The International South Asian Film Festival brings 77 films to downtown Surrey from Sept. 23 to 27, including several first screenings in Canada or the world.
The Story
The International South Asian Film Festival (iSAFF) is set to take place in downtown Surrey later this month, running Wednesday, September 23 through Sunday, September 27. Now in its 16th year, the festival will screen a total of 77 films across several venues in Surrey, offering a multi-day programme built around the theme of Dreamscapes.
Organizers say the lineup is international in scope and language, featuring works from 15 countries presented in 19 languages. The programming includes eight feature films and 69 short films, reflecting a wide range of storytelling styles from narrative cinema to documentary and genre-driven works.
A key highlight of the 2026 slate is the number of titles receiving their first screening anywhere in Canada or in the world. According to the festival’s programme information, more than half of the films listed fall into that “first time screened” category, positioning iSAFF as both a showcase for established voices and an entry point to new films for local audiences.
For filmgoers looking for an opening-night feature, the festival includes the B.C. premiere of the dark comedy Lali. Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Lali is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at Landmark Cinemas Guildford Theatre, with the programme describing it as intersecting themes of desire, superstition and fear.
Lali’s story, as outlined in the festival’s description, follows protagonists ZeBa and Sajawal as they live among ghosts while navigating a comedic, spooky premise. The film is positioned as a darkly humorous take that blends supernatural atmosphere with human emotions, offering a genre approach that can appeal to audiences who want more than straightforward drama.
Another screening during the festival is The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, directed by Habiba Nosheen. Set for Friday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. at Landmark Cinemas Guildford Theatre, the festival describes it as an intimate coming-of-age documentary that follows three female teenage gymnasts growing up in Pakistan.
The documentary’s focus includes the athletes’ experiences with expectations about what women can and cannot do, with the programme noting that it captures a deeply moving story from a region that is not often seen on screen. For viewers in Metro Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland, the film’s documentary format offers a different pace from fictional narratives while remaining closely tied to lived realities.
Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m., iSAFF also presents Love Chaos Kin at Landmark Cinemas Guildford Theatre, directed by Chithra Jeyaram. The festival describes the film as following Lakshmi, a mother of two white adopted twins—Anjali and Meghan—whom she has raised in an American-Indian family.
As the twins develop a desire to find their birth mother, the programme’s synopsis says Lakshmi is drawn into confronting difficult feelings and supporting her daughters on their search for Brandy, a white woman described as their biological mother. The description further notes that Lakshmi is also dealing with her own pregnancy, adding layers of identity, family pressure and connection as the story unfolds.
For audiences seeking a genre-bending selection on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m., iSAFF includes Namaslay, directed by Rish and Kanish, at Landmark Cinemas Guildford Theatre. The festival’s programme characterizes Namaslay as a genre-smashing horror satire that reimagines masala cinema through a dark lens.
The festival’s description of the film says it explores how the West has appropriated yoga while framing culture as something “that keeps the dead alive.” In practical terms for moviegoers, this suggests an evening screening that is built for viewers interested in satirical storytelling and horror elements rather than character-driven realism alone.
Beyond the featured film picks, iSAFF’s larger context is tied to its role within Canadian industry programming. The festival is described as the only South Asian film festival in Western Canada and as a Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival, which may be relevant to readers tracking major genre and regional film platforms.
For those attending from Vancouver or elsewhere in B.C., the festival’s location in Surrey may make car travel and public transit planning important, since iSAFF screenings are scheduled at multiple venues across the city. Tickets and festival passes are described as varying in cost by film or event and are available through the festival’s ticketing information, with the full programme running throughout the week from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27.
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