Few Indians have seen any world class cinema from South Asia, films made in our immediate neighbourhood. Kya, Nepal?! Bangladesh! Pakistan? Sri Lanka? Bhutan, Afghanistan…eye roll! Incredulous shock is the standard reaction. Yet, wonderful films from these nations have been at top festivals worldwide. South Asian films are also showcased at Indian/South Asian film festivals overseas, including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Stuttgart and Florence, apart from Indian film festivals. I recently saw Shirish Gurung's debut feature Lato Kosero (Owl) from Nepal—something of an overlooked gem—as a member of the jury of the ongoing Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals (Co-SAFF) that runs from October 3 to 17. The film is also on Amazon Prime UK and USA (not India/SAsia, sadly); Gurung is based in London.

Thanks to COVID-19, seven South Asian film festivals in North America have collaborated and gone online for the first time. These are Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (TSAFF), Seattle; Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF), Chicago; DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF), Washington DC; Nepal America International Film Festival (NAIFF), Maryland—all in the US; as well as Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF), Mississauga, Ontario; South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM), Montreal; and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF), Vancouver—all in Canada. So, a selection at Co-SAFF brings an unprecedented, pooled audience across North America, and beyond.