2022 FILMS
The 2022 Indie Meme Film Festival is a hybrid event, bringing 35+ acclaimed South Asian films to audiences through a combination of theatrical & virtual screenings, Q&A's, mixers, and filmmaker events.
The in-person festival comes to Austin from April 14th - 17th with screenings held at Austin Film Society.
The virtual festival, streaming April 22nd - 24th, will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs.
With films spanning 10 countries and 19 languages, the 7th Indie Meme Film Festival is an unmissable event for all fans of world cinema.
ANY DAY NOW
Texas Premiere
Finland I 2020 I Finnish, Farsi, English I 82 mins I dir. Hamy Ramezan
An Iranian family in Finland await the final decision on their asylum application. Meanwhile, their 13-year old son, Ramin, begins junior high and the everyday stuff of life, from days at the lake to quiet apartment dance parties - goes on.
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Jussi Award - 'Best Actor' for Shahab Hosseini
Official Selection: Berlinale
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BARAH x BARAH (12 x 12)
India I 2021 I Hindi I 118 mins I dir. Gaurav Madan
Following a photographer of the dead in Varanasi, Barah x Barah is poignant look at the life in one of the oldest Indian cities as it undergoes seemingly imperceptible but steady changes.
*Q&A w/ filmmaker Gaurav Madan and Cinematographer Sunny Lahiri
Diorama Festival - Best Indian Feature Film
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In Theaters + Online
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BIRIYAANI
India I 2020 I Malayalam I 95 mins I dir. Sajin Baabu
A married Muslim woman is forced out of her village when her brother is accused of terrorist connections. She seeks a new home & fulfillment while surviving systems that marginalize her and prevent justice.
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Kerala State Award - Best Actress for
Kani Kusruti
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Online Only
I AM BELMAYA
Southwest Premiere
Nepal I Nepali I 86 mins I Documentary I dir. Sue Carpenter & Belmaya Nepali
A revolutionary tale of a Nepali woman’s determination to challenge social norms and build an alternate future. We follow Belmaya as she defies caste and class barriers to become a documentarian and raise a young daughter.
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British Independent Film Awards - Nominee 'Best Documentary'
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Online Only
LAST FILM SHOW
Texas Premiere
India I Gujarati I 110 mins I dir. Pan Nalin
A 9-year-old boy in a remote village begins a lifelong love affair with cinema when he bribes his way into a rundown movie palace and spends the summer watching & learning from the projection booth.
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Tribeca Film Festival - Audience Award' (2nd Place)
Official Selection: Sydney, Reykjavik, Palm Springs Int'l Film Festival
In Theaters Only
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LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM
Texas Premiere
Bhutan I Dzhongka I 107 mins I dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji
Ugyen, a reluctant young teacher, just wants to finish his final year of service and move to Australia to pursue music. But when he's assigned to the world's most remote village school, he must reconsider his path and ties to his homeland.
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Academy Award Nominee '22 - 'Best International Feature'
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In Theaters Only
MIDWIVES
Southwest Premiere
Myanmar I Burmese, Rakhine I 91 mins I Documentary I dir. 'Snow' Hnin Ei Hlaing
Hla is the Buddhist owner of a makeshift medical clinic in Myanmar, while Nyo Nyo, her young apprentice, belongs to the persecuted Rohingya Muslim community. Amidst the civil unrest, the two women support and challenge one another as they work to provide steady healthcare.
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Sundance Film Festival - 'Special Jury Award for Verite Filmmaking'
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In Theaters Only
A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING
Texas Premiere
India I Hindi, Bengali/Bangla I 97 mins I dir. Payal Kapadia
In this docu-drama hybrid, the love letters of a young film student, L, to her estranged lover are juxtaposed with the drastic changes to campus life and the political landscape in India, which result in student protests and uprising.
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Cannes Film Festival- 'Best Documentary'
In Theaters + Online
NOT TODAY
Southwest Premiere
India I Hindi I 92 mins I dir. Aditya Kripalani
Aliah, a Bohri Muslim girl from a traditional family, secretly becomes a Suicide Prevention Counsellor. On her first day, an unusual call comes in, which challengers her to confront why she took on the job in the first place.
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Bengaluru Int'l Film Festival - FIPRESCI International Critics Award + 'Best Asian Film'
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Online Only
PEBBLES (KOOZHANGAL)
Texas Premiere
India I Tamil I 75 mins I dir. P.S Vinothraj
A young boy follows his alcoholic father on a quest to find his mother, who has run away from his domestic abuse. The two cross the arid landscape by foot and bus, unsure of what they will do when they arrive.
