Manoj Singh, Manoj, an IT Consultant, has always had a passion for the arts. He has acted in several prominent plays, including: Mere Bachhe, Jisne Lahore Nahi Dekhya woh Jamiya Nahi and A Tryst with Destiny. He is a member of Natya Bharati, the Actors Center, and Storytellers Short Film Club. In 2012, Manoj and his wife Geeta started Ceasar Productions – it has fast become DCs premier company for hosting South Asian TV Talk Show, Theatre, Music, Films and Book-Reading events. In 2018, we started Not for Profit 501 (c)(3) organization DC South Asian Arts Council Inc under which we now host the DC South Asian Film Festival and DC South Asian Literary Festival and soon to add more year round programming.
Sangeeta Anand, Sangeeta is an executive in the banking sector. She is the hospitality chief and plays an integral role in the management of logistics for DCSAFF. Geeta is involved with several outreach programs in the community and is a key figure for raising funds for South Asian events in the Washington, D.C. area.
Mansoor Ahmed, Mansoor Ahmed (Moonie), DCSAFFs Technical Director, retired as the Division Director for Astrophysics at NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center. During the day he studies the stars and in the evening he shoots them. Moonie made his directorial debut in 2013 with the critically acclaimed film, Bhool. His passion for filmmaking can be traced back to his childhood days in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he lived across from the only English language cinema hall in the city – it wasn’t long before he became mesmerized by the world of international cinema.
Shirish Nene, Shirish Néné has served on the jury of the DC South Asian Film Festival every year since 2016, and can regularly be seen at this and other film festivals in the larger metropolitan area. A brief training period with noted Indian dramatist Badal Sircar, started a love for the visual and auditory story telling arts spanning almost forty years, and expanded from the stage to large and small screens. This passion is a family affair today, finding expression in audition workshops with his daughter an LA based actress, and film-making with a son training to be a film director in Virginia. Most recently he and his wife have joined DC Storytellers a dedicated band of moviemakers in the DC metro area.
Vikram Kolluru, Vikram Kolluru works for Thermo Fisher Scientific as an automation systems design engineer by profession. As someone with a great affinity to socialize and deep passion to utilize his creative juices, he has placed himself in community groups linked to theater, cinema and entertainment. Indulging in acting, screenwriting and direction have been his top interests. As team member of DCSAFF Vikram has taken upon multiple hats of media management, organizing volunteers and technical support.
Rajiv Paul, Rajiv is a full time Management Consultant helping organizations with their Digital Transformation. He manages Apnee Community web services for South Asian businesses and events. In addition he is passionate about acting and acted in theaters and movies and also is a Radio Jockey, he does his Suno Audio radio shows every weekend. He has been an active volunteer for the DC South Asian Film Festival that is held every year in the Washington DC area.
Kirit Udeshi is an IT professional and has been living in Washington DC area since 1979. He also works with University of North America as Director of Outreach. He is a current President of Gujarati Samaj and has been very active in Indian American community. He is theater enthusiast and has hosted many plays in DMV area starring Jaya Bachchan, Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah, Shatrugan Sinha, Anupam Kher, Rakesh Bedi, Neena Gupta etc. He has also acted in two short films. Kirit was also part of local TV show called Image-in-Asian. He also produced Radio show called Geetmala for three years. He has been associated with DCSAFF for a long time.
Meera has been acting for over four decades, performing on stages in India and in Washington DC, MD, VA, PA, NJ and NYC. She has also acted in numerous indie feature and short films. Meera hosts a monthly TV show “Potluck”. Meera has been an active team member of the DCSAACI and helps with planning, execution, and management of the events.
Vandana Narang, Vandana Narang is a member of the Storyteller Film Club. She enjoys writing, script development and directing. Her debut film The Ring,which she wrote and directed, won the Audience Choice Award at the 2014 DCSAFF. In 2017 she wrote and directed The Girl on the Bridge and in 2019 A Night at the Bar both of which were also shown at DCSAFF. She has adapted two screenplays ( Relativity and Mango Party) from short stories that were made into films by the Storytellers Film Group. She owns her own interior design firm and is a running coach.
Sumedha is an enthusiastic volunteer with the DC South Asian Arts Council Inc., where she passionately supports the organization’s mission to promote and elevate South Asian talent across various artistic disciplines, including film, music, literature, and visual arts. With a deep appreciation for the arts, Sumedha actively engages with the South Asian arts community by attending industry events and fostering connections among artists and audiences. She believes in the transformative power of film to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire meaningful change. Her commitment to nurturing a vibrant and inclusive arts community reflects her desire to celebrate the rich tapestry of South Asian heritage.
Chhaya Nene is an actress, director, and journalist. As an actress, she’s currently starring in ‘Yoniverse’ an award-winning play she co-wrote and produced, Nene has also appeared on ABC’s Big Sky, General Hospital, Speechless as well as Netflix’s The OA, and BET’s Sacrifice. As a writer/director, Nene directed ‘Kurta Pants’ an episode she wrote on the award winning series Civil Disobedience. She also has articles published in The Washington Post, The Global Post, and Reader’s Digest.
Shireesh Khemariya is an Indian film director, best known for his critically acclaimed feature film Who Am I (2023), which garnered widespread recognition at several international film festivals. A graduate of Whistling Woods International, Shireesh began his career at Saregama Yoodlee Films as an Associate Creative Producer. With a keen interest in pushing cinematic boundaries, he is currently exploring VR and new forms of filmmaking, blending technology with storytelling to create immersive experiences. With a distinct storytelling style, Shireesh has made a mark in the indie film circuit. In addition to Who Am I, he has contributed to notable projects like KD, Chaman Bahaar, Habaddi, and Zombiwali, showcasing his versatility across different genres. His work reflects a deep understanding of human emotions, often intertwined with philosophical and social themes.