Filmi 23!
Filmi Toronto’s South Asian Film Festival – 23 Years!
December 6th – 7th, 2025
Stay tuned for some great films!
21st Filmi: Toronto’s South Asian film festival
Harbourfront Centre
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The Things We Do For Love
A man will go to any lengths to get the perfect sized engagement ring.
Director Biography – Shawn Ahmed
Shawn Ahmed is an award-winning actor and filmmaker based out of Toronto. His passion for storytelling initially drew him to acting, but he swiftly found himself drawn behind the camera. Ahmed’s directing career began with co-directing “Fare Trade,” a 5-part web-series for Bell Media’s Fibe TV1. There he has sold seven other shows since 2014, showcasing his burgeoning talent as a filmmaker. With a foundation built upon his fifteen years as a professional actor, and ten years as a writer and producer, Ahmed has equipped himself with the tools necessary to embark on his directing journey.
Director Statement
In “The Things We Do For Love,” I set out on a creative experiment, blending together the unlikely genres of romantic-comedy and thriller.
A beloved improv teacher once said to me “If you can’t be funny, be beautiful,” and I used that as my guiding light while constructing this film. Despite the hero’s extreme choices, it was essential to convey the underlying beauty and sincerity of his gesture. And to accomplish this it felt necessary that everyone within this world accepts how lovely his gesture really is.
Aesthetically, the film embraces warmth and intimacy, with a focus on reds to evoke a sense of romance and allure. However, I strategically placed shots that will challenge the viewers’ perceptions. Introducing these moments of ambiguity to create questions around the true motives of the protagonist amidst the charm of the narrative.
Finally, this film is loosely (very loosely) based on how I got my wife’s ring size. She doesn’t wear jewelry, so I had no rings to reference and I refused to consult her friends because I feared they would spoil the surprise. I realized the only way I could surprise her with the perfect ring was to wrap a string around her ring finger and measure the length. This created a dilemma for me: “How the hell am I gonna pull this off without her knowing what I’m doing?” There were several failed attempts but I finally got it. Once I proposed, I told her how I got her ring size, and that story proved far more amusing and endearing to her than any piece of jewelry I could buy.
23rd Filmi: Toronto's South Asian Film Festival Dec 6-7 2025 
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