ABU is a journey to the center of a fragmented family while they grapple with religion, sexuality, colonialism and migration. Abu ABU (Father) | 80 min | Canada | English/Urdu/Punjabi 4/22/18, 4:00-6:15 pm GET TICKETS SYNOPSIS ABU is a journey to the center of a fragmented family while they grapple with religion, sexuality, colonialism and migration. Through a tapestry of narratives composed of family footage, observation and classic Bollywood films, gay-identifying Pakistani-Muslim filmmaker Arshad Khan takes viewers through the tense relationships between family and fate, conservatism and liberalism and modernity and familiarity. FILM SPONSORS COMMUNITY PARTNERS TRAILER DIRECTOR'S PROFILE ARSHAD KHAN Khan is a multiple-award-winning filmmaker, film festival director, festival strategist and film educator from Canada. Born in Pakistan, Khan believes in cinema as a catalyst for change. He hopes to make films that shed light on subjects that are ignored by the mainstream media. He is interested in realism in cinema and the new wave in South Asian cinema, yet not restricted to any one cinematic genre. ABU is his first feature documentary and has already won awards and critical praise around the world. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT My family happens to be obscenely well documented. My father loved photography and he loved technology and documentation. We have photos from as far back as the 1930s. I wanted to use as much archival video and photography in my film as possible because I wanted there to be as clear a testament of our history and culture as possible in my film so that future generations will know - yes, the Wasi Khan family was a family worthy of our respect. The need to keep the film as archive heavy as possible with the least amount of new footage meant the challenge to edit it was a gargantuan task for my editor Editor Gagnon, but he worked his magic because this film is nothing short of a miracle. FILM CREDITS Writer/ Director/ Producer : Arshad Khan (gray matter productions) Producer: Sergeo Kirby (Loaded Pictures) Editor: Étienne Gagnon Sound Design: Sylvain Bellemare Music Composer: Michael Robert Snow Animation: Davide Di Saro Characters: Arshad Khan, Asma Mahmood, Arjumand Bano AWARDS Winner Jury Prize - Seattle Twist 2017 Winner Jury Prize - Austin aGLIFF 2017 Honourable Mention - New York Newfest 2017 STILLS Abu-Sajjad-Naseem Arshad-Abu-boat

The 7th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival brings 30+ acclaimed South Asian films to audiences in Austin, TX and nationwide in April 2022. SCHEDULE FILMS ATTEND SPONSORS ABOUT Get All Access BUY FESTIVAL BADGE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL The 2022 Indie Meme Film Festival is a hybrid event , bringing 30+ 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. 80%+ of the line-up is screening in Texas theaters for the first time, with U.S and Southwest Premieres of long-awaited, festival favorites from across the globe. With films spanning 10 countries and 19 languages, the 7th Indie Meme Film Festival is an unmissable event for all fans of world cinema. JOIN US In Theaters or Online All-Access Badge ON SALE NOW! Individual Tickets COMING SOON Virtual Library COMING SOON Follow event on Facebook

A documentary that follows India's most successful deaf athlete on his unlikely quest to reach the Rio Olympics 2016. Goonga Pehelwan PLANO: Thursday, September 15th 2015 @ 7:15pm 46 min/ India/Documentary / Hindi with English subtitles SYNOPSIS Goonga Pehelwan is a documentary that follows India’s most successful deaf athlete on his quest to reach the Rio Olympics 2016 and become only the second deaf wrestler in the history of the Olympics to do so. This film, a biopic documentary on Virender Singh is an attempt to make possible the dream of India’s most successful deaf athlete- his dream of making it to the Rio Olympics 2016. The film, made over a period of 13 months, is important because it asks tough questions to the sporting bureaucracy in India, brings to light all that he has achieved and hopes that even if the bureaucracy doesn't wake up to his genius at least the people of the country know about this smiling champion. The struggle that Virender faces outside the wrestling arena are the tougher ones because inside the ring he is in total control and there aren’t too many fights that he loses. It’s the battles outside the ring that this film endeavors to make him win. India - Virender wants to hear from you. Interested in screening this in your hometown? Write to us COMMUNITY PARTNERS Tickets TICKETS NOT AVAILABLE TRAILER Purpose of the film The film is a biopic documentary of Virender’s life and through the film the filmmakers have tried to raise two major issues plaguing the Indian sporting bureaucracy in the realm of the differently abled sports and the