Filmi 23!
Filmi Toronto’s South Asian Film Festival – 23 Years!
December 6th – 7th, 2025
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21st Filmi: Toronto’s South Asian film festival
Harbourfront Centre
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0 Haraamkhor
OPENING NIGHT FILM
TORONTO PREMIERE
Haraamkhor (English: The Wretched)
FILMI 2015
OPENING NIGHT FILM
TORONTO PREMIERE
Haraamkhor (English: The Wretched)
Tickets on Sale NOW!
http://tinyurl.com/p3n54dw
The story is about Shyam (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), and complications around his extramarital affair with his young student, Sandhya (Shweta Tripathi). This relationship is set against the foil of Sandhya’s classmates- Mintu (Mohd Samad) and Kamal’s (Irfan Khan) friendship. Kamal is in love with Sandhya.
Haraamkhor was priemered in 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) and Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Nawazuddin Siddiqui received the Best Actor award for the film at the New York Indian Film Festival
TRAILER
http://tinyurl.com/o7zuqr5
0 My Hot Mom Gandhi
My Hot Mom Gandhi
‘MY HOT MOM GANDHI’
A diasporic desi couple imagines what it would be like to wear politically sensitive
Halloween costumes at a house party in San Francisco.
SYNOPSIS
Partners in antics and life, Shane and Reena drive around the streets of San Francisco
talking about politics and what to be for Halloween. Driven by a desire to share Indian
history and their political views, each costume scenario is tested out on party goers.
The costume choices touch upon sensitive issues such as political assassinations,
white privilege, and drone strikes.
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0 A Silent Treatment
A Silent Treatment
Using modern day technology, a couple silently resolves their differences.
Director: Ash Varma
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0 Onto Us
Onto Us
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0 Aloo Tikki
Aloo Tikki
Director: Ash Varma
Synopsis:
A couple’s conversation over Aaloo Tikki (Potato Patty) on a Sunday afternoon.
Akash is looking for answers from his long time girlfriend (Neha), more specifically to his marriage proposal.
In a beautiful restaurant, Neha teaches him the true meaning of being in a relationship.
Watch this conversation unfold.
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0 A Disappearance
0 Licks
Licks
Director: Jazz Virk
A young couple is having a fun night out in the back of a 1968 Chevelle SS 320. A strange sound is heard by EVE and her boyfriend ADAM goes to investigate. After a long silence… The Crazed Lunatic whose name is known as PREACHER appears and hunts down ADAM.
EVE helpless in the convertible car, tries to escape only to find out that all the exits have been sealed off by PREACHER. ADAM’s neck has been slit and EVE is finally tackled down and mounted by PREACHER. He takes out his dagger and goes for the kill, but EVE transforms into a VAMPIRE and throws PREACHER to the ground. She mounts him and bites him in the neck turning him into the only thing he’s hated his whole life; a VAMPIRE.
EVE takes off in the car and leaves before the sun rises. PREACHER kneels down and LICKS up all the blood of ADAM because he has turned into a full out VAMPIR
Still Attached
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0 Deadline Dawn
Deadline Dawn
Stuck late at the office, four co-workers at an advertising agency mistakenly resurrect an evil spirit that threatens to keep them from meeting their boss’ unfeasible deadline.
Elvis Deane does a lot of different things. He scribbles in notebooks, makes cartoons, and always has at least one camera with him. He has written a novel, Pistachio the Tyrant, and has directed a feature film, Separation Anxiety (2014). His short films include Deadline Dawn (2015), Faithful (2012), and Victoria (2011). Across All Galaxies, a feature film concept that he shepherded, made it into the Final 5 of the 2015 CineCoup Film Accelerator.
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0 SUN
SUN
A mother and her teenage son, Chandni and Aman, each try to find their own way of living with their
alcoholic and abusive husband/father Sunny. Chandni, at all costs, protects her son from her husband’s
wrath but she soon discovers that she has failed. With little hope left for living a normal life with Sunny,
Chandni makes a difficult decision to salvage what’s left of their family and Aman’s well-being. Sunny
comes home to an unexpected and unwelcome surprise while Chandni hopes her actions will lead to a
better future for her and Aman, but little does she know it’s already too late.
