Oscar-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival and Market to open with Pakistani film Wakhri

The only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival in the world, Tasveer Film Festival and Market (TFFM), will kick off on October 15 with Pakistani film Wakhri and Indian film Loop Line.

TFFM is the first and only South Asian film festival whose winning films are eligible for the Academy Awards. The highly anticipated 19th edition of the festival is set to make history this year at Seattle Center, according to Times of India, by launching North America’s first-ever global film market dedicated to South Asian filmmakers.

TFFM announced its plans for the opening night of its 2024 run on its website. “Get ready for a night of cinematic magic at our film festival kickoff!” it declared. “Start with an exclusive red carpet reception — walk the carpet, snap photos, and soak up the glamour. Then, dive into the films Loop Line and Wakhri at the iconic PACCAR IMAX Theatre,” the announcement added.

An engaging Q&A with the cast and crew of Wakhri is set to follow with filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal and producer Abid Aziz Merchat being there to answer the audience’s questions.

Post-film, festival organisers will serve “delicious Pakistani food, a special reception dinner,” and follow that up with performances by South Asian DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid.

Wakhri, directed and co-produced by Bilal, stars Faryal Mehmood as a widowed school teacher who goes viral on social media.

The film was inspired by the life of late social media personality Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered in 2016. It had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 and was released in Pakistani theatres in January 2024.

Other films to be screened at the festival include The Umesh Chronicles — starring Amitabh Bachchan and the late Irrfan Khan’s son Babil — A Nice Indian Boy, All We Imagine as Light, and a plethora of queer and feminist films.