17th Chicago South Asian Film Festival

The Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) returns for its 17th year from September 17 through September 20, 2026, bringing South and Southeast Asian features, shorts, and industry programming to downtown Chicago.

The festival launched in 2010 when founders Amit Rana, Mileen Patel, and Ketki Parikh opened the first edition at the Chicago Cultural Center and Columbia College Chicago with 16 films and guests including Aparna Sen, Deepti Naval, and Ajay Naidu. More than 1,300 attendees showed up that first October weekend.

Organizers later formed the Chicago South Asian Arts Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to run CSAFF year-round. The 2025 edition screened 80+ films across eight days and hosted 25 filmmakers and artists, in 2025.

What to expect

CSAFF typically mixes premiere features, regional cinema, LGBTQ+ storytelling, and documentary lanes in a schedule built for both casual moviegoers and industry attendees. Past editions have highlighted Bollywood crossovers, independent art-house picks, and diaspora directors working between South Asia and North America.

FilmFreeway and festival listings confirm the September 17 to 20 window for 2026. Lineup announcements, venue details, and ticket tiers usually roll out in late summer after the programming jury finishes. Filmmaker submission alerts and public schedule drops arrive later in the season.

Why Chicago matters on the map

CSAFF bills itself as the largest annual South Asian event in the American heartland. Midwest viewers who cannot fly to NYAFF or AAIFF every year often treat CSAFF as the drivable flagship.

Chicago's South Asian restaurant corridors (Devon Avenue, West Loop spillover, suburban Naperville screenings) make festival weekends feel like city-wide programming, not a single theater bubble. Pair a CSAFF weekend with neighborhood dinners if you are visiting from out of state.

When: September 17 to 20, 2026
Where: Downtown Chicago, IL (venues TBA)