Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage in Person!! Vithanage's searing masterpiece is a period drama that takes on caste conflict and British colonial influences in Sri Lanka in the early 1800s. Drawing from a wide palette that ranges from historical drama to nuanced and exceptional storytelling, his camera work is transfixing as he crafts a deeply empathetic film that is simultaneously heart-wrenching and hopeful. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
In this gorgeous and evocative hand-painted animated feature, a single red rose weaves together three fantastical tales of unsung heroes and impossible loves. In the sensual animation, there is an ethereal brightness to the chaotic Mumbai streetscapes where Bollywood cinema is both satirized and romanticized. Fresh from rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, this captivating jewel will entrance you and should not be missed. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
Gifted documentary filmmaker Nishtha Jain returns to 3rd i to talk about her filmmaking process in a free class, and to present excerpts from past work and her current work-in-progress, "The Golden Thread," and her first narrative short "Saboot." Jain’s work holds up a mirror to some of the most pressing concerns in India today. She will address social and political issues, including India’s #metoo women’s movement. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TO RESERVE FREE TICKETS.
This humorous and entertaining film is the touching story of Chippa who, on his tenth birthday, sets out into night-time Calcutta looking for a father he has never seen. Filled with humor, hope, and curiosity, he encounters a “marvelous realism” that is evoked in the works of literary giants such as Salman Rushdie. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
In this playful romantic comedy, "Bangla," an awkwardly charming 22-year-old Italian-Bengali panics when he falls in love with an impulsive and spirited Italian girl. The attraction between them is immediate, and Phaim will have to figure out how to reconcile his love with his life full of rules. Highlighted in Rotterdam’s International Film Festival in the Big screen competition section. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
3rd i's signature shorts program brings genres ranging from comedy to contemporary music, and short-form documentaries to dramatic narratives. This year's edition tackles stories of relationships, identity, environment, and social justice, with compassion and humor. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
This cinematic homage to the “everyday” woman is a deeply moving work that focuses a critical lens on patriarchy, with outstanding performances by each of the lead actresses. The film captures the micro awakenings of identity and self-worth when family dynamics, early marriage, and pregnancy threaten to usurp the individuality of three women, unfolding across three different time periods. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
Filmmaker Prarthana Mohan in Person!! This coming-of-age comedy follows a day in the life of formerly homeschooled Bindu as she endures high school and tries to graduate early. Paying homage to Bollywood rock with one fantastical Bollywood dance number, the film shines a light on the immigrant experience of a teenager caught between girlhood and womanhood, and India’s traditional past and the promise of a global future where she can blend in to be whomever she wants to be. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
In this playful romantic comedy, "Bangla," an awkwardly charming 22-year-old Italian-Bengali panics when he falls in love with an impulsive and spirited Italian girl. The attraction between them is immediate, and Phaim will have to figure out how to reconcile his love with his life full of rules. Highlighted in Rotterdam’s International Film Festival in the Big screen competition section. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
This beautifully nuanced, sensual and insightful feature film, which premiered at Cannes this year, explores the forbidden attraction between a maid and her wealthy employer, whilst thwarting the expectations of a typical Indian love story. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
Renowned documentarian Anand Patwardhan charts his country's slide away from secular democracy and toward divisions of power, caste, and religious belief — and the violence that has followed.
View 16 original programs highlighting some of the best new LGBTQ+ films from around the world.
Experience spoken word, short plays, and storytelling monologues from an intergenerational collective in a virtual program.
Join us for Re-Storying the Ramayana: A Role-Playing Game Virtual Program, a FREE event by the Asian Art Museum on THURSDAY, JUNE 3 at 4PM PST.
3rd i's 19th annual SF International South Asian Film Festival presents some of the best cinema from South Asia and its Diaspora, including stories from India, Sri Lanka, France, UK and the Pakistani community in the US.
This feel-good romantic-comedy is about an Indian American couple forced to shelter in place, after their first date.
A romantic comedy that highlights the stories of three young Pakistani-American women looking for love in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York.
3rd i’s signature shorts program brings California filmmakers into conversation with filmmakers from South Asia and the Diaspora.
The arid, mountainous landscape of southeast India, Tamil Nadu, makes for a rewarding and sublime visual experience in the gorgeously shot Pebbles.
French-Sri Lankan director Lawrence Valin offers up a gripping coming-of-age crime romance by immersing us in the gritty Tamil underworld of iconic Paris, France.
