As a pre-selection screener and film selector for internationally recognised and emerging festivals, I engage with a diverse spectrum of independent cinema across fiction, documentary, and hybrid works. These roles extend my curatorial practice beyond South Asian contexts to global platforms, deepening my engagement with contemporary Asian, Global South, and international independent filmmaking.

San Diego International Film Festival (2025)

Pre-selection screener for international and American submissions, with a focus on feature documentaries, feature fiction, and short films. I provided in-depth analysis of narrative trends, aesthetics, and cultural impact while identifying standout works aligned with the festival’s programming vision.

Nottingham International Film Festival (2025)

Film Selector across categories with a particular focus on FLINTA (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, agender) narratives and mental health-aligned storytelling. I provided structured evaluations to support programming decisions and filmmaker feedback, with an emphasis on political clarity, intersectional framing, and formal experimentation.

I’m A Migrant Film Festival (2026)

A month-long programme that connects established filmmakers from across the SWANA region with emerging directors from the Arab world, platforming new talent and socially resonant cinema. Current pre-selection and film evaluation role for the festival’s 2026 edition, focusing on stories of migration, displacement, and transnational belonging. The position extends my ongoing interest in films negotiating identity, mobility, and postcolonial trajectories within global cinema.

Brooklyn Film Festival (2026)

Screener, Narrative Shorts Screening Committee. I evaluated narrative short film submissions for storytelling clarity, directorial control, performance, and overall cinematic coherence. My role involved identifying formally assured and thematically resonant works suited to the festival’s independent, artist-driven programme, with particular attention to emerging voices and contemporary urban and diasporic narratives.

Women X Film Festival (2026)

Pre-selection Screener for short films across fiction, documentary, and experimental formats. I assessed submissions foregrounding women and gender-diverse perspectives, engaging with themes of identity, labour, intimacy, and socio-political agency. My evaluations emphasised formal coherence, emotional intelligence, and the articulation of feminist and intersectional concerns within concise cinematic forms.

Overview

Through these engagements, I continue to bring a research-driven, contextually sensitive perspective rooted in Asian and Global South cinemas, while navigating diverse thematic strands and festival frameworks. These collaborations have expanded my curatorial lens across geographies and strengthened my capacity to align artistic discernment with institutional programming objectives.