San Francisco, Thursday, July 26, 2018: The inaugural Bay Area South Asia Film Festival (BASAFF 2018) opened its call for entries for Independent Feature Films, Fictional/ Live Action Short Films and Documentary Films. BASAFF is an initiative by Bay Area South Asian Films and Enacte Arts Inc in association with US Asia Innovative Gateway. The festival will take place from 21st to 23rd September at Mountain View, home to Google and Palo Alto, headquarters of major tech giants such as Facebook & Apple. The festival has roped in Shiladitya Bora’s Platoon One Films as the official consultant to manage the festival.
BASAFF will award films in the following categories:
Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director (Feature), Best Director (Short), Best Actor (Feature), Best Actress (Feature)
Dates & Deadlines:
July 31, 2018: Regular Deadline (No Submission fee)
August 20, 2018: Late Deadline (Late Submission fee of USD 80)
August 31, 2018: Announcement of final line up of selected films
The filmmakers can submit their entries online at the official website www.basafilmfestival.com
San Francisco Bay Area is home for the fastest growing and most diverse South Asian communities in the United States and has a rich heritage of celebrating contemporary South Asian art & culture. From being the land of legendary artists like Ustad Ali Akbar Khan to the creative genius Zakir Hussain, the Bay Area has always been a crucible of ferment and experimentation. BASAFF aims to provide a platform that creates possibilities for South Asian storytelling for the larger American diaspora. The vision is to provide opportunities for the local community, film aficionados, visitors, filmmakers, and the greater South Asian film community to celebrate the power of film, art, technology and storytelling in an environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
Speaking about the festival, Aniruddha Dasgupta, Founder and Festival Director said, “San Francisco Bay Area is know across the world for its undying spirit of encouraging experimentation and innovation in the field of technology. The goal of BASAFF 2018 is to extend that legacy in the world of filmmaking and entertainment. We believe that when technology meets entertainment, possibilities are endless.”
Vinita Sud Belani, Artisitc Director, EnActe Arts adds, “The story of San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the world, is the composite story of many origins and a common goal – disruption. Be it theatre or film, we are constantly seeking, in the stories that connect, educate and entertain us, that which will transform us. Our goal at BASAFF 2018 is to present the stories that make you say ‘That, transforms me’
The Festival seeks to be a premier film festival of global reputation and pioneer the initiative and concept of ‘Enter-Tech’ in South Asian Filmmaking.