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Tasveer Launches its first Event in India - Showcases Two powerhouse Oscar-Qualified Films in Mumbai India to host exclusive screenings of Holy Curse and Humans in the Loop, two critically acclaimed South Asian films running for the Oscars® Mumbai, 5th December, 2025: Tasveer, the world’s only Oscar®-qualifying South Asian film festival based out of Seattle, is bringing a special two-film showcase in Mumbai, launching its first event in India. Scheduled for 8th December 2025 at 6:30 PM, the event will feature two of its most acclaimed titles — Holy Curse, directed by Snigdha Kapoor, winner of the Tasveer Jury Award for Best Short Film 2024, and Humans in the Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, winner of the Tasveer Audience Choice Award 2025 and currently in contention for the Oscars®. Holy Curse is the second film to qualify for the Oscars® through Tasveer, which received its accreditation in 2023. This screening marks a cultural milestone for South Asian independent cinema, bridging the gap between the creatives of India and the world platform of the United States. Co-founded by Rita Meher, Tasveer has spent 23 years spotlighting South Asian narratives, identities, and unheard voices. What began as a post-9/11 initiative challenging stereotypes has evolved into a global platform that has showcased more than 8,000 films to date. Tasveer has supported emerging filmmakers ($368,000 from 2020-2025) through the Tasveer Film Fund in partnership with Netflix, and in recent years, launched the Tasveer Film Market, acknowledged as the Only South Asian-focused film market outside South Asia. Today, Tasveer collaborates with leading entertainment powerhouses, including Netflix, NBC Universal, Amazon, MGM, WME, CAA, Waititi Productions, and others, strengthening its presence in the global independent film ecosystem. In addition to platforming new talent, Tasveer has also acquired its own theatre space that will support independent cinema with access and distribution. Tasveer is now recognised as the first organisation of colour to own a theatre in the United States, addressing long-standing inequity in access to arts infrastructure. “Stories heal, and to be able to tell those stories truthfully is revolutionary. We provide that safe space to Indian filmmakers. Our films carry courage, conflict, softness, and truth,” Rita Meher, Founder and Executive Director, Tasveer, said. “We are bringing them to Mumbai not as a full festival yet, but as an invitation, a conversation, and the beginning of a deeper cultural exchange. We hope this opens new pathways for Indian independent cinema to reach international audiences and global stages.” Representing India at the showcase, Aranya Sahay, Director of Humans in the Loop, added, “Independent filmmaking takes heart, risk, and relentlessness. Spaces like this allow films that might not find traditional commercial platforms to breathe and be seen. We are honoured to screen Humans in the Loop alongside Holy Curse, and deeply grateful to Tasveer for championing stories like ours.” Shivam Gupta, Producer, Casting Director and Partner for the Mumbai Showcase, added, “Being part of the Tasveer Film Festival in the U.S. this year was a deeply inspiring experience the energy, the curation, and the space it creates for South Asian filmmakers is exceptional. Bringing Tasveer to Mumbai in this way feels like the start of something much larger.”