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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0 The Green room
A nervous comic’s night spirals into chaos when his jokes are stolen, his girlfriend kicks him out of her apartment, and a call from home delivers devastating news just as he’s about to take the stage
Director Biography – Shashank Banawalikar Subhash
Born in Mumbai and raised in Bangalore, Shashank is a multidisciplinary artist whose journey spans architecture, Art, stand-up comedy, and filmmaking. His early experiments with mixed media art fostered a strong visual instinct, which later merged seamlessly with his narrative pursuits.
While studying architecture, Shashank discovered a deep passion for comedy, performing stand-up by night while navigating design projects by day. When the pandemic paused live performances, he shifted to filmmaking, using the camera as his new canvas. This transition led him to Toronto, where he formally trained as a filmmaker and began refining his voice as a writer-director.
His short film “Dosa”, a sharp Crime-comedy, earned awards and recognition on the international festival circuit, establishing him as a filmmaker with a distinct point of view. His Upcoming film, “The Green Room”, is an ambitious single-take short film that blends theatre, stand-up, and cinema. With this project, Shashank pushes the creative limits of short-form storytelling, experimenting with real-time narrative, precise choreography, and emotional pacing to explore themes of identity, vulnerability, and performance.
Now based in Toronto, Shashank continues to balance his work as a filmmaker with performing stand-up comedy. Across mediums, his goal remains the same: to tell honest, layered, and visually compelling stories with humor and heart.
Director Statement
As a first-generation immigrant, filmmaker, painter, and stand-up comedian, I’ve spent a lot of time balancing performance and vulnerability and figuring out what it means to be seen. The Green Room captures those moments, minutes before showtime, when nerves, anticipation, and self-doubt collide. Designed to feel like a single continuous take, the film lets you experience the energy, tension, and humor of life on stage, drawn from moments I’ve lived both on and off the comedy stage.
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0 Time
After losing her husband to dementia, Surjit becomes consumed by her grief. Her days are spent trying to pass the time, finding ways to cope with loss. The best part of her week is when her grandchildren come to visit. She seeks solace reflecting on memories of her younger days. Although restricted by her anxiety, she tries to search for peace within her loneliness. Surjit’s yearning for companionship leads her to a group of elderly women who often gather at a park. What does life look like when you have to forge new friendships at the age of 70? Time explores life after loss.
Director Biography – Kiran Rai, Baljit Singh
Kiran Rai, also known by her creator name KayRay, is an actor and filmmaker based out of Toronto. Throughout the past decade, Kiran has used her platform to primarily focus on addressing taboos within the South Asian community through short films, documentaries and digital series. Her short films, Ananke (garnered over 1 million views on YouTube) and Haneri have gone on screening tours around the world, and have often been used by University / College curriculums as a reference tool. This led her to co-produce and star in 28 episodes of the hit digital-series, Anarkali which reached approximately 2 million views across all seasons. The Brown Bachelorette, the parody web-series which Kiran starred, co-wrote and directed, helped cultivate her comedic screenwriting. Through her satirical yet didactic content she has been able to create meaningful and critical dialogue through her work. She is now the co-founder of The Kollective, a BIPOC focused creative agency and production company that aims to create opportunities for artists while supporting small businesses. And though her passion is in the arts, her heart is centred around community and mental health, which is why she has facilitated and hosted over 50+ workshops around the world. With her talk show Cha Da Cup With KayRay now airing on Brit Asia TV, her work continues to be recognized by the likes of Vogue, The Toronto Star, NBC News, BBC, CBC and Cosmopolitan.
Baljit Singh is an analog photographer who has evolved into a compelling storyteller through cinematography, graphic design and writing. Committed to documenting and narrating stories focused on people of colour, her work infuses nostalgia with a modern twist, eventually having branched out to film, digital series and documentaries. Baljit has also played a key role in branding various artists, businesses, and events. As the co-founder and executor of THE KOLLECTIVE, based in Toronto, she strives to reinvent and produce high-quality work aligned with a shared vision. Her work actively contributes to international exhibitions and has been featured in prestigious publications worldwide, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Toronto Life and USA Today.
