SAWITRI Theatre Group Kicks Off the 6th Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival (MMFF) on July 24th, 2026 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM at Small Arms Inspection Building (SAIB), Mississauga

SAWITRI Theatre Group – Fringe Festival – 3-minute Pitches– Multilingual – theatre – 12 productions – Local artists – Live event–Music– Refreshments 

SAWITRI Theatre Group is excited to present the annual Kick Off Event for the upcoming Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival 2026 at the Small Arms Inspection Building (SAIB). The event introduces the 12 productions that are in this year’s Mississauga Fringe. Each creative team will pitch their show, giving audiences the chance to hear directly from the performers about their production and what inspired it. The event begins with a colourful parade led by a drum line. Entry is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival (MMFF) 2026 runs for two weeks – from August 10^th to the 23^rd. Week 1 runs from August 10-16 at the AN1 Studios, followed by Week 2 from August 17-23 at Sampradaya Theatre. The Kick Off Event marks the beginning of this year’s festival season and invites the community to discover the festival lineup before the productions take the stage.

SAWITRI Theatre Group – Founded in 2003 by Artistic Co-Directors Jasmine Sawant and Shruti Shah, SAWITRI Theatre Group is an award-winning, incorporated not-for-profit organization presenting original works featuring established professionals as well as emerging artists. SAWITRI’s mandate is to educate, inform, entertain, and heal through South Asian theatre arts that foreground women and the new generation, and to highlight issues of socio-political importance with works in some of India’s many languages including English. Winner of the 2016 Marty’s Award for excellence in theatre,

SAWITRI Theatre produces and presents three festivals each year – The SSTF (SAWITRI Shorts Theatre Festival) the MMFF – the Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival, the only multilingual fringe festival in North America and the SFF (SAWITRI FolkFest). Operationally, SAWITRI Theatre Group is partly funded by the City of Mississauga and the Ontario Arts Council, as well as by The Open Space, Nitin Sawant, and the unstinting support of family, friends and volunteers.

Venue – Small Arms Inspection Building (SAIB), 1352 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, ON L5E 1E9

Event Date – July 24th, 2026 – 6:30 PM-9:30 PM

Jasmine Sawant – Founder and Artistic Co-Director and Executive Director of the Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival (MMFF)

Jasmine Sawant is a theatre artist, an actor, writer and cultural leader whose career is defined by a commitment to storytelling that is both purposeful and profound. As the Founder & Artistic Co-Director of the SAWITRI Theatre Group, she has spent over two decades cultivating a space where South Asian performing arts in Mississauga can flourish, bridging the gap between traditional heritage and contemporary Canadian life.

Jasmine’s artistic journey spanning five decades and three continents – from India to the Middle East to her home in Mississauga—brings a worldview that is both global and deeply personal. Her work goes beyond performance, utilizing the stage as a medium for social advocacy, collaborating with community agencies to highlight complex issues like domestic violence and social justice with grace and nuance. Beyond her theatrical leadership, she serves as the Executive Director of Sampradaya Dance Creations, an internationally acclaimed company where she manages the operations along with vigorously furthering the importance of classical Bharatanatyam.

Whether she is acting on stage, or in film, or writing scripts like The Kallus Next Door, Savita Weds Satish or Pandemic Pandemonium, or mentoring emerging talent, her approach is marked by a steady focus on creating a space for South Asian artists to grow and advance in their artistic careers and is imbued with an unwavering dedication to artistic excellence.

A recipient of the Marty Award for Established Literary (2016), and for Established Theatre Arts (2021 and 2026). Jasmine’s influence is felt across boards and advisory panels that she serves on. With a background as diverse as her portfolio—spanning accounting, languages, journalism—she continues to shape the cultural landscape of Mississauga with a vision that is as inclusive as it is inspiring.

Shruti Shah – Artistic Co-Director and MMFF Festival Director

Actor, writer, designer, and Artistic Co-Director of the award-winning SAWITRI Theatre Group, Shruti has worked extensively in professional theatre in India. In Canada, Shruti’s acting credits in films include her principal role in Dowry and in theatre, include her lead role in SAWITRI Theatre Group’s Saree Kahaniyan – Saree Stories and Koi Pan Ek Phoolnu Naam Bolo To? Her writing credits include Ab Kya Karey? and Meri Saas Meri Jaan that she co-wrote with Jasmine Sawant. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, the city of dreams, she has loved Bollywood films since she was a little girl, and remains an avid viewer of these films, and a reader of all things filmi or Bollywood. In May 2018, Shruti directed SAWITRI Theatre’s 12 short plays by Tanuj Khosla, presented as Hindi Shorts and three short plays for Hindi Shorts 2019. Shruti continues to be the actor-director for Hindi Shorts through its nine-year span in what is known as the SAWITRI Shorts Theatre Festiva SSTF, which will celebrate 10 consecutive years of presentation in 2027.

Nitin Sawant – Technical Director

Nitin Sawant has a deep passion for the arts. He prefers to work behind the scenes bringing his technical skills in videography, streaming and projections, and his project management skills to producing theatre and other events. He has supported SAWITRI Theatre Group since its founding and is the Technical Director for SAWITRI Theatre’s productions. He is also the Technical Manager at Sampradaya Theatre. Nitin has managed several performing arts events in Mumbai and the Middle East and has produced arts and culture events and provided technical support to festivals and events organized by many other arts and culture organizations in Canada and the USA.

Participating Artists/Organizations in MMFF 2026

Week 1 at AN1 Studios, 2465 Cawthra Road, Unit #132, Mississauga https://www.an1studios.com/

1. Krithika Aravindan
2. Anu Radha Verma
3. Very Serious Theatre Company (VSTC) – https://www.instagram.com/veryserioustheatre/
4. Jay Bhoi
5. Dramatic Jukebox – https://www.instagram.com/dramaticjukebox/
6. Siva Pemmasani – https://www.instagram.com/yourhomie.sivapemmasani/

Week 2 at Sampradaya Theatre, 3250 Ridgeway Drive, Unit #5, Mississauga https://www.sdt.sampradaya.ca/

1. Think Brown Media
2. Anjalee Nadarajan – https://www.instagram.com/p/DVjd-5nj0t0/
3. A J DreamZ
4. Paper Boats Production
5. Bakwaas Production
6. Adaakar Events