Niagara Canada International Film Festival (NCIFF) is an IMDb qualifying festival conducting an innovative international film festival and invites participation from aspiring and upcoming independent filmmakers. A unique film Festival, focusing on opportunity creation for global filmmakers.
Deepa Mahanti’s SAANVI team will take part in the festival, and the VIP Red Carpet on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8. Learn more about the film below.
What happens when tradition becomes a cage, and the very culture meant to protect you turns its back when you need it most?
Story:
Saanvi had always dreamed of freedom—the kind that lingered in the pages of books she read in secret and the silent pauses of songs she hummed beneath her breath. But in the eyes of her conservative South Asian family, especially her mother, duty outweighed dreams.
When Saanvi is of age , she reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage with Rahul, a man chosen by her mother and the elders of their community. “He comes from a good family,” they said. “He will take care of you,” they promised. And so, Saanvi silenced her doubts and surrendered to the cultural expectations that had bound the women in her lineage for generations.
Her marriage was joyous. But when Rahul unexpectedly passed away just a year into their marriage, the walls closed in.
With her husband’s death, she was no longer seen as a wife, but as a burden, a shadow of bad luck. Her in-laws accused her of bringing misfortune, and her own relatives urged silence over dignity.
Traditions turned cruel—they stripped her of agency, of voice, of personhood.
But Saanvi; now silenced and succumbed to her culture , began to see the cracks in her own being and suffered quietly without any voice of her own . Quietly, she found a friend —within the community who had begun to challenge the narrative. Together, they found resolution , offering sanctuary through experience, a new beginning and a refusal to be erased.
Slowly, Saanvi began to reclaim herself—not by rejecting her culture, but by redefining her place within it.
How can films serve as catalysts for shifting cultural perspectives on taboo subjects that society often avoids discussing..?
‘Saanvi ” is a home grown cinematic story rooted in Mississauga and its cast and crew members are the members of the community that believe in social justice and social innovation. It is unfiltered exploration of real-life theme on a digital landscape, It has been selected to be screened and on the Red Carpet at the Niagara Canada International Film Festival on the 7 th June 2025 at the Greg Frewin Theatre, Niagara .
Niagara Canada International Film Festival showcases local and home grown films under the leadership of Gordon So and Jey Jeyakanthan. With “Saanvi” amplifying voices of many on the crossroads, the festival has appointed me as the Corporate Social Responsibility Director and we are inviting local filmmakers on social justice to join us to celebrate and be a part of our success on the 7th June 2025.
The film is based on social innovation” refers to the intersection of storytelling through cinema and efforts to address societal challenges in creative, impactful ways. This connection is powerful because film can raise awareness, inspire action, and challenge dominant narratives that may perpetuate injustice or inequality.
Social engagement and art refers to the practice of using artistic expression as a tool to involve communities in dialogue, collaboration, and action around social issues. This form of art goes beyond aesthetics—it seeks impact, inclusion, and often, change.
How long can silence survive where injustice is a tradition,,?