Director – HARMINDER PHULL
Harminder has spent the last five years honing his skills as a screenwriter. His directorial debut was in
2013 with his film Baggage, the story of a lonely south asian truck driver who makes a difficult and
dangerous decision to smuggle drugs and send money back home. Baggage went on to premiere at the
Punjabi International Film Festival 2013 and played in festivals in both New York and San Francisco. SUN
is Harminder’s second film as both writer and director.
CAST
MINDY SHOKAR as Chandni
SACHIN MAHASHI as Sunny
JAHAAN CHECHI as Aman
SID SAWANT as Older Aman
SERGE SAHOTA as Randip the Mechanic
CREW
KEVIN RASMUSSEN – Director of Photography
IMRAN ANSARI – Assistant Director / Script Supervisor
THOM VAREY – Sound Supervisor / Audio Recording & Mixing / Additional Music Recording
VIRINDER PAUL SINGH – Python Wrangler
MANVIR RAI – Composer
SARAH MILK – Make Up
MARIANA DELANCEY – Make Up
PREET SIAN – Wardrobe
HARPREET PHULL – Production Assistant
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0 Bonjour Ji
Bonjour Ji
Duration : 15:40 minutes
Website: http://bonjourthemovie.com
Bonjour Ji is a short film that shows that the assumptions we keep about other races, religions
and cultures decide our interaction with them. Bonjour Ji asserts that our behavior driven by
assumptions is the real reason such assumptions grow and spread. Bonjour Ji revolves around
two characters who feel sidelined by each other’s community. But when they meet, they realize
how a change in their perspective on other people can drive different behavior out of the same
people.
Director’s statement
In short span of my life time, I have traveled as much as a man in my capacity could afford. I was
born in Punjab, India and like my forefathers I probably could have spent my entire life in my
native village, if I wasn’t curious. My first out-of-home experience happened when I went to an
Engineering College in Maharashtra, a state far from my home. Sardar jokes were the first
cultural shock I had. Being a Sikh boy, it did hurt and soon I realized that when people look at
you they look at all the tags you come with. Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Jatt, Punjabi, Bengali etc.
After 13 years of my stint with Engineering, I have lived in multiple cities of 3 continents and
worked with clients from almost all major ethnicities. Despite of having absolutely no personal
experience of interacting with people from other religions, races and/or countries, I have been
fascinated with how we pre-judge others solely based on those ‘tags’. I have been guilty of this
and I am ashamed of that.
Bonjour Ji is my first short film as a director. I wanted to convey that when we don’t keep any
assumptions; our experiences can be very different from the popular beliefs. Although my film
has a Sikh lead but it’s not a religiously oriented film, neither it is a cultural film. This film is
about a day of two characters, one happens to be Sikh and the other one is French. I chose
these ethnicities because I have seen their social dilemma up close.
Despite of not knowing French, I chose French to be the language of the film. I wanted to stay
close the place where my film happens. I wrote my script in English and then got it translated in
French keeping the context and local dialect in view. It was hard to direct my French actors but I
wanted to explore the film just like my viewers would when they would see the film.
Credit List
Script, Direction, Editing: Satinder Kassoana
Story: Satinder Kassoana, Rup Magon, Surjit Pahwa
Executive Producer: Surjit Singh Pahwa
Cinematographer: Robert Rioux
Sound Recordist: Christian Olsen
Cast
Rup Magon, Benjamin Meneghini, Alice Tixidre, Kenny Wong, Mark Aylward, Srishtie Banga,
Astrida Auza, Simon Belanger, Manveer Singh, Daphnee Duval, Satinder Kassoana, Joan
Gosselin, Cindy Piché Bernier, Sabrina Djoghlaf, Tiffany Lu, Yan Nie, Karine Turcot
Short bios of cast and crew could be found on http://bonjourthemovie.com/cast-crew/.