democratizing of the sporting system in India. These issues are: - Lack of access to equal opportunities for the differently abled - The differently abled athletes are not considered a part of the larger sporting fraternity that should be granted equal access to sporting facilities and competitions thereby making it impossible for them to compete with able bodied athletes. In Virender’s case, this issue presents itself whenever he tries to compete with able bodied wrestlers and because of his inability to hear the whistle he is ejected from national competitions thereby rendering his Olympic dream impossible even though the International wrestling body FILA and the International Olympic Committee allow deaf wrestlers to participate in able bodied competitions and also the Olympics with the help of visual and tactile cues. Unequal, ad-hoc and meager cash rewards, incentives and govt. awards – The Central Sports policy has no specific policy for rewarding the disabled athletes. Incidentally the only place that they find mention is in the negative list of the ‘ Scheme of Special Awards to Medal Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches’ that essentially renders them ineligible to receive anything from the government for bringing laurels for the country. Even government awards are difficult to come by and athletes languish in anonymity and because of no real avenues for cash rewards sustenance becomes difficult in most cases as is true in Virender’s case. Film Festivals in which Goonga Pehelwan has participated 62nd National Film Awards, 2015. The 7th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, 2014. VIBGYOR International Film Festival, 2014. Delhi International Film Festival,2014. WeCare Film Festival, 2015. International Film Festival Competitions: 10th Input Film Festival, Netherlands, 2014. 4th All Sports Los Angles Film Festival, 2014. River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, 2014. 9th Seattle South Asian Film Festival, 2014. 5th Mongolia International Film Festival, 2014. International Documentary and Short Film Awards Jakarta, 2014. International Film Festival of Prayag, 2014. Prizes and awards won: Best Debut Film of a Director at the 62nd National Film Awards, 2015. Special Jury Mention at The 7th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, 2014. Opening Film at Indian Panorama 2015, 46th International Film Festival Directors This film is directed by three young directors from Ahmedabad, who took up the issue for this feature length documentary film, which subsequently led to almost a dozen national stories and brought Virender’s story to a wide audience. Incidentally, there was only a solitary national news piece on him before they started working on the film. Working on the film for over a period of 13 months, the filmmakers researched the issue in depth and aim to persist with the issue by trying to bring about a policy level change that brings equitable treatment to athletes with disabilities. The three directors are Mit Jani, Prateek Gupta and Vivek Chaudhary. Producer Drishti uses media and the arts to build empowered communities that value self-expression and uphold human rights. We believe that community media has the power to revolutionize grassroots struggles and to promote sustainable change. Therefore, we are actively working to build a media of the people, for the people and by the people in partnership with NGOs around India. We stand in solidarity with local communities by bringing their voices together over the airwaves, featuring their stories and struggles in film, and advocating for their rights. STILLS goonga1 goonga2 goonga3 goonga4

Usha, an illiterate single mother who works as a farm labourer in rural India, feels drawn to a female teacher of local primary school, in ways she'd never imagined. Back to Film Program Virtual Exclusive WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 U For Usha India I 22 mins I Drama, Romance I 2019 I Marathi w/ English subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE Usha, an illiterate single mother who works as a farm labourer in rural India, feels drawn to a female teacher of local primary school, in ways she'd never imagined. This attraction fires her passion to read and write, as she hopes to be as good as the teacher, one day. ‘U Ushacha’ is a subtle portrayal of sexual awakening, as well as how these new feelings can empower a woman to take control of her life, making each day something to look forward to. This film plays with the LGBTQ+ Stories shorts program online. About the Artist After completing a diploma in Interior Designing, Rohan Kanawade spent as much time as possible honing his storytelling craft, despite having no formal training in filmmaking. In 2010, he left his full-time job and invested his time in writing and direction. Film after film the quality and technique of his storytelling improved, and in 2017 his short, KHIDKEE, was selected in Indian Panorama of IFFI, Goa. Impressed by his work, mythology writer Devdutt Pattanaik extended his financial support to Rohan’s next short U USHACHA, which he completed in mid-January 2019. Trailer

