April 17, 2024

AFS Cinema

May 3rd to May 5th

stand in college. Imran said that Sheila ghosted him, and Sheila insists they just fell into different social circles. After this discussion, Imran asks, “and now?” They have a very affectionate and passionate moment, but Sheila abruptly pulls away. Imran asks if he did anything wrong, and Sheila tells him a secret. The film ends on an ambiguous note.

So, That Happened

USA | Short

2024 | 9 mins | English,Urdu

In-Person Q&A with Filmmaker Neha Aziz

Sheila gets a phone call from her mom letting her know that a family friend, Imran, is moving back to town. Her mom is adamant that Sheila should do her duty as a good daughter to extend a hand and makes sure he feels welcome. Eventually, Shelia relents to her mom’s request. When she hangs up the phone, she goes to Imran’s Facebook page and reminisces about her college days. The pair meet at a wine bar in the early evening, and their hangout lasts for several hours. They talk about how the city has changed, what they are both up to, their dating lives, and finally their one night

About the Artist

Neha Aziz is a Pakistani-born writer, filmmaker, festival programmer, and podcaster living in Austin, TX. From 2017 - 2020, Neha worked at SXSW as a member of the Communications team. She currently works as the Artistic Director for Austin Asian American Film Festival, Film Programmer for rePRO and the Cleveland International Film Festival, in addition to being the Communications Manager for the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc).In 2021, she was named an iHeartRadio NextUP fellow for their inaugural podcast program; her show, PARTITION (limited series) debuted in August 2022 and has been featured on Apple Podcasts, Forbes, NPR, The Austin Chronicle, The 19th News, The Austin American - Statesman, The RepresentASIAN Project, Asian Founded, and more. In 2023, Neha was one of five recipients of the WAVE Grant from Wavelength Productions, a grant and one year mentorship given to first time female/non-binary directors of color. Her short, SO, THAT HAPPENED marked her directorial debut and will premiere in the Spring of 2024.