18th Tasveer Festival: Jury 2023

Anushree Mehta is a writer, director & producer. Her educational qualifications are: MBA in International Business & a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature & Economics. She is wholly and completely in love with Cinema & is a self-taught filmmaker. Her journey of 13 years in the film industry has taught her the business. of entertainment apart from the two other main aspects of filmmaking which is writing & direction. She is now all set to expand her company Jaadugar Films & take it to new pinnacles of success.

Apoorva Bakshi is an International EMMY Award-winning producer, most notably known for her NFLX Series DELHI CRIME and the widely watched Doc Series THE HUNT FOR VEERAPPAN; National Award-winning films, SHUT UP SONA & LEECHES; and Netflix Musical WHAT ARE THE ODDS?. She serves as a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Golden Karavan, Awedacious Originals, and Project FUEL carving her niche as one of the youngest producers of prolific South Asian productions.

An accomplished story engineer, Apoorva collaborated with auteurs & filmmakers and developed a robust slate of genre-defying projects which include Book Adaptations, Period Drama Series, Animation Features, Scripted and Unscripted Films, and TV shows. A fierce guardian of independent voices, Apoorva has also successfully acquired and distributed over 50+ award-winning independents, notably the Cannes favorites, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR; Golden Globe shortlists FANDRY & SIDDHARTH; IDFA winner PLACEBO and Indian Selection for the Oscars VISARANAI among others. She has also worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks Asia on large-scale format productions AMAZING RACE ASIA, CYRIL SIMPLY MAGIC & INDIA’S MINUTE TO WIN IT.

Chaitanya Sareen is a creative and technologist with a passion for storytelling. He is a Co-Executive Producer of the film, “Meet the Patels.” He is also a seasoned product leader with 20 years of technology experience and over 50 patents. Chaitanya and his teams crafted the spatial computing of mixed reality products (HoloLens, HoloLens 2, and VR), the multitasking and productivity innovations of Microsoft Windows, and information worker breakthroughs in Microsoft Office. He has founded startups in the fields of distance-learning as well as user-generated content. His photography has appeared in the New York Times and he has published an audiobook. Chaitanya is always in search of a good story.

Matt Gamarra is the co-writer and co-producer of the award-winning short film, Broken Drawer directed by Rippin Sindher. His short screenplays have been lauded by the Writing Battle, Frights! Camera! Action! Screenplay & Film Contest and the Upstate NY Horror Film Festival. He’s currently developing several feature screenplays, including A.C.L. – a Finalist for the Screenplay Festival and Quarter-Finalist for the Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards. Matt was executive producer of the feature film, Salivate directed by Martin Wurst, and the short film, The Hideout directed by Rippin Sindher. He was an associate producer on the feature film, Sweet Dreams directed by David W. Keffer, available on Prime Video. For a day job, Matt was an event producer for ArcLight Cinemas and the Directors Guild of America before doing freelance work for the Motion Picture Television Fund and Netflix. In 2018, he produced the live comedy show, The No-Pants Comedy Hour.

NAMAN GUPTA is an award-winning BIPOC director/writer and Ryan Murphy’s Director Shadowing Program 2022 fellow. Diverse, inclusive and loves blending fiction with contemporary social issues so that his films can reach a wider audience. His immigrant background and his unique lived experiences (three countries and countless cities) help him bring a fresh and authentic voice, impassioned talent and a deep understanding of storytelling to all his projects.

His films have screened at over EIGHTY film festivals. His latest film COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE was the winner of Netflix sponsored Tasveer Film Fund and has screened at over FIFTY FIVE Film Festivals, including Tribeca Festival, and won FIFTEEN awards.

A unique TV series, “a sci-fi immigrant family drama, intertwined with an LGTBQ romance and rivalry”, based on the short, is in development.

Naman is also working on a Jordan Peele’isq style PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FEATURE PROJECT, with a unique South Asian angle.

Nidhin Patel is a film educator and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in India, where he completed his Master of Development Communication with a university gold medal. Later, he worked as an entertainment journalist, and then as head creative writer for a communication agency—working in areas such as advertising, branding and corporate films—before moving to the US to pursue his MFA in TV, Film and Theater production at Cal State LA.

He has been working as a freelancer in various production departments, having been a part of numerous film projects that have reached audiences through national/international film festivals and platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. He is also an award-winning film instructor with an extensive teaching experience, and is certified by the Association of College and University Educator. A passionate teacher and storyteller, Nidhin is committed to utilizing his multi-minority experience to nurture diverse stories and storytellers to effect positive change.

Omi Vaidya is an Indian-American actor and filmmaker who gained widespread recognition for his role as Chatur Ramalingam, also known as “The Silencer,” in the critically acclaimed Bollywood film “3 Idiots.” Omi Vaidya’s breakthrough performance in “3 Idiots” propelled him into the limelight and made him a household name in both India and the international film industry.

Omi Vaidya’s portrayal of Chatur Ramalingam, a stereotypical nerd and rival of the film’s main characters, resonated with audiences and became one of the most memorable characters in Indian cinema. His impeccable comic timing and delivery of the infamous “Chatur’s speech” scene, also known as the “Balatkar” speech, became an instant hit and is still widely remembered and quoted today.

Before his role in “3 Idiots,” Omi Vaidya had been involved in theater and had made appearances in American television shows such as “The Office” and “Arrested Development. Following the success of “3 Idiots,” Omi Vaidya continued to work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. He appeared in films like “Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji” (2011), “Desi Boyz” (2011), and “Jodi Breakers” (2012). He also made appearances in popular American television shows like “Bones” and “Brown Nation” and Indian webseries, “Metropark.”

Throughout his career, Omi Vaidya has shown versatility and the ability to adapt to different roles and genres. He has successfully bridged the gap between the Indian and American film industries and has gained a dedicated fan following. His charismatic and relatable persona, coupled with his comedic talent, has endeared him to audiences around the world.

Omi Vaidya’s journey from being an aspiring actor to achieving international fame through “3 Idiots” is a testament to his passion, dedication, and talent. He continues to work in both India and the United States, showcasing his versatility as an actor and filmmaker. With his unique blend of humor and charm, Omi Vaidya has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Sapana Sakya’s background is in journalism and documentary filmmaking. She is the Talent Development & Special Projects Director at the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) designing filmmaker support programs through funding, fellowship and filmmaker convenings such as the CAAM Fellowship program, the Filmmaker Summit and the Complicating Narratives regional gatherings. She partners with documentary film colleagues on regional initiatives like Hindsight and Homegrown, Future Visions that highlight BIPOC storytellers including diverse, nuanced Asian American experiences across the country. During her time in Nepal, she worked with the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (kimff) to create kimff Doc Lab supporting Nepali filmmakers, specifically uplifting underrepresented communities. She trained at the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and has since produced and directed several documentaries (Daughters of Everest, Red White Blue November, Oklahoma Home). Prior to documentary filmmaking, she was a reporter with the English language dailies the Bangkok Post and the Kathmandu Post and worked as a communications officer at the United National Environment Programme (UNEP).