Director Statement
Our grandmothers, who are remarkable women of strength and resilience, have left an indelible mark on our lives. We have the privilege of knowing them intimately, of being nurtured by their love, and witnessing their unwavering courage in the face of adversity. The profound grief they endured upon losing their husbands, our grandfathers, resonated deeply with us. Getting married at such a young age, being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother was all they’ve ever known. When they lost their partners, in turn, they lost a sense of themselves.
Time finds its roots in the inspiring journey of my naniji (ਨਾਨੀਜੀ translation: maternal grandmother), Surjit Kaur. Known for her fierce spirit and boundless love within her community, she epitomized independence despite suffering through her own pain throughout her life. Growing up with the name Jaitno, her identity underwent a significant transformation upon marriage to my grandfather, who changed her name to Surjit (ਸੁਰਜੀਤ translation: immortal). This symbolic change reflected not only a shift in her marital status but also in her sense of self.
Living a humble life in Punjab, Surjit faced grief early on, losing many loved ones by the tender age of 20. However, her resilience knew no bounds. She embarked on a new chapter in Canada with my grandfather and their children, working tirelessly to support her family until her early retirement. Her selflessness became most evident when my grandfather battled cancer, as she assumed the role of a caregiver with unwavering dedication, even learning to drive to ensure he received proper care. Despite the heartbreaking loss of my grandfather, Surjit continued to persevere, finding solace in her friendships, her family, and discovering who she is outside of being a caretaker. Although she is no longer with us, I don’t think she ever realized how much of an inspiration she continues to be for me. She showed us that life doesn’t have to end after you become a widow, a controversial cultural mindset most South Asian elderly carry.
My paternal grandmother, Avtar Kaur, also played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding of strength and resilience. Living with my family throughout my life, our bond grew stronger, particularly in her later years as I delved into her past, discovering the depth of her experiences before and after marriage. Her recent passing due to Covid-19 left a void in our lives and reminds me of the impact our elders have on us.
Baljit Singh, my co-director and producing partner in this film, shares a deep connection with her own grandmothers. We often worked on projects together where we would feature our elders. Our main character in this film is played by Baljit’s naniji, Jeet Kaur, who had a hidden talent waiting to be discovered. Through the lens of our personal experiences, we aim to shed light on the often-overlooked narratives of elders, especially surrounding the universal theme of grief. We want to honour these stories that often get lost when they are no longer with us.
For anyone that has felt a deep connection to their grandparents or an aging parent, we hope our film can offer a sense of comfort and healing.
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0 Mother’s Tongue
Synopsis:
After moving out of her family home and being estranged from her mother, Gurleen yearns to reconnect with her Punjabi culture through cooking. But as she attempts to do so, she quickly realizes she’s missing a crucial element, her mother’s touch.
Director Biography – Vanesa Millado
Vanesa is a Toronto-based filmmaker of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, with a BFA in Film Production from York University. Her experience in the industry is in both long and short format, throughout the feature, documentary, television, and commercial worlds. With a cinematography background, Vanesa uses that to her advantage when it comes to storytelling in her direction. As an empath, Vanesa uses her sensitivity as her lens to explore emotion, tone, and rhythm. By creating a genuine and safe environment on set, nuanced beats naturally unravel before her lens. Her intuitive exploration of the medium results in strikingly meaningful visuals that support and enhance the story onwards. Vanesa pushes the boundaries of telling underrepresented stories to extend the power of feeling seen and heard to her community. So they too can gather, empathize, and dream. So they too can be proud to belong.
Director Statement
Miscommunication is a common problem, especially with those we hold most precious in our lives. It often occurs between first-generation immigrants and their Canadian-born children due to a stark difference in mentalities and perspectives. As we try to discover our sense of self through individualism, we often feel stuck between two worlds: modern and progressive views from a younger generation and traditional ones held by our parents. Although breaking free from our parents can be a liberating experience that allows for self-exploration, it can also bring about feelings of loneliness, despair and loss. Directing ‘Mother’s Tongue’ was an opportunity for me to express the nuance and complexity of this experience through a grounded, honest approach.