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0 Vishal
Director: Sumit Judge
Synopsis
Vishal, a 22-year old international student, finds himself in a dingy, crowded suburban basement, trying
to determine how he can balance work and school. Engrossed with his longing for home, and his inability
to confess to his mother the hardships he suffers daily, Vishal is persuaded by his roommate Sourav to
skip school and start work at an Indian restaurant. The chaos, and the workers remind of home, but also
foreshadow what life can and probably will be for the next few years. His conversation with Dev during a
delivery run disheartens him, as Dev’s comfort with living a life of limbo seems more normal than
unnatural. An incident at work further reaffirms the doubts he has of studying in Canada, away from
home.
Biographies
Sumit Judge, writer/co-director/actor
First-time filmmaker, incorporating his political science background with film to make works that
introduce the mainstream to issues previously neglected. An activist with a pen and a vision.
Ralph Ortega, co-director/producer
Graduated from Toronto Film School and currently working in children’s television production. All I
want to do in life is tell stories, and what better way to do that than through a collective medium that is
film.
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0 Besharam/Shameless
Besharam/Shameless
Synopsis-
Besharam ( bay.shar.um ) in South Asian languages means Shameless and it is used in a
negative way to describe someone who acts indecently by the way they dress, speak or
behave. That all changed 10 years ago when a group organized the biggest South Asian LGBT
party night in North America called Besharam. People from all backgrounds, ages and sexual
orientations come and express their true selves without worrying about being judged. The
connecting element for the party goers is Bollywood music. Besharam has become synonymous
with freedom of identity for South Asians living in Toronto, as it influences their lives greatly.
Director Pooja Joshi
Pooja graduated in Film and Communication in dual degree
program from York University and is currently finishing
Broadcast Television from Humber College. She has
professionally trained in Film Direction, OnCamera Acting
and Dramaturgy. She is a dedicated student of Film and
Television and a keenlyobservant student of life.
She staged plays as a playwright and an actor in Toronto
and Mumbai respectively.
Pooja is a natural performer intent on mastering her roles.
She played the lead in an Indo Canadian film which travelled
to various film festivals in North America including South
Asian International Film Festival in New York.
Her vast educational background gives her deep insight into
different aspects of Film and Broadcast TV from a television
control room to acting on camera or multiple camera
operation to audio and video editing, Pooja is comfortable in the creative as well as the technical
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0 Eclipse
Eclipse
World Premiere
http://www.eclipsefilm.ca
http://www.fenstarproductions.com
Directed by Gail Harvey
Written by Fenulla Jiwani
Starring: Ariana Shams, Sarah Mennell, Fenulla Jiwani, Michelle Fisk and
Jeff Clarke
Synopsis:
Single mom Vicky, in the last three years since adopting precious
Akasha from Cambodia, is still amazed by the miracles that
spontaneously unfold around her. Eight-year-old Akasha is the epitome
of pure love and wisdom; it doesn’t take any effort for her to spread love
to the most troubled soul, to shed light upon the darkest of thoughts and
to emanate joy wherever she goes. One sunny fall afternoon, three lives
are deeply touched by Akasha’s powerful presence and play.
Director Gail Harvey
Gail Harvey is an award-winning photographer and film director who has studied under Norman Jewison, Wim Wenders and Arthur Penn, and was the third woman ever hired as a staff photographer at United Press International wire service. Her most recent venture is a production company called STRAIGHT SHOOTERS – in partnership with her daughter, award-winning actress Katie Boland. Their first project in production is a documentary film about Rickie Lee Jones, entitled The Other Side of Desire. Harvey has also directed award winning television shows Heartland, Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries, as well as directing all the episodes of the HBO series The Line, and two movies for Lifetime Network, Four Extraordinary Woman and Home by Christmas.
