Simran Sawhney: Inside The Jury Room At WorldFest Houston

Simran Sawhney is a director of photography who is currently serving as a jury member at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. She brings hands on professional experience to the evaluation of global cinema. Born and raised in India and now based in Los Angeles, her work has been recognised at Oscar qualifying and BAFTA affiliated festivals, including the Bangalore International Short Film Festival, AFI FEST, and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, as well as by institutions such as the National Academy of Television Arts & Science.

WorldFest Houston, one of the longest running independent film festivals in the United States, has built its reputation on showcasing cinema from across the world. Founded in 1968, the Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival brings together films shaped by diverse cultural and cinematic languages, with a longstanding focus on independent cinema and emerging voices.

This year, WorldFest Houston’s jury includes established working professionals evaluating films from across the globe. Among them is Simran Sawhney, who brings a cinematographer’s perspective to the evaluation process.

Simran notes that evaluation is anchored in intention and progression. Small details matter, because each image must reveal something new rather than repeat what has already been established. A film sustains engagement when its visual and emotional beats advance steadily, allowing the story to move forward with momentum.

This sense of progression has become even more critical in an era shaped by short form and vertical viewing formats, where audiences are accustomed to constant movement and fast paced narrative. In a judging capacity, particularly when engaging with emerging voices, sustained engagement depends on whether each frame carries purpose and pushes the film forward.

As a director of photography, Simran recognises that technical precision is not absolute. There are moments when accuracy is deliberately set aside if it serves the story being told. For this reason, narrative purpose remains the primary measure in evaluation.

With films like Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, gaining international attention and signalling a broader global appetite for Indian storytelling, the presence of Indian professionals on juries within international film ecosystems has taken on renewed significance.

As Indian films continue to circulate across international festival circuits, representation within global jury spaces reflects a wider exchange of perspectives. In this evolving landscape, the South Asian diaspora finds steady representation in artists like Simran Sawhney, whose presence in international spaces carries cultural grounding forward while engaging meaningfully with international film spaces.