The audience can see themselves in Gurleen: her innocence and desperate will to realize the societal benchmarks informed by her cultural frame. Though Gurleen’s experience of disconnecting from her culture is because of the pressures to get married — a trauma that many young South Asian Canadian women endure — it was important to me to showcase the humanity of her mother. It is common for us to blame immigrant parents for their rigidity in terms of their cultural norms. However, understanding that each person carries their own baggage of trauma no matter the age, allows us to be more compassionate.
In bringing this script to life, I drew inspiration from two films, ‘The Lunchbox,’ with food as a connecting vessel, and ‘Brick Lane’s’ protagonist feeling imprisoned due to conventions of her culture. With ‘Mother’s Tongue,’ cinematography, rhythm and pacing is reflected with the story telling. I wanted to play with demonstrating the pace of a slow, monotonous life and how mentally challenging each day feels when one struggles with loneliness after disconnecting from their family and culture. The visual style allows for framing the integral themes of the film. The rhythm in the film shifts as a reflection of Gurleen’s journey. The film is inspired by the rhythm and cinematography of ‘The Farewell’ alongside moments of tempo in cooking from ‘Chef.’ Longer takes, where the action moves in and out of frame like we’re frozen in time, further aid the visual storytelling of this film. Moreover, the feeling of being misunderstood really hits home with the use of camera panning, as it drags out moments and adds confusion. We’ve incorporated negative space and the use of a 2.39:1 aspect ratio to really emphasize the feeling of emptiness.
As someone who is not from the South Asian diaspora, I’m beyond proud to be cultivating a film with South Asian Canadian creators to help bring this story to light for the community. However, the writer’s decision to incorporate a Chinese family in the story to offer an alternative narrative is proof that ‘Mother’s Tongue’ is a universal story that will resonate with scores of young women. It is a reminder that we can all learn from each other by sharing our stories, regardless of our backgrounds. I want young women to find their own reasons for cooking dishes from their cultures. More importantly, I want them to know that it is never too late to reconnect with their cultural heritage through food because food is a powerful tool to connect people to their culture. It’s an extension. It brings people together and allows us to understand easily, and open conversations across generations and perspectives.
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0 Ordinary
Lisa and Collins are in a happy, lovingly relationship, but when Collins realizes he wishes for more, their perfect life starts to crack.
Director Biography – Reva Bhardwaj
Reva Bhardwaj is a young Canadian queer filmmaker known for her unique storytelling and niche aesthetics.
Bhardwaj grew up in Nova Scotia and always held a passion for the performing arts. They wanted to use their gift and love of creativity to impact others and express themes of identity, relationships, and wonder through nuanced media.
His goal is to give a voice to the people who have trouble using theirs, and to spread a message of love, understanding, and acceptance to all.
Director Statement
Ordinary is my first film outside of school. It is a beautiful story showcasing a path relationships can go down that isn’t just the picture-perfect life or a super-toxic-situationship. There is a lot of unexplored territory when it comes to neutral decisions that have bittersweet outcomes; not everything has to end with a screaming match. I wanted to express it is possible to support others on their journey even though you don’t want to, and you aren’t selfish for feeling that. This story is about letting go when you want to hold on, because you know it is the best choice despite how much it will hurt.
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0 I Can’t Do This Anymore
An animator is undermined by her supervisor one last time.
Director Biography – Oshini Wanigasekera
Oshini Wanigasekera is a Toronto based actor, animator, dancer, illustrator, and filmmaker. Oshini trained as a dancer across Canada and the United States, including The Ailey School and Dance Theatre of Harlem School. In 2011 she was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for performing arts by the province of Alberta. After completing her studies in animation at Seneca College in Toronto, Oshini transitioned into acting. Her television appearances include The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Titans (HBO), Workin’ Moms (CBC), and Good Sam (CBS). Oshini wrote and directed the film, What I Meant To Say, which won Best Short at CineFAM Film Festival in 2021. Her solo show, Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas, premiered at the Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival in 2023. She has animated for Disney and Netflix series, video games, short films and was the animation director for several original feature films by HighballTV.
