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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. 
 

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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.

Read more...

Jussi Award - 'Best Actor' for Shahab Hosseini

Official Selection: Berlinale

 In Theaters + Online

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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.

Read more...

*Q&A w/ filmmaker Gaurav Madan and Cinematographer Sunny Lahiri 

Diorama Festival - Best Indian Feature Film

 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. 

Read more..

Kerala State Award - Best Actress for    
Kani Kusruti

Online Only

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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. 

Read more...

British Independent Film Awards - Nominee 'Best Documentary'

Online Only

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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. 

Read more...

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.

Read more...

Academy Award Nominee '22 - 'Best International Feature'

In Theaters Only

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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. 

Read more...

Sundance Film Festival - 'Special Jury Award for Verite Filmmaking'

In Theaters Only

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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. 

Read more...

Cannes Film Festival- 'Best Documentary'

 

 In Theaters + Online

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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. 

Read more...

Bengaluru Int'l Film Festival - FIPRESCI International Critics Award + 'Best Asian Film'

Online Only

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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. 

Read more...

Int'l FF Rotterdam - Tiger Award  (Top Prize)

Independent Spirit Awards '22 Nominee - 'Best International Feature'

In Theaters + Online

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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

Read more...

Bangladesh's Official Oscar Submission

Asia Pacific Screen Awards - 'Best Actress' Award

In Theaters Only

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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

Read more...

Official Selection - Shanghai International Film Festival, Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival

 In Theaters + Online

SHORTS PROGRAM

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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.

Read more...

Screens in:  Shorts Program 1 - End of the World (Theaters) + Family Shorts (Online)

In Theaters + Online

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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

Read more...

Screens in:  Shorts Program 1 - End of the World(In Theaters + LGBTQ Stories Online)

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

Read more...

Screens in:  Shorts 1 - End of the World (In Theaters + Family Shorts Online)

In Theaters + Online

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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

Read more...

Screens w/:  REHANA (In Theaters), Family Shorts (Online) 

In Theaters + Online

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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

Read more...

Screens in:  Shorts Program 2  (In Theaters) and A Matter of Survival (Online)

In Theaters + Online

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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

Read more...

Screens w/:  Any Day Now (In Theaters) , Family Shorts (Online) . 

In Theaters + Online

India I Malayalam I 8 mins I dir. Balaram J

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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. 

Screens w/:  A Matter of Survival  (Online) 

Online  Only

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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. 

Read more...

Screens in:   Shorts Program 1 - End of the World As We Know It (In-Person)

In Theaters Only

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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

Read more...

Screens w/:  Lunana - A Yak in the Classroom (In Theaters) , Family Shorts  (Online) . 

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.

Read more...

Screens w/:  A Matter of Survival (Online)

Online Only

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