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Int'l FF Rotterdam - Tiger Award (Top Prize)
Independent Spirit Awards '22 Nominee - 'Best International Feature'
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In Theaters + Online
REHANA
U.S Premiere
Bangladesh I Bengali, Bangla I 107 mins I dir. Abdullah Mohammad Saad
In this powerfully-acted thriller, an assistant professor at a medical college finds her life thrown into chaos when she witnesses an unexpected incident involving a female student
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Bangladesh's Official Oscar Submission
Asia Pacific Screen Awards - 'Best Actress' Award
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In Theaters Only
RK/RKAY
Austin Premiere
India I Hindi I 95 mins I dir. Rajat Kapoor
A frustrated filmmaker can't get his latest feature to click. Things take a turn for the worse when the lead character he also plays runs out of the edit and into real life.
Q&A w/ Rajat Kapoor in attendance
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Official Selection - Shanghai International Film Festival, Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival
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In Theaters + Online
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SHORTS PROGRAM
An Early Spring
India I Hindi I Pahari I 38 mins I dir. Pramati Anand
In a Himalayan village, a local girl befriends a female backpacker. Tensions arise when the girl’s mother believes their friendship is stoking her daughter’s rebellious ideas.
Screens in: Shorts Program 1 - End of the World (Theaters) + Family Shorts (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
A Coup
Pakistan I Urdu I 8 mins I dir. Areeba Naveed
When a young girl comes out to her biased psychiatrist in 1983, he calls her parents for an intervention to cure her.
N. American Premiere
Screens in: Shorts Program 1 - End of the World(In Theaters + LGBTQ Stories Online)
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In Theaters + Online
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Baahar (Outside)
USA I English I Hindi I 14 mins I dir. Prakshi Malik
Disaster brews when Seher gets accepted to a boarding school--a dream come true--on the evening of a big family dinner.
UT- Austin Local Project, AFS Grant
Screens in: Shorts 1 - End of the World (In Theaters + Family Shorts Online)
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In Theaters + Online
Bambirak
Germany I USA I German, Dari (Afghan) I 14 mins I dir. Zamarin Wahdat
When 8-year-old Kati stows away in her father's delivery van, Faruk must juggle his responsibilities as a single dad while holding down his first job in a new country.
Sundance '21 - Best International Fiction Award
Screens w/: REHANA (In Theaters), Family Shorts (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
The Blind Date
India I Hindi I17 mins I dir. Mihir Dhiraj Upadhyay
Raghav and Najma are a blind couple with a deep connection. However, on their latest seaside date they must face an upcoming change.
World Premiere
Screens in: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) and A Matter of Survival (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
Chai
USA I English, Persian I 8 mins I dir. Arshum Rouhanian
With the grand opening of their chai stand, Iranian siblings, Sanam and Reza are faced with the unexpected competition from their neighbors' hot chocolate stand
Screens w/: Any Day Now (In Theaters) , Family Shorts (Online) .
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In Theaters + Online
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India I Malayalam I 8 mins I dir. Balaram J
Cycle
India I Hindi, Telugu, Oriya, Bengali I 20 mins I dir. Devashish Makhija
A wronged young tribal woman, in the absence of systemic justice, turns rebel, but struggles to fulfill the expectations that the path to retribution demands.
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Screens w/: A Matter of Survival (Online)
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Online Only
Dal Bhat
India I Gujarati I 29 mins I dir. Nemil Shah
10-year-old Mukti wishes to swim in the newly filled lake, after a long drought. A seemingly simple wish turns to an unexpected discovery about himself.
Screens in: Shorts Program 1 - End of the World As We Know It (In-Person)
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In Theaters Only
Grasshoppers Sleep Here
When a mowing man comes to cut down the grass in a field, he finds a girl is sleeping there - determined to protect the insects who call it home. U.S Premiere
Screens w/: Lunana - A Yak in the Classroom (In Theaters) , Family Shorts (Online) .
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In Theaters + Online
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Kanya
India I Tamil I 15 mins I dir. Apoorva Satish
A coming-of-age, drama about an adolescent girl whose aspirations of becoming a competitive swimmer takes an unexpected turn when she gets her first period.
Screens w/: A Matter of Survival (Online)
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Online Only
Local Middle Schooler
USA I English I 11 mins I dir. Sanjna Bharadwaj
Anagha Narayan is your average eighth grader and wants nothing more than to have clear skin. Her life changes when she wishes on a fallen eyelash and her wish is granted - causing the world to take notice.