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0 The Internet of Everything
Synopsis:
In a world where every click, swipe, and search is harvested, Bill, a paranoid middle-aged man, becomes increasingly alarmed by the intrusive reach of technology. As devices seem to predict his every move, Bill’s paranoia grows, and he devises a plan to disconnect from the digital grid entirely.
In his disconnected silence, he finds fleeting peace, but the outside world still hums with data and surveillance, raising unsettling questions about the price of convenience in the age of connectivity.
Director Biography – Yusuf Begg
Yusuf Begg is a Toronto-based filmmaker with a passion for storytelling that challenges and critiques modern-day culture. He is captivated by the power of cinema to shed light on society’s complexities, using film as a medium to explore thought-provoking narratives that question the world around us. He focuses on crafting stories that engage audiences and spark conversations about contemporary issues.
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0 The Big Day
0 GRETTA
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0 Screaming for love
A short concept scream film
After the disappearance of The Dark Knight. In the shadowed alleys and towering skyscrapers of Gotham City, a new hero emerges to face the rising tide of darkness. Known only as “Bones,” this mysterious figure dons a sleek, skeletal-inspired mask that grants incredible agility, strength, and an uncanny ability to manipulate bone-like structures.
As the population rises and the economy falls. The crime rates infest the streets like never before. Bones becomes a beacon of hope in a city, that has long been overshadowed by evil.
Director: V.V (Vineeth Vomaseelan)
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0 Bringer
A corporate manager secretly working a second job as a food delivery driver finds himself in an unexpectedly tense situation when one of his deliveries leads to a surprising and awkward encounter.
Director Biography – Swaroop Elamon
Swaroop Elamon is a seasoned independent filmmaker and scriptwriter, based out of Toronto, with over a decade of experience in the industry. Hailing from a background in political science, Swaroop pursued his passion for storytelling through cinema, earning a postgraduate diploma in film direction from the prestigious LV Prasad Film Academy in Chennai, India.
His creative journey spans across various mediums, including short films, music videos, documentaries, and digital content. Swaroop has directed 15 short films, 2 music videos and helmed 2 documentaries, showcasing his versatility and depth as a filmmaker. Additionally, he has contributed significantly as a writer, penning scripts for numerous short films, spec screenplays for feature films, and documentaries.
Beyond the realm of cinema, Swaroop is an active participant in the theater scene, showcasing his talents as a writer, sound designer, and actor. His multifaceted approach to storytelling reflects in his diverse body of work, which resonates with audiences across different platforms.
Swaroop Elamon’s dedication to the craft of filmmaking and his commitment to exploring nuanced narratives make him a notable presence in the contemporary landscape of Indian cinema.
https://www.imdb.me/swaroopelamon
Director Statement
In today’s world, where layoffs and unemployment are becoming the norm, exploring the struggles of both employers and employees feels crucial. With “Bringer”, I wanted to shed light on how both sides are trapped in a survival loop, often too consumed with their own challenges to consider each other’s perspectives.
Through a seemingly silly situation, the film aims to bring empathy to these characters and spark conversations about their shared crises. Humor, I believe, is a powerful way to connect and provoke thought about these pressing issues.
It’s vital to highlight these modern struggles, and that is the core objective of “Bringer”.
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0 The Conversation on a Bench, Outside, in September
0 Depressrun
0 Fortune Cookie
0 Cric-Nick 2.0
Synopsis:
The journey of a troubled, anxious, 40-year-old man Nick – played by Madhur Gulati, being motivated and nudged back to fitness by his estranged biological father Dhanraj – played by Sultan Ali Saif a.k.a Tiger Ali; turning him into a sportsman and getting him competing with athletes half his age in their prime….
Will he be able to survive it in this North American cricket jungle….
That is the story of Cric-Nick 2.0 where 2.0 signifies the second half of his life.
Director Biography – Nicholas Aska
Nicholas Aska is a BIPOC film maker who is originally from India. Today he lives in Toronto, Canada (Hollywood North). Growing up he belonged to a middle-class family and hailed from a less developed part of India.
