The First Annual South Asia Film Festival (SAFF) kicked off this week with the opening gala at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. This festival is presenting a collection of feature films, short films, documentaries and animated films. Films will be playing in Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford until Sunday, November 4th.

Veteran Indian actor Jaya Bachchan lit the SAFF festival lamp and officially declared the opening of SAFF Canada 2012.

Bachchan agreed to act as the patron of Vancouver’s new South Asian Film Festival Canada after a request from festival director Hannah Fisher.

This year has been lucky for Pakistanis filmmakers. The Pakistani feature film Lamha (Seedlings) — will have its Canadian Premiere in Vancouver at the South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) of Canada this week.

This film has already won the Best Picture Award at the New York City International Film Festival. Lamha, is set to fly high with its next stop in the Delhi International Film Festival in December.

Urdu film The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, A Torch for Peace, is also being featured as special presentation.

Film scenes at the end of the gallery are from The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan (2), Lamha, Himself He Cooks, and Bol (in that order).

-Text and Photos by Mohsin Abbas for Dawn.com