A SXSW '22 Official Selection
Screens w/: Shorts Program 1 (In Theaters + Beyond The End of the World (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
Hot Chocolate
A growing boy and his mother form an important bond through lovingly prepared cups of hot chocolate.
Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) , Family Shorts (Online) .
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In Theaters + Online
USA I English I 3 mins I dir. Lila Mali
Miniaturist of Junagadh
India I Hindi, Urdu I 29 mins I dir. Kaushal Oza
1947. The ravages of Partition compel
an artist to sell his ancestral home and move to Pakistan. When the man buying the house learns of the artist's invaluable miniature collection he schemes to get ahold of it, but all is not what it seems.
Winner - Best Short Film - Imagine India
Screens w/: RK/RKAY (In Theaters)​
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In Theaters Only
Mono No Aware
India I Hindi I 20 mins I dir. Koushik Sarkar
In Mumbai, 10-year-old Poorna wakes up to her morning routine and heads out on a school trip, visiting an ancient hill and an old-age home. She finds herself immersed in "mono no aware", a Buddhist term meaning ‘watching the passing', reflecting on changes in her family & the world
Southwest Premiere.
Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) + Beyond The End of the World (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
Moshari
Bangladesh I Bengali I 21 mins I dir. Nuhash Humayun
When the world is overrun with bloodthirsty creatures, two sisters persevere by spending nights inside the moshari - the traditional South Asian mosquito net - the only known shelter from the threat.
A SXSW '22 Official Selection
Screens w/: Shorts Program 1 (In Theaters + Beyond The End of the World (Online)
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In Theaters + Online
My Mother's Girlfriend
India I Hindi, Marathi I 15 mins I dir. Arun Fulara
Renuka is in love with Sadiya, another woman, but her adult son, Mangesh, doesn't know. One day, he sees them out celebrating and Renuka's worlds collide.
Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories (Online)
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Online Only
Noor & Layla
Canada I English I 15 mins I dir. Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It's the end of the road for these two Muslim women... or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.
Screens w/ Beyond The End of the World Online)
Online Only
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Navozande, Le Musicien
France I No dialogue I 15 mins I dir. Reza Riahi
At the time of the attack of the Mongols, a young musician and the love of his life are separated from each other. A story of love, war, and hardship in 13th-century Persia.
Winner : 'Best Animated Short' Award at
Tribeca Film Festival
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Screens w/: Beyond The End of the World (Online)
Online Only
Receiver
Canada I English I 15 mins I dir. Cavan Campbell
Sriyani, an idealistic and overtaxed Sri Lankan-Canadian social worker, has built her life around helping others, but at the expense of those closest to her. Who is going to defend Sriyani when she is hypnotized by a caller tonight?
Screens w/: A Matter of Survival (Online)
Online Only
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The Song We Sang
India I Hindi I English 20 mins I dir. Aarti Neharsh
Roaming the streets of Ahmedabad on a festive Navaratri night, two young women may have the chance to fall for each other.
Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories (Online)
Online Only
Sheer Qorma
India I Hindi I English 30 mins I dir.Faraz Arif Ansari
A story of belonging and acceptance, identity and family told through courageous, queer women choose to embrace love that exists beyond their personal beliefs and social moralities.
Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories (Online)
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Online Only
Testimony of Ana
India I Gujarati I 24 mins I dir. Sachin Dheeraj
Anaben Pawar is an elderly tribal woman accused of witchcraft. Through Ana’s story, we delve into a deep-rooted culture of patriarchy and examine one of the most monstrous attacks on women’s bodies in modern India: the witch-hunt.
Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters)A Matter of Survival (Online)
In Theaters + Online
Turning Point
USA I English, Malayalam I 15 mins I dir. Rakhesh Raveendran
When an immigrant father on a work visa in the US has too much to drink at a neighborhood party, he learns how dire the consequences could be for his family.
Texas Local Filmmaker
Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters)
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Only In Theaters
U for Usha
India I Marathi I 22 mins I dir. Rohan Kanawade
Usha, a single mother who works as a farm labourer in rural India, finds herself drawn to a female teacher of local primary school, in ways she never knew possible.
Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories (Online)
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Online Only
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Wade
India I 11 mins I dir. Kalp Sanghvi, Upamanyu Bhattacharyya
In a future version of Kolkata, India, rendered unlivable by sea level rise, things take a dark turn when a family of climate change refugees are ambushed by a tiger on the flooded streets.
Beyond The End of the World (Online)
Online Only