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0 PREJUDICE
PREJUDICE
Synopsi
s
Four individuals from different walks of life, a Caucasian Corporate Executive, a Hijab wearing
Persian Fashion Designer, a Chinese Dental Surgeon and an Indian Man with Body Art, share the
Prejudices that they hold and that they face in a modern Canadian society.
Original Music by
Kasper Franciszkiewicz
Produced by
Manpreet Brar & Sumira Dhawan
Concept, Edited & Directed by
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0 YARI ROAD – A SAMRAT CHAKRABARTI FILM
YARI ROAD
Friendship is all fun and games, until somebody bruises an ego.
SYNOPSIS:
YARI ROAD is a universal story that examines the fine line between friendship and competition
amidst the rat race of the entertainment industry.
Shot on Location in Mumbai, India.
Three friends, who all started their acting career working on the same film, are reunited for 24
hours. A lot has changed for each one of them since they had last met two years ago. One has
gone onto have a successful film career, one has left the acting field and one has become
extremely bitter about being a struggling actor. What starts out as a harmless reunion of friends,
quickly turns into a battle of egos with irreparable consequences.
SPECIAL NOTE:
One of the things that makes this film unique is the creative process of the way it was shot. The
three actors playing the characters did actually get their start working on the same film —
Joseph Matthew’s “Bombay Summer”, and the location where the film was shot is the actual
residence of two of the actors in Mumbai, India. All of the dialogue in the film is improvised.
CAST:
Samrat Chakrabarti, Gaurav Dwivedi and Jatin Goswami
CREW:
SUPPORTING CAST – Khatera Hakimi and Dhruv Mukherjee
EDITED BY – Rashmima Dutta
CINEMATOGRAPHER – Nikhil Arolkar and Anil Pingua
SYNC SOUND RECORDING – Binil Amakaddu
SOUND DESIGN – Krishnanunny K J
SOUND EDITOR – Shreyas Srinivas
STORY – Samrat Chakrabarti
TITLE AND CREDITS – Kamran Khan
http://www.LAUGHistan.com
PRODUCERS:
Samrat Chakrabarti and Hansdip Singh Bindra
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Hansdip Singh Bindra
LANGUAGE: English/Hindi (with English Subtitles)
LENGTH: 20 minutes
YEAR: 2015
COUNTRY: USA / India
OFFICIAL PAGE: http://www.laughistan.com/yari-road-short-film
TRAILER:
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0 CLOSING NIGHT FILM – Kirdaar – OCT.4th 6:30PM
FILMI 2015
WORLD PREMIERE
Kirdaar
Tickets on Sale NOW!
http://tinyurl.com/oc9f5eq
Diverging from the typical film opening, this story centres around the friendship between Nishawn: a struggling singer, and Josh: a struggling writer, both of whom are arduously pursuing their big break. As the plot unravels, it is clear that there is much more than meets the eye, with an air of mystery surrounding Nishawn’s story. The film awakens a genre that has not been confronted before in Punjabi cinema. Viewers will be left perplexed at what unfolds before their eyes. This is a poignant production about hope, ambition, friendship, love and the human condition. A film where all is not what it seems, leaving viewers mystified.
This film is also supported by the icon of punjabi cinema Harbhajan Mann Ji who needs no introductions. He makes his appearance in a very special and interesting role in this film, showing his support towards good literary and new ventures in Punjabi cinema.
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0 FILMI SHORTS 2015
FILMI 2015
SHORTS PROGRAM
Friday October 2nd, 2015
Carlton Cinema’s
HERE IS THE YEARS LINE UP
ALL FILMS ARE TORONTO PREMIERES
BUY TICKETS
Deadline Dawn
Lick
A Disappearance
Sun
Bonjour Ji
Vishal
Aloo Tikki
Onto Us
A Silent Treatment
Sudden Master
My Hot Mom Gandhi
Late
First Session
Preeti and Sweety’s Canadian Christmas
Eclipse
Grin F*&ckers
Dream
SHORTS AFTER PARTY at 30 Lounge in the Holiday Inn.
23rd Filmi: Toronto's South Asian Film Festival Dec 6-7 2025 