On being made to go through his own IMDB page, Sudheer, a washed up side actor from the hey days of Bollywood, realizes that he ‘retired’ on the verge of a rare milestone – he had featured in 499 Hindi films! Kaamyaab INDIA | Comedy-Drama | 107 min | HINDI 5/9/2019 | 7:15 - 9:15 pm Angelika Film Center - Plano DFW Area TICKETS SYNOPSIS On being made to go through his own IMDB page, Sudheer, a washed up side actor from the hey days of Bollywood, realizes that he ‘retired’ on the verge of a rare milestone – he had featured in 499 Hindi films! Now at 63, against the wishes of his daughter, he decides to come out of retirement to complete the round figure of 500 and get that one substantial role for which he will be remembered forever. Kaamyaab (Round Figure) features veteran actor Sanjay Mishra who himself has played typical side roles in many Hindi movies and with this film he gets a titular role like never before. DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Hardik Mehta is an Indian screenwriter and director. His short documentary, ‘Famous in Ahmedabad’ (2015), won the Golden Lotus at the 63rd National Film Awards for Best Non-Feature Film and was In Competition at 2016 HotDocs Toronto. He has also co-written the screenplay of Director Vikramaditya Motwane’s most recent survival-thriller, ‘Trapped’ (2017). ‘Round Figure’ is his first feature film. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT India is the land of numbers. Third in the number of billionaires we have, second in the number of people we have and first in the number of films we make. Over the decades, there have been some actors who have been noticed by generations of enthusiastic movie goers, almost always as the noble servant, the wicked dacoit, the humble doctor and several such side roles. These character actors have helped take the hero’s journey forward. When I first came to Mumbai, the land of movie making, I was fascinated to meet some of these faces who have survived the transition from black and white era of Hindi films, to the action-drama films of 80s and 90s till today. I realized that there was a film waiting to be made on them and when I met producer Manish Mundra, he ensured that I cast an actual such actor who has been a face in several Hindi films since last three decades – actor Sanjay Mishra. TICKETS On a mobile device? GET TICKETS TICKETS CREDITS Director Hardik Mehta Producers Manish Mundra Ridhima Lulla Story and Screenplay Hardik Mehta Dialogues Radhika Anand Hardik Mehta Hindi Cinema Executive Producer Raghav Gupta Cinematographer Piyush Puty Editor Prashanth Ramachandran Jayalakshmi Music & Background Score Rachita Arora Lyrics Neeraj Pandey Sound Designers P. M. Satheesh Manoj M. Goswami PRINCIPAL CREW Casting Romil Modi Tejas Thakkar Production Designer Ravi Srivastava Costume Designers Darshan Jalan Manish Tiwari DI Colorist Siddharth Meer, The Bridge Art Director Vilas Kolap Line Producers Supriya Guru, Vishal Singh Sumit Kumar First Assistant Director Pankaj Dayani Marketing & Communication Shraddha Chauhan, Ritika Bhatia Anisha Yanger, Sagar Shah Post Production Kapil Madnani VFX Drishyam VFX PRINCIPAL CREW Manish Mundra is a producer and the founder of Drishyam Films. After a chance interaction with Rajat Kapoor on Twitter in 2013, Manish decided to finance the beloved indie Ankhon Dekhi. The film went on to win three Filmfare Awards and three Screen Awards, and there has no looking back for the corporate leader-turned-film producer. Since then, Manish has pursued his passion for content-driven cinema by setting up Drishyam Films, a global motion-picture studio that has produced international award-winning films such as Masaan, Umrika, Waiting, Dhanak, Newton, Rukh and Kadvi Hawa. Newton won the National Award for Best Hindi Film, and was also selected as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards in 2018. Manish is also known for establishing the Drishyam–Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab for aspiring Indian screenwriters. He was named as one of Variety Magazine’s Top 10 Producers to Watch Out For in 2017. Ridhima Lulla is Chief Content Officer at Eros Group, with a core focus on the creative expression for Eros Now, the digital arm of Eros International Plc, the NYSE-listed global company in the Indian film and entertainment sector. After completing post-graduation in Film Production from University of California, LA she went on to peruse Bachelors in Business Management, Liberal Arts and Sciences from Regent’s University London. Her passion and creative bend along with a bright vision comes as no surprise because of inherited entrepreneurial skills from her visionary father, Kishore Lulla, Chairman of Eros International. Ridhima has been strengthening the original content strategy for Eros Now, the leading cutting edge rapidly growing OTT (Over-the-top) platform of Eros Digital. She plays a key role in the leadership team driving the company’s content strategy and is actively involved in Eros’s movie business with projects at all stages. Round Figure is the first of a long collaboration between Eros International and Drishyam Films. CO-PRESENTERS

