Step inside a world where creativity and community collide with Masala Love, a short comedy that explores family, identity, and resilience in a bustling Punjabi takeout restaurant, blending heartfelt storytelling with humour and cultural richness. Follow it with Ora Obscura, a feature doc that captures the playful energy and collaborative spirit of artists from Niagara’s Routine Exploits.
ORA OBSCURA
Routine Exploits, Jessica Chau Nguyen | Canada | 2025 | 60m
A bunch of artists affiliated with Niagara’s Routine Exploits got together one weekend to shoot live sessions. We documented the ensuing shenanigans and interviews with the artists and crew. Everyone involved is someone we've met through our Routine Exploits hijinks. It's been wonderful seeing this community grow: one of musicians and artists who are eager to collaborate, experiment, and venture outside of the bubble of familiarity.
MASALA LOVE
Gursimran Datla | Canada | 2024 | 11m
Masala Love is a vibrant, heartfelt comedy set in a family run restaurant in Toronto GTA , where a single mother struggles to keep her Punjabi takeout restaurant afloat amid cultural clashes, generational rifts, and rising competition. With rich characters, witty dialogue, and spicy visuals, Masala Love serves a warm, relatable dish of diaspora life.
Gursimran Datla is an Ontario-based filmmaker and producer, and the founder of BetterHalf Films. Known for championing South Asian Canadian stories, his work blends comedy, drama, and social commentary. Gursimran’s films have screened at the International Film Festival of South Asia, Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival, and Nuit Blanche. A graduate in advanced filmmaking and arts administration, he honed his craft through programs like the Whistler Producers Lab, Reykjavik Talent Lab, and NSI EAVE. Gursimran was recently selected for the 2025 Banff-Netflix Diversity of Voices Initiative.