April 23, 2026 at 11:00:00 PM
AFS Cinema
World Premiere
Texas Jaanu
USA | Short
2026 | 16 mins | English
Live Q&A with writer-director-producer Aliza Khan and producer Mase Kerwick
Shown as part of the Texas showcase
South Asian Film Festival of Montreal
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
ZOYA (26), a bold immigrant from India, is navigating Austin on her own terms when she meets amateur filmmaker NATHAN (23). She joins him and his friends LUCY (24) and HAWKE (22) to make a zero-budget film, discovering her creative voice in the process. Her husband AAMIR (29), a rigid software engineer, feels threatened by her eccentric new life. To reconnect with Zoya, Aamir must shed his rigidity and embrace spontaneity, discovering his own capacity for joy and romance.

Restoration Process
About the Artist

Aliza Khan is a filmmaker based between India and the U.S. A University of Southern California graduate, she trained in Hollywood and worked in Los Angeles with producer Deepak Nayar (Bend It Like Beckham, Netflix’s Sense8). She later joined Guneet Monga’s ‘Sikhya Entertainment’, developing and producing across features, shorts, documentaries, and podcasts in collaboration with Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify. Her projects include the Academy Award–winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers and Netflix’s Pagglait, as well as the independent short Mirage, winner of the NALIP x Netflix Grant for Women of Color filmmakers. Her directorial debut, Texas Jaanu, filmed in Austin, is set to premiere in 2026, with grant support and recognition from director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air). Upcoming work includes Love on the Rocks (Hyderabad, spring 2026).

Trailer
For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions.
Credits
Director:
Aliza Khan
Writer:
Aliza Khan
Dini Parayitam
Producer(s):
Aliza Khan
Mase Kerwick
Film Editor:
Jessica Lund
Poorva Bhat
Sajel Parekh Oelerich
Srinivas Chilukuri
This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.



