Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s Lali and Habiba Nosheen’s The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony took two of the top prizes at the International South Asian Film Festival of Canada, which announced its 2026 competition winners on Sunday in Surrey, BC.
Co-written and directed by Khoosat, Lali won the award for Excellence in Feature Filmmaking at iSAFF. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and gave iSAFF its British Columbia premiere at the festival’s opening night on Thursday September 24th. The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony enjoyed its Canadian Premiere and took home the Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking after having its world premiere in June at the Tribeca Festival. The feature documentary is Executive Produced by Malala Yousafzai and Mariska Hargitay.
Other films and filmmakers recognized at Awards Night included Indian actor Sayani Gupta’s directorial debut short film Aasmani, as well as New York-based director and cinematographer, Nausheen Dadabhoy, who received honors from jury members in two different categories.
“Over the past 16 years, iSAFF has remained a home for bold filmmakers and unforgettable stories,” said festival producer Mannu Sandhu. “This year’s films and award winners showcase the extraordinary talent and range of South Asian cinema and we’re proud to bring them to the city of Surrey.”
iSAFF featured winners and honorable mentions in five categories including Excellence in Feature Filmmaking, Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, Excellence in Short Filmmaking (North America), Excellence in Short Filmmaking (International) and the Sher Pride Award for Best 2SLGBTQ+ Film, which is sponsored by Sher Pride and also features a cash prize.
iSAFF 2026 Competition Winners
Excellence in Short Filmmaking (International)
Winner: Kuchar, Vaidaangi Sharma
Honorable Mention: We Were Here, Pranav Bhasin
Honorable Mention: Aasmani, Sayani Gupta
Excellence in Short Filmmaking (North America)
Winner: Anatomy of a F*ckboy, Fatima Asghar
Honorable Mention: Portrait, Ishq Pradhan
Honorable Mention: The Curfew, Shehrezad Maher
The Sher Pride Award for Best 2SLGBTQ+ Film
Winner: Halal Bodies, Nausheen Dadabhoy
Honorable Mention: Shitcute, Ritisha Jhamb & Ry Fry
Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking
Winner: The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, Habiba Nosheen
Honorable Mention: Harvest Party at Camp Two, Rajan Gill & Reaa Puri Honorable Mention: Halal Bodies, Nausheen Dadabhoy
Excellence in Feature Filmmaking
Winner: Lali, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
The festival’s Feature Film Jury included acclaimed actor Sayani Gupta, Casting Director and CSA President Destiny Lilly, and Canadian filmmaker Amar Wala. Serving on the festival’s juries in the four accompanying categories were UBC Professor Neda Maghbouleh, artist and activist Sundeep Morrison, Israelism filmmaker Sam Eilertsen, and multihyphenate artists Kausar Mohammed (Appendage), Parvesh Cheena (The Mandalorian), and Jess McLeod (AMC’s The Audacity), alongside Casting Director Bim Narine, Producer Julie Bersani, Actor and Musician Yvette González Nacer (Broadway’s Hadestown), screenwriter Manu Chopra, Producer Anchal Khaneja, and filmmaker and actor Uttera Singh (Pinch).
The iSAFF board also announced special awards to attending filmmakers and performers at their Honors Night hosted on Wednesday September 23rd. The awards included awards for the following: Emerging Artist Award, the DGC BC Emerging Director Award co-presented by The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Leadership Award, the Icon Award, and the very special Deepa Mehta Legacy Award which was inaugurated last year in honor of its Oscar-nominated namesake, filmmaker Deepa Mehta.
iSAFF Honors Night Award Recipients
Emerging Artist Award: G. Amarnath Sankar
DGC BC Emerging Director Award: Shanthini Balasubhramanian Leadership Award: Sayani Gupta
Icon Award: Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Deepa Mehta Legacy Award: Balinder Johal
The 2026 iSAFF Canada program presented 77 films representing 15 countries and spoken in 19 languages, offering Surrey and BC audiences an expansive showcase of South Asian and diasporic storytelling. Of the 77 films in the DREAMSCAPES themed program, more than half received their first screenings anywhere in Canada or the world. The program includes: 17 World Premieres, 9 International Premieres, 6 North American Premieres, 28 Canadian Premieres, and 10 British Columbia Premieres.
