Filmmaker Kiran Rao thinks Indian independent movies are about to blow up worldwide, and she says festivals like the Tasvear South Asian Film Festival & Market help speed that process up. The Seattle-based event is running its first showcase in Mumbai with two Oscar-qualified films: Holy Curse by Snigdha Kapoor and Humans in the Loop by Aranya Sahay, which Rao is presenting.
Rao praised the documentary for tackling how AI relies on human labor while wiping out indigenous knowledge systems and leaving the global south out of tech development. She argues Indian films miss out on global awards because they lack campaign money rather than talent, and they need better support systems to connect with audiences.
The director says any movie can succeed if it reaches the right people, but access remains the biggest problem for independent creators trying to bridge festival circuits and mainstream visibility.
Rao praised the documentary for tackling how AI relies on human labor while wiping out indigenous knowledge systems and leaving the global south out of tech development. She argues Indian films miss out on global awards because they lack campaign money rather than talent, and they need better support systems to connect with audiences.
The director says any movie can succeed if it reaches the right people, but access remains the biggest problem for independent creators trying to bridge festival circuits and mainstream visibility.
