATIVE FEATURE
HOMES by Hena Ashraf ($15K)

A woman with severe OCD is forced to examine why a sense of “home” is beyond her control.

Saif Jan 2021
LGBTQIA+ SHORT
Shams by Saif Jan ($10K)

When, Mustafa, the Imam of a mosque in rural Florida learns that a young trans man has been praying in the men’s section of the mosque, the Imam faces a moral and ethical crisis of faith as he decides if his loyalty is to uphold the established values of his mosque or to protect this trans man’s safety and spiritual belonging.

Angbeen Saleem 2022
NARRATIVE SHORT
BILLO RANI by Angbeen Saleem ($10K)

When Hafsa, a sparkly and impulsive 12-year-old girl, is made aware of her unibrow at Islamic Sunday School in a lesson on “cleanliness”, her chatty and aunty-like eyebrows come to life and begin to speak to her.

2021

Mukesh Kumar 2021
SHORT FILM
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT by Mukesh Kumar
Amritpal Kaur 2021
LGBTQ+ SHORT FILM
ZINDAGI DOBARA by Amritpal Kaur
Citizen Khan 2021
DOCUMENTARY
CITIZEN KHAN by San-a Malik & Kha-ula Malik
Kalyan Sura 2021
SHORT FILM
Dos Bros Force By Kalyan Sura

2020

Naman Gupta 2020
SHORT FILM
COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE by NAMAN GUPTA

FAQs

Filmmakers must present perspectives from South Asian Stories.

Submitted scripts are reviewed anonymously by partners and films professionals. 9 shortlisted finalists will their projects at the Tasveer Film Market, between the dates Oct 7-12th, at Seattle.
Winners receive mentorship throughout the pre-production, production,
and distribution phases. This includes guidance on story development, budgeting,
scheduling, casting, and more.
If you are a mid-level experienced filmmaker living in the US & Canada you are eligible to apply for the Tasveer Film Fund. Short film scripts which present perspectives of South Asian stories that are honest, unique, and emotionally universal will be considered strong submissions.
South Asia refers to the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. South Asian refers to anyone who belongs to these countries or has a lineage and heritage from this region.
No. You can apply for other grants and resources to complete your film if necessary.
No, you need to have a new script not in production to be eligible for the Tasveer Film Fund.
At least one member of the team must be present during the pitch session, which is scheduled to occur from October 7 to 10, 2025, at the Tasveer Film Market in Seattle.
Yes, you can make as many submissions to each category of Tasveer Film Fund. Each submission will be considered an individual entry and will require a submission fee.

Please Note: The LGBTQIA+ category is open only to filmmakers who identify as LGBTQIA+.

Yes, you can shoot partially in South Asia, if it balances with your budget. However it is required to shoot part of the film in North America.
Tasveer will offer the following resources to our winners:

You will have access to 25 hours of training and mentorship from Tasveer, dedicated to bring your project to life.
We will help you network with the film community to get the resources you need to complete your film.
There will be a dedicated session about the best way to distribute your film.
Your film will premiere at our 2024 Tasveer Film Festival.

Script submitted must be at most 20 pages long for Short Film, written in standard script format.
For short films, we fund projects from the pre-production stage.
Scripts must be submitted in English, even if they might be shot in another language. Filmmakers must be based in the US & Canada and with a US or Canadian bank account to receive funds.
The script/story cannot discriminate against people of any background, ethnicity, religion, race, sexuality, or gender.
Filmmakers must include an estimated top-sheet production budget and indicate how the funds will be utilized.
Submission fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the submission.
No. Your submission fee is a one-time fee and it is non-refundable.
While we deeply empathize with your situation as a struggling filmmaker, we are unable to grant a waiver for the submission fee. We believe in maintaining a fair and standard process for all applicants. We encourage you to still consider applying and we appreciate your understanding in this matter.
You will retain the copyrights. Tasveer will have production credit.
Yes, at the film summit you will have access to distributors. And as a part of the mentorship, we will introduce you to distributors.

SPONSORS