Seattle, Washington, USA: Four Indian-origin filmmakers have been awarded the 2025 Tasveer Film Fund grants, each securing $35,000 to create short films that spotlight lesser-told South Asian stories.
The grants are part of a collaborative initiative between Tasveer, a Seattle-based arts nonprofit, and Netflix, aimed at elevating diverse creative voices through structured mentorship and year-long guidance.
This year’s selected filmmakers are Andrea Drepaul (Rising Tide), Kavita Parekh (Mother Tongue), Priyanka Shailendra (Petticoat), and Gayatri Everitt Bajpai (Wellness). Their films collectively explore themes of family strain, shifting identities, and emotional conflict within South Asian communities.
Now entering its sixth year, the Tasveer Film Fund supports creators from script development all the way through final production. Executive director and co-founder Rita Meher emphasised the significance of the chosen projects, describing them as bold, intimate narratives that reflect universal human experiences. She added that Netflix’s continued partnership helps amplify fresh storytelling perspectives.
Drepaul’s Rising Tide tells the story of a pregnant Indo-Guyanese Canadian woman who must face her estranged father, setting off both physical and spiritual consequences. Parekh’s Mother Tongue depicts a daughter struggling to communicate with her Punjabi-speaking mother as Alzheimer’s deteriorates their bond.
Shailendra’s Petticoat follows a young woman who responds to family challenges with a decisive and emotionally charged act of self-expression. In Wellness, Bajpai portrays siblings visiting their father at a silent retreat, where his divorce papers unexpectedly disturb the peaceful environment.
Tasveer, known for promoting social awareness through film, also hosts the Oscar-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival and Market, where these funded projects are expected to premiere in October 2026. Previous recipients have screened globally and attracted distribution opportunities.
A jury of prominent industry members—including Bilal Sami, Ramfis Myrthil, Nekissa Cooper, Smriti Mundhra, and Anushree Shukla—reviewed the submissions. The program is managed by Uzma Khan and Anushree Shukla, with a focus on narrative shorts that push boundaries and elevate underrepresented creative voices.
For the 2024 cycle, Tasveer received more than 500 entries and awarded $228,000 in total funding. Notably, 60% of the selected works were directed by women or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