From the experienced documentarian & filmmaker, Sahraa Karimi, the first woman in Afghanistan with a PhD in cinema & directing, comes the resonant story of three women from different social backgrounds; each living in Kabul and facing a pivotal challenge in her life.  Back to Festival Program Texas Premiere Hava, Maryam, Ayesha Afghanistan I 83 mins I Drama I 2019 I Dari w/ English subtitles From experienced documentarian & filmmaker, Sahraa Karimi, the first woman in Afghanistan with a PhD in cinema directing, comes the resonant story of three women from different backgrounds; each living in Kabul and facing a pivotal challenge in her life. Hava, a traditional pregnant woman is living with in-laws. Her only joy is speaking with the baby in her belly. Maryam, an educated news reporter, is on the verge of divorce with her unfaithful husband when she learns she is pregnant. Ayesha, an 18-year old, agrees to marry a cousin because she carries a hidden pregnancy from a vanished boyfriend. Each of them has to solve her problem herself for the first time. Karimi's tale, woven with care, narrates the lives of women who haven’t had a voice in years and are now ready to change their destiny. + This program includes short film, ANITA GET YOUR FESTIVAL BADGE VIRTUAL SCREENING SAT. APRIL 17 - 3:30PM CDT $7 TICKETS About the Artist Born in 1985, Sahraa Karimi comes from the second generation of Afghan refugees in Iran. At the age of fifteen, she was hired to act in two Iranian films, which led her to study cinema in Slovakia and graduate with a PHD in directing. Over the years, she has made 30+ narrative and documentary shorts, which have been awarded in numerous international festivals. After 10 years of film-making, she returned to Kabul, where she completed two internationally successful documentaries, which were broadcast through ARTE France and BBC. HAVA, MARYAM, AYESHA, her first feature, premiered at the Venice Int'l Film Festival and went on to screen widely at world festivals, including Busan, Cairo, Kolkata, and the Asian World Film Festival. As a female filmmaker from Afghanistan, she strives to be a storyteller for her countrywomen who seek to change their lives in a traditional society. Trailer Thank you to our community partner(s): the Austin Film Society, and the Austin Film Commission ! Credits Crew Writer/Director: SAHRAA KARIMI Producer(s): SAHRAA KARIMI KATAYOON SHAHABI Screenplay: SAHRAA KARIMI SAMI HASIB NABIZADA Cinematographer: BEHROUZ BADROUJ Sound Department: ASQAR ABGOON MOHAMMAD REZA DELPAK Editor: MASTANEH MOHAJER Music: SABA NEDAEI ALI TAVAKOLI Cast AREZOO ARIAPOOR as 'Hava' FERESHTA AFSHARAS as "Maryam' HASIBA EBRAHIMI as 'Ayesha' Additional Crew Prod. Managers: AHMAD SHAH SULTANI SAMI HASIB NABIZADA Asst. Director: MOHAMMAD (KAVEH) AYREEK Set Designer: SAKINEH GHOLAMALI Make-up Design: MARYAM FAQIRZADA Still Photography: MOHAMAD AQEEL PAYEEZ Investor: AHMAD SHAH SULTANI

Past meets present when Vik and Meera decide to recreate an early date during a layover at LAX. The Layover US / Short Film / 9min / English 4/27/2019 | 3:45 pm This short film will be screened prior to YOURS TRULY ATTEND SYNOPSIS: While on a business trip to London, Meera has a layover at LAX and agrees to meet with Vik. During the few precious hours that they have together, they decide to recreate an early date, reminding them of what drew them together in the first place and what ultimately broke them a part. DIRECTOR’S BIO MAHESH PAILOOR Mahesh Pailoor grew up in Saco, Maine and studied film as an undergraduate at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He furthered his training as a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute,where he was awarded the prestigious Franklin J. Schaffer Award for the direction of his thesis film,STILL LIFE. Mahesh directed and co-wrote BRAHMIN BULLS, an independent feature film starringSendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, and Academy Award Winner Mary Steenburgen. It enjoyed a limited theatrical release in the US and UK, with The New York Times calling it “a warm debut” and the Village Voice praising it as “an accom plished first feature.” Mahesh is an alumnus of the Berlin Talent Campus, Film Independent’s Project