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16th annual Chicago South Asian Film Festival concludes
The week-long festival showcased films from South Asia and the diaspora, culminating in awards and a closing-night screening of Pinch.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 23, Sep 2025
- 16:25 EDT
- 14
Chicago South Asian Film Festival / CSAFF
The 16th annual Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) concluded on Sept. 21 with a full-house screening of Pinch at AMC River East, followed by the presentation of Jury and Audience Choice Awards.
The weeklong festival featured an extensive lineup of films, post-screening Q&A sessions, industry panels, and networking opportunities, reaffirming its role as a premier platform for South Asian and diaspora storytelling in the Midwest.
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The top Jury Awards were presented to Humans in the Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, for Feature Film, and Marching in the Dark, directed by Kinshuk Surjan, for Feature Documentary.
Audience Choice honors went to Brittany Ward’s Out of the House for Short Fiction, Anurima Bhargava’s Teaching America for Short Documentary, Chithra Jeyaram’s Love Chaos Kin for Feature Documentary, and Vinod Kapri’s Pyre for Feature Fiction. Ankur Kakatkar’s Courage received a Special Mention for Feature Fiction.
The closing night film, Pinch, was written, directed by, and starred Uttera Singh, who engaged audiences in a post-screening discussion, highlighting the festival’s 2025 theme, “Beyond Borders, Across Generations.”
“From red-carpet premieres to intimate conversations with filmmakers, this year reaffirmed CSAFF’s mission to champion bold, independent storytelling from South Asia and the diaspora,” the festival team said. “We’re grateful to our filmmakers, audiences, partners, and volunteers for making the 16th edition such a vibrant celebration of cinema.”
This year’s program featured over 60 Chicago or Midwest premieres, more than 20 U.S. or North American premieres, and upwards of 15 world premieres. The lineup spanned genres from political dramas and family comedies to climate documentaries and experimental shorts, exploring themes of migration, identity, generational transitions, and social justice.
A specially curated segment, “From India to the World,” in collaboration with Jio Studios, highlighted emerging films that captured the diversity of contemporary Indian life, from rural experiences to urban narratives.
As the festival concludes its 16th edition, organizers expressed optimism about future growth, including expanded programming, deeper filmmaker-audience engagement, and strengthened support for emerging South Asian storytellers.
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