The sixteenth annual Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) will take place in Chicago from September 14 through September 21, 2025. Like every year, the Festival is geared to provide South Asian talent, stories and themes a world platform.
Founded in 2010, and organized by the non-profit organization; Chicago South Asian Arts Council, Inc; CSAFF is dedicated to promoting diversity in the Chicago area through international cinema, conversation and culture, according to its website.
The Festival has gained valuable support over the years from Chicago’s local administration, cultural institutions and the South Asian community. These include the support of Chicago’s Mayor, the City Film Office, City Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Consulate General of India in Chicago, the Consulate General of Pakistan in Chicago, Chicago Sister Cities, the City of Evanston, educational institutions and industry representatives.
The Festival’s format consists of premier screenings of films, panel discussions, speaker series, workshops, film awards, receptions, after parties and networking events for filmmakers, film crews, and filmgoers.
Films featured in the Festival fall into five different categories, including Fiction Feature Film of more than 30 minutes, Fiction Short Film of less than 30 minutes, Documentary Feature Film of more than 30 minutes, Documentary Short Films of less than 30 minutes, and Episodes of multi episode web series, docuseries or limited series. All the films at the 2025 Festival were completed within two years of the festival date, thus made since 2023 till date.
The Festival includes films from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and Tibet as South Asian films. All the films shown at the Festival present South Asian content from any of the countries, topics, themes or have producers, directors, screenwriters, composers or actors of South Asian heritage. This protocol is not binding to Chicago based and international student filmmakers.
The Festival organizing committee includes Festival Director Jigar Shah, Co-Founder and Board Member Ketki Parikh, Co-Founder and Board Member Amit Rana and Board Member Arup Raha, Operations Specialist Anup Gurnani, Marketing and Technology Specialist Rahul Rana and Public Relations Specialist Sonya Sachdeva. Aparna Sen, Shabana Azmi, Lillete Dubey, Vishal Bhardwaj and Bhawana Somaaya are the noted film personalities making the Honorary Board.
More than 110 film entries have been received this year including political and family dramas, comedies, verité films that follow organizers and climate storytellers, intimate stories of love and loss, and animation and experimental shorts, according to the website.
Of these, over 60 films will have Midwest and Chicago premiers, more than 20 films will have premier in US and North America and over 15 films will have World premiers.
In a first, CSAFF has collaborated with India’s Jio Studios with the official selection of three of its upcoming films, Ghamasaan, Saali Mohabbat and Bun Tikki at the festival. The films will be featured in a specially curated section From India to the World. This section brings together three distinct genre films that, when seen together, offer a textured and layered portrait of India. From its deep rural roots to the complexities of its cities, these films reflect the vast spectrum of Indian ethos, resilience, and evolving identity, the press release said.
Films will be screened at two different locations, the Matrix Club at 808 Illinois Route 59 in Naperville, IL 60540 and the AMC River East 21 at 322 East Illinois Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Films in Fiction series, feature and short, include some remarkable and new films by promising filmmakers. These include, to name a few, The Bird Ek Thi Chidiya in Hindi; Chashma in Hindi; Obsolete in Marathi and English; DreamHotline in English, Gujarati and Marathi; Famished in English and Sinhala; The Cycle in Hindi and Punjabi; Red Lavender in English, Tamil and Sinhala; Elijah in Bengali and English, portraying a variety of cultures and languages. Documentary features and shorts include The Caste Rush, Love Chaos Kin, Rhythm of a Flower, A Fly on the Wall and more.
Opening Night: Saali Mohabbat • Centerpiece: Ghamasaan • Marquee Film: Bun Tikki Closing Night: Pinch
19th September – Opening Night – Saali Mohabbat
The festival launches with Saali Mohabbat, this powerful drama marks Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut, a film that unfolds on the shifting border between rural and urban India, where a woman from a small town reclaims against the backdrop of domestic violence and betrayal. The ensemble cast features Radhika Apte, Anshumaan Pushkar, Dibyendu Ganguly and Anurag Kashyap. Saali Mohabbat is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and marks the production debut of celebrated fashion stylist-turned-producer Manish Malhotra.
20th September – Centerpiece – Ghamasaan
Taking center stage is Ghamasaan, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ghamasaan takes us to the country’s heartland with a tense rural thriller that speaks to India’s roots and the rise of a young nation still negotiating with its past. The film stars Pratik Gandhi, Arshad Warsi and Ishita Dutta in pivotal roles. Ghamasaan is produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Piiyush Singh, Ashwini Chaudhary, Abhayanand Singh, and Saurabh Gupta.
21st September – Marquee Film – Bun Tikki
Chosen as the Marquee Film before the Closing Night, Bun Tikki is a poignant drama moves us to urban India, capturing the confusions, tenderness, and quiet courage of a young child and those around him as they grapple with questions of identity. The film stars legends Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman with Abhay Deol alongside and Nushrratt Bharuccha and Rohaan Singh. Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, Marijke DeSousa and Manish Malhotra, Bun Tikki also marks the feature film debut of director, Faraz Arif Ansari.
Closing Night – Pinch
CSAFF concludes with the darkly comic and deeply moving Pinch, written, directed, produced, and headlined by Uttera Singh. Following its acclaimed world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Pinch arrives in Chicago as one of the most anticipated independent films of the year. The story follows Maitri, a travel blogger whose world is upended by a personal violation during a festival, forcing her to confront guilt, trauma, and ultimately her own power. Singh’s fearless vision makes for a fitting and unforgettable closing night.