Involve and Screenwriting Labs, and the ABC/DGA Directing Program. ANU PRADHAN Anu Pradhan began her career with a love of live performance that quickly expanded to include film. A Fulbright Scholar in Kathak dance, Anu lived in Bombay, India, where she trained in classical dance and acted in films and on stage before moving back to the US to pursue an MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute. At the AFI, Anu wrote and directed the Sloan Award winning short film DHARINI. Anu also co-wrote and co-produced the independent feature film BRAHMIN BULLS, starring Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, and Mary Steenburgen. Anu also enjoyed working in Talent Development at NBC Universal and in Production at HBO. She is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve. CAST Rupak Ginn (Vik) Pia Shah (Meera) STILLS

Stripped from nobility and forcibly married to an outcast by the monarchy, a noble woman fights to keep her dignity by rejecting to succumb to her destiny. Aamis India | Fiction | Drama, Horror | 2019 |108 min| Assamese; English subtitles Virtual IMFF 2020 Screening: Saturday, May 9 2020 | Screening : 8.30pm - 10.45pm Texas Premiere Zoom Q&A with Film-maker Bhaskar Hazarika Aamis is an Assamese love/horror story that centers desire, food and the social taboos. A lonely, married woman bonds with a younger man over their shared love of unusual foods. As their excursions become more adventurous, their relationship begins to take a dark turn. SYNOPSIS Married Niri shares a forbidden passion with Sumon, who introduces her to a world of fresh, wild delicacies. But as their unconsummated desire mounts, the two are pushed inexorably towards transgression and taboo. With Special Thanks to our Community Partner: DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Bhaskar Hazarika Bhaskar Hazarika received his MA in Film & Drama from the University of Reading (UK). Bhaskar’s debut film KOTHANODI (2015) was a recipient of Asian Cinema Fund’s Post Production and premiered at Busan International Film Festival 2015. Kothanodi also screened at BFI London Film Festival, Goteborg Film Festival and Jio MAMI Film Festival among "National-award winning director Bhaskar Hazarika says his brief stint in Bollywood left him with the memorable lesson that there is no respect for writers in the biggest film industry of the country. This, the director explained, was at a time when he was trying hard to make his work count in Bollywood, which remained largely unmoved by original, daring ideas. The director said he got the idea for Aamis while watching two people eat KFC chicken." src: Business Standard TRAILER STILLS SLIDE DECK 1/13 CREDITS Cast: LIMA DAS ARGHADEEP BARUAH NEETALI DAS Crew: Writer & Director - Bhaskar Hazarika Producers - Poonam Deol, Shyam Bora Co-Producers - Anshulika Dubey, Priyanka Agarwal Cinematography - Riju Das Editor - Shweta Rai Chamling Production Design - Manas Barua Music - Quan Bay Sound Design - Gautam Nair Re-Recording Mix - Ajaykumar P.B Sound Recordist - Debajit Gayan, Rukmajit Baruah Colourist - Mahak Gupta Costume Design - Meher Ahmed Casting - Ronald Hussain Make Up and Hair - Gautam Chaudhury VFX - Raakesh Medhi Production Control - Himen Bora Chief AD - Ghanashyam Kalita

Colours of Life explores a mother-daughter relationship & various shades of contemporary lives in India. Colours of Life 2018 ‧ 1h 52m / Bengali with English subtitles GET TICKETS DFW - Sunday, Aug 5th 2018 3:30pm SYNOPSIS Colours of Life is about a single working mother, Chandrima and her daughter Esha. After Chandrima husband tragic demise, the duo had none but each other. Chandrima being an independent woman raised her daughter all by herself. She never let the absence of a ‘male parent’ affect their bonding. Esha grows into adulthood, carried away in newfound freedom and distance starts to grow with her mother. Chandrima world is upside down when Esha tried a suicide-attempt discovering Esha is pregnant. The incident made Chandrima realize her professional life has failed to keep track of this change. They had become strangers under the same roof, as Chandrima comes to admit. Chandrima starts to introspect Esha’s perspective and discovers a side of her daughter she never knew. Chandrima with the strength of her love brings Esha back to a normal life. Esha too, comes to realize that Chandrima was always her closest friend. PRESENTED AT Tickets DFW Area Sunday, Aug 5th 2018 @ 3:30pm Angelika Film Center, Plano TX Bengali Film Festival of Dallas BUY TICKETS DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY - PRAKASH BHARADWAJ Prakash Bharadwaj is a multi talented actor from theatre, TV and film background in India. He has several credits of plays, TV series and films to his name. In 2017, Bharadwaj forayed into screenwriting and direction with his short film ‘Rishta’ and feature length ‘Colours of Life’. He has been working with filmstar Aamir Khan since 2006 in the film 'Rang De Basanti', and proudly claims to be the reason behind Amir’s impeccable Haryanvi accent in ‘Dangal’ blockbuster hit. Amir Khan appointed him as his personal dialogue couch on noticing Bharadwaj’s artistry. It’s more than a decade now, together they had worked on films like Talaash, Dhobi Ghat, Ghajni, and the forthcoming Thugs of Hindostan. