Tasveer to host exclusive Mumbai screenings of Holy Curse and Humans in the Loop

Tasveer, an Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival based out of Seattle, is all set to bring an exclusive two-film showcase to Mumbai. Interestingly, this is their first-ever event in India. The special screening marks a milestone moment for South Asian independent cinema, and it will shine the spotlight on two of the festival’s most celebrated recent titles, Holy Curse and Humans in the Loop.

Tasveer to screen Holy Curse and Humans in the Loop

The showcase will feature Snigdha Kapoor’s acclaimed work, Holy Curse, winner of the Tasveer Jury Award for Best Short Film 2024 and the second film to qualify for the Oscars through Tasveer since the festival received Academy accreditation in 2023. The intimate coming-of-age drama explores eleven-year-old Radha’s search for identity while navigating family traditions and cultural expectations, offering a quiet yet powerful reflection on gender and belonging.

The second film to grab the limelight is Aranya Sahay’s Humans in the Loop, the Tasveer Audience Choice Award winner for 2025 and currently in Oscar contention. Presented by filmmaker Kiran Rao, the film probes the shifting terrain between humanity and automation, questioning behaviour, empathy, and the nature of consciousness.

This Mumbai showcase is considered as a cultural bridge between Indian creators and the global independent filmmakers. For Rita Meher, Tasveer’s co-founder and executive director, the event signifies the beginning of a deeper exchange between the movie ecosystem. “Stories heal, and to be able to tell those stories truthfully is revolutionary,” she said, adding that the showcase serves as an invitation for broader collaboration and international visibility for Indian independent cinema.

Director Aranya Sahay emphasised the importance of such spaces for films outside traditional commercial circuits, while Shivam Gupta, Producer, Casting Director, and Partner for the Mumbai edition, described the initiative as the start of “something much larger” for South Asian filmmakers.

For 23 years, Tasveer has championed South Asian narratives, supporting emerging filmmakers through initiatives like the Tasveer Film Fund in partnership with Netflix and establishing the Tasveer Film Market, the only South Asian-focused film market outside the region. With the acquisition of its own theatre—making it the first organisation of colour in the U.S. to own such a space—Tasveer continues to expand access and visibility for diverse storytelling.

The films will be screened on December 8 in Mumbai

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