In 2025, Matwaala celebrates a milestone—its tenth anniversary—marking a decade of amplifying South Asian voices and fostering a poetic community. To honor this journey, Matwaala launches the first-ever South Asian Poetry Film Fest, a curated exhibit of poetry films that will take place on October 4, 2025, at the South Asia Institute in Chicago.
This groundbreaking event is one of the many events under the aegis of Matwaala Mehfilm, celebrating this milestone. This festival will showcase the intersection of poetry and film, where lyrical language meets visual storytelling. Featuring diverse South Asian poets and filmmakers from across the diaspora, the festival will explore themes of identity, migration, memory, and resilience. By bringing these works together under one roof, Matwaala Mehfil offers audiences a rare opportunity to witness how poetry expands beyond the page into cinematic expression.
The Poetry Film Festival will be both a celebration of artistry and a bridge connecting communities through the universal language of poetry.