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT The lifestyles of urban Indians are lacking genuine human interaction and emotions. Colours of Life is relevant for this message, especially for the younger generation. The film tries to explore the impact of this in our personal lives and extend to which it can damage our relationships. It also portrays the ongoing social debate – ‘pro-life’ vs. ‘pro-choice’ debate that is pertinent in the milieu of women empowerment in India. The film does not shy away from intriguing bold steps of portraying women as sole owner of their mind and body. The two women boldly live their life – as single mother who lost her husband and her twenty-year old daughter fighting an unwanted pregnancy. By incorporating psychiatric help in the form of home-based therapy not only humanizes the characters, but also normalizes the taboo regarding treatment of suicidal individuals. It is emotionally intense exploring various shades of contemporary lives.

To chase her dream of going to school in her remote Himalayan village, a feisty paraplegic girl locks horns with her unyielding, tra¬dition-bound grandfather. Chuskit India | Feature | 90 Minutes | Ladakhi with English Subtitles, 2018 10/13/2019 | 1:00 - 3:30 pm Fun Movie Grill, Carrolton (DFW Area) (Formerly Venetian Cinemas) 2661 Midway Rd., Carrollton, Texas 75006 TICKETS SYNOPSIS To chase her dream of going to school in her remote Himalayan village, a feisty paraplegic girl locks horns with her unyielding, tradition-bound grandfather. Sprightly Chuskit’s dream of going to school is cut short when she is rendered a paraplegic after an accident. She’s confined to life indoors in the company of her strict grandfather, Dorje. Chuskit continues to harbor hopes of school but Dorje tries to make her understand that school can’t handle her needs. As life at home gets harder, her battle with her grandfather exacerbates. Caught in between their struggle are Chuskit's parents and her enterprising brother who want to respect the old world views that Dorje represents, but also want to keep Chuskit's spirit alive. Chuskit will have to get her grandfather to yield or she will have to accept the reality he has chosen for her. TRAILER TICKETS On mobile device? Buy Tickets Tickets PRIYA RAMASUBBAN DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Priya Ramasubban is a reputed filmmaker who has traveled the world for over fifteen years making films for National Geographic, Discovery, History Channel and other major international broadcasters. She is a storyteller at heart and has the ability to deal with complex subjects in a nuanced way allowing for textured interpretation. She has written and directed “Lost Kings of Israel” (National Geographic), “Divine Delinquents” (National Geographic), several episodes on the long-running series “Digging for the Truth” (History Channel), episodes on the series “Into the Unknown” (Discovery Channel), an episode on “Monster Fish” (National Geographic) and several others notable productions. Priya was one of the six people chosen from all over India as a part of a screenwriter’s lab organized by the National Film Development Corporation where she received an opportunity to evolve her story for Chuskit under the mentorship of award-winning Dutch writer Jolein Laarman. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT Conversations with my sister, Vidya, sowed the seeds for my film ‘Chuskit’. Vidya has worked with the differently abled in Ladakh for almost a decade. She was instrumental in sending Sonam, a nine-year-old with cerebral palsy to school despite the arduous terrain in her remote Himalayan village. While working with Sonam, Vidya learnt of other such children who yearned to lead as normal a childhood as they could. Their stories were filled with pathos and hardships, yet not one of the children gave up their quest to go to school. That is why I shaped Chuskit’s character to be unrelenting and gave her the spunk to triumph over adversity. For most children outside the West, life as a differently abled person is tough at best and excruciatingly hard at worst. My wish is that a small measure of hope and inspiration stays with the audiences when they walk away from my film. CREDITS Editor Jabeen Merchant Jabeen Merchant has been editing films for 23 years. Her well known work includes commercial releases like 'Manorama Six