His passion for film started even as a child, he would love watching films and was an avid film goer till he left India. He did not learn of his passion for film making till he was in his early thirties. He first wanted to be a novelist in his free time and wrote Bro Binny as a novel, but then his passion for film making was realized through some plays he watched at EMBASSY Church that threw out huge productions. He then went to a Prestigious Organization in Toronto and took some courses on film making and Direction.
In the course he shared his dream to be a film maker with the trainer of one of the courses and said confidently that he could get funding for Bro Binny just based on his passion for film making. But the trainer humiliated him saying that without a film to see no investor would fund any of his ideas. This humiliation stuck with Nicholas Aska and taking it to heart he decided to follow filmmaking.
Director Statement
Cric-Nick 2.0 is a labor of love of over 40 cast and crew members. Through this film I intend to inspire all the middle-aged folk, he, she or they, that it’s not too late to follow your passion in sports… Mental health affects a lot of us, but that does not need to stop us from following our passions and dreams. One needs to forgive the demons of the past and strive towards the future. That is the essence of Cric-Nick 2.0. Enjoy.
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0 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.
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0 Scaredy Cat
Rom-com gone wrong
Director Biography – Rakhee Morzaria
Rakhee Morzaria is an award-nominated actor and writer from Toronto. Rakhee’s work has been shown at the Atlantic Film Festival, the WIFT-T Short film showcase and her CBC Comedy web-series, Note to Self, has upward of a million views and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. She’s performed on the stages of Second City, Hart House Theatre, Bad Dog Theatre, and the Toronto Sketchfest. Currently she is the star on the hit CBC comedy Run the Burbs. Scaredy Cat is Rakhee’s directorial debut.
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0 SHUT UP SIMON!
Synopsis:
Simon and Laila are getting a divorce but they end up hiring lawyers who also happen to have a shared romantic history.
Director: Husein Madvi
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0 MAX VS THE MOOCH
Synopsis:
A comedic short film about MAX, a single and highly sensitive introvert in the city, who seeks to end her roommate’s relationship to an invasive narcissistic mooch.
Director Biography – Jennifer De Lucia
Jennifer is an award-winning Canadian producer, actress and director from Toronto, Ontario. She is best known for her work a a producer on the Canadian Comedy Award Winning show, Cancer Can’t Dance Like This. The show toured Canada for ten years raising over $100,000 for cancer related charities and research. Jennifer has been acting in and producing theatre, TV, film and digital for the better part of 15 years.
Jennifer and her artistic partner, Daniel Stolfi, currently produce creative content through their production company You and Me Entertainment. Their short film Everyone’s Leaving Us premiered at the Canadian Film Festival in 2020 and later spent two years streaming on Super Channel. Their web series, Calm Down Paul, which Jennifer directed, premiered at the LA Comedy Fest in 2018. Most recently Daniel and Jennifer produced Marni Van Dyk’s short film This Is Not About Swimming in conjunction with Wildling Pictures Inc. The film had its world premier at TIFF ‘2023. Daniel and Jennifer are currently in development on their next short film Maybe Just Maybe, which Jennifer wrote and will serve as Director.
Jennifer spends most of her time in front of the camera in film and TV. Some of her most recent credits include; Hallmark’s, Catch Me If You Claus, Holiday Heritage and Christmas Homecoming, Reel One Entertainment’s 10 Truths About Love, Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy and CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries.
Jennifer is an alumni of Guelph Universities Theatre Program. Jennifer lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter and dog… In no particular order.
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0 Fish in the Sea
Raj, an international student, eagerly anticipates his lunch date with a girl he met online, only to find himself in an unexpected situation.
Director Biography – Anoop Pillai
Born in Kerala, India, Anoop has lived in various parts of the world such as Mumbai, Dubai, Dammam, Manama, and most recently in Toronto. Alongside actively working on his own projects, he also assists fellow filmmakers in bringing their visions to life. Anoop’s second project, ‘TP Tango’, received two awards, including one for ‘Best Director’.
Anoop has a diverse portfolio. He has worked on over 10 projects, writing and directing six of them, which are currently in various stages of production. These include animation and live-action short films, as well as a feature project. He has also directed 2 French short films. He fondly recalls starting as a photographer and writing short stories on his personal blog, which sparked his passion for writing and directing.
Beyond films, Anoop has ventured into literary work, having authored three children’s picture books titled ‘Pinky-Boo and Gumberstonz Stories’, available on Amazon and other online platforms.
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0 Kalki On The Way
As a family prepares for a journey, a son challenges his mother’s ideas about having children, leading to a discussion about societal norms and the future of humanity.
Objective: Through the lens of familial dynamics, “Kalki On The Way” aims to explore and challenge conventional notions of parenthood, sparking conversations about societal expectations and the evolving landscape of family planning in the context of our collective future.
Director Biography – Swaroop Elamon
Swaroop Elamon is a seasoned independent filmmaker and scriptwriter, based out of Toronto, with over a decade of experience in the industry. Hailing from a background in political science, Swaroop pursued his passion for storytelling through cinema, earning a postgraduate diploma in film direction from the prestigious LV Prasad Film Academy in Chennai, India.
His creative journey spans across various mediums, including short films, music videos, documentaries, and digital content. Swaroop has directed 15 short films, 2 music videos and helmed 2 documentaries, showcasing his versatility and depth as a filmmaker. Additionally, he has contributed significantly as a writer, penning scripts for numerous short films, spec screenplays for feature films, and documentaries.
Beyond the realm of cinema, Swaroop is an active participant in the theater scene, showcasing his talents as a writer, sound designer, and actor. His multifaceted approach to storytelling reflects in his diverse body of work, which resonates with audiences across different platforms.
Swaroop Elamon’s dedication to the craft of filmmaking and his commitment to exploring nuanced narratives make him a notable presence in the contemporary landscape of Indian cinema.
https://www.imdb.me/swaroopelamon
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0 The Morning After
After two best friends hook up with the same covid positive guy, they decide to get a full body check up…only to realise that what they have is way worse.
Director Biography – Saniya Mirwani
Saniya Mirwani is a filmmaker and writer based between New York, Toronto and Mumbai. She is the Founder and Executive Producer of Sherni Studios, a media collective that is on a mission to amplify underrepresented female voices through content and social activism in India. She also worked as a Creative Producer at honto88, where she has produced content for brands like Netflix, Hulu, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Commit2Change, and Conscious Kid.
Most recently, she wrote and directed Any Given Night, a short dark comedy about women’s safety on college campuses, that premiered at Berlin Art International Film Festival.
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0 DOSA
Always on the lookout for easy money, a couple of small-time crooks, Rohan and Han, come up with what might just be their best plan ever: kidnap famous “Crypto King” Martin Collins and demand two million dollars for his release. While they have no trouble capturing Collins and holding him hostage in the live-in artist’s studio belonging to Rohan’s scatterbrained girlfriend, Maya, convincing the Crypto King to go along with the rest of their plan proves to be far more difficult.
Director Biography – Shashank Banawalikar Subhash
Born in the vibrant city of Mumbai, India, and raised amidst the bustling streets of Bangalore, Shashank is a person of many talents. From an early age, he immersed himself in the world of mixed media art, constantly experimenting and expressing his creativity through various forms.
His journey took a fascinating turn when, while buried in blueprints and design projects at Architecture school, he discovered a new passion: comedy. By day, he was a diligent architect, but by night, he transformed into a stand-up comic, winning over audiences with his wit and charm.
Then, as if scripted by a mischievous screenwriter, the world decided to throw a curveball. The Pandemic struck, and the stand-up stage went dark. Undeterred, Shashank pivoted to a new medium. He began crafting short films with friends, weaving his comedic touch into every script. This creative spark led him across the globe to Toronto, Canada, where he traded his drafting table for a film student’s desk.
Embracing his role as a perpetual student of visual and narrative media, he honed his skills and expanded his artistic horizons. Several films and a myriad of sleepless nights later, Shashank emerged as a dynamic writer and director in the industry. Yet, he never abandoned his first love—comedy. Today, he juggles his burgeoning career in film with performing stand-up sets in local comedy clubs, continuing to share his unique blend of humor and storytelling with the world.
23rd Filmi: Toronto's South Asian Film Festival Dec 6-7 2025 
