Official Selections: LA Asian Film Festival
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film
The Caregiving Connection
Short Documentary
Focusing on the cultural obligations and traditions of caregiving in the South Asian community, this short documentary explores the perspectives of three separate South Asian families who have become caregivers for one or more of their elders.
Director: Reshma Dordi
Producer: Brenna Martinez, Ayushi Chhabra
Writer: Reshma Dordi, Brenna Martinez, Ayushi Chhabra
Cinematographer: Cory Ford
Editor: Cory Ford
Best Documentary Short Film Award - South Asian International Film Festival Florida
Website: www.pearlinc.co
The Dalai Lama's Gift
Documentary
West Coast Premiere
A hidden ritual. A sacred promise. A cornfield transformed.
In 1980, His Holiness the Dalai Lama received a humble request from a simple monk in America: to perform the Kalachakra initiation—a powerful tantric ritual never before held outside of India or Tibet—in the heart of rural Wisconsin.
What followed was nothing short of miraculous. In just a few months, the monk's devoted students overcame local resistance, built a temple from the ground up, and transformed a Midwestern cornfield into a site of ancient wisdom and spiritual awakening, attracting over 1000 spiritual seekers from around the world.
Captured on film then locked away in Smithsonian vaults for over 40 years, this long-lost footage resurfaces to reveal a story of devotion, transformation, and a moment when time, space, and tradition converged in the unlikeliest of places.
The Dalai Lama’s Gift is a cinematic meditation on faith, legacy, and the power of one sacred encounter to ripple across generations.
Director: Ed Bastian
Producer: Ed Bastian, Jennifer Beman, Sherpa Tulku, Catherine Wyler
Writer: Jennifer Beman
Cast: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Lhundub Sopa
Cinematographer: Mark Sammels, Jim Whitney, Paul Lynch, Frederick Taylor
Editor: Jennifer Beman
Website: https://www.dalailamagift.org/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DalaiLamasGift/
The Fishbowl
Short
Los Angeles Premiere
A woman reveals secrets to her sister's fiancé in this offbeat comedy about therapy, relationships, and being too smart for your own good
Director: Eshaana Sheth
Producer: Riley Bathauer, Katie Basu, Eshaana Sheth
Production Company: Stereogram Films
Writer: Eshaana Sheth
Cast: Eshaana Sheth, Jasper Ross
Cinematographer: Riley Bathauer
Editor: Riley Bathauer
Director's Statement by Eshaana Sheth: The Fishbowl marks my return to filmmaking since getting diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing ongoing treatments. It is also the first time in which I am both directing and acting. On the surface, The Fishbowl is a simple, spunky short. Upon further examination, it explores topical themes such as healthcare and pop psychology through the lens of family dynamics.
eshaana.com
Instagram
Website: https://www.stereogramfilms.com/
The Truth About Engines
Short Film
Amidst the mournful drive to a funeral, Maya wrestles with the burden of grief and the weight of guilt, while her partner senses an unspoken distance growing between them. Within the shadows of uncertainty, they’re forced to confront what remains unsaid.
Director: Matty Peacock
Producer: Jordan Vernes, Noa Fisher, Matty Peacock
Writer: Matty Peacock, Taylor Koekkoek
Cast: Noa Fisher, Eli Brown, Deb Never
Cinematographer: Zachary Shea
Editor: Jennifer Chung
Instagram: @truthaboutengines