Tasveer Film Fest Reveals 2018 Poster, Theme

From Tasveer: Colorful kites fly up into a night sky sprinkled with diamonds, and delicate rolls of film buoy them to the ground. Every minute detail, every letter and every curved dome of the Lahore Fort that graces Tasveer’s TSAFF 2018 poster has been meticulously hand cut by local South Asian artist Mita Mahato. Her work is a feat of patience, accuracy, and a keen eye that rethinks the use of handmade and recycled paper materials. Mahato uses collage and multi layering techniques to create textured pieces where color and from interact in different ways.

Instead of deciding on a specific image, she experiments, playing around with color, shape, and layering to see how the various elements interact “With cut paper, you don’t have a concrete idea of what the final piece will look like; it’s during the construction—when you’re moving around elements and seeing how they relate to each other—that the image as a whole starts to come together,” she wrote in an e-mail.This year’s poster exudes warmth and color, with tones of saffron, pale rose and burnt orange that bring to mind the earth of Pakistan. Mahato spent almost six weeks crafting the piece, taking time to think through the specific connection each of the motifs featured on the poster have to Pakistan’s art and culture. “The kites (inspired by the Basant kite festival) became an obvious visual intersection in my mind—a canvas for typical truck art or mehndi design. And then making the kite strings resemble film strips that lead the eye down to the image of the Lahore Fort brought it all together,” wrote Mahato.

When she was approached to create the poster for Tasveer’s 13h South Asian Film Festival, the first thing that captured Mahato’s attention was the Tasveer logo, a girl holding a microphone. According to Mahato, “I wanted to make [her] a central part of the action. I wanted to suggest that it’s her vision that is bringing together and directing the kites, the architecture, and everything else (including the festival!)."The final product is not only a poster that will be seen around the community, but also stands as its own frame-worthy masterpiece that showcases the spirit of Pakistani and the unique work of local South Asian artists who dare to experiment with form and method. -----The 13th annual Tasveer South Asian Film Festival will take place September 28th through October 7th, with a spotlight on Pakistan. This year's theme, #KnowMe, invites filmmakers and audiences to challenge stereotyped representations of Pakistan and the greater South Asian region. Co-founders Rita Meher and Farah Nousheen formed Tasveer after witnessing the prejudice and hate that targeted Muslims and South Asians following 9/11.

Since their first film screening in 2002, Tasveer has become a beacon, illuminating South Asian voices from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the diaspora. With its year-round programming, Tasveer harnesses the power of art through film and storytelling to engage in dialogue, debunk stereotypes, and celebrate culture.If you are interested in covering a story related to our festival, featured artists, or Tasveer's work in general please contact: Kamna Shastrikamna@tasveer.org206 841 1902 www.tasveer.org.

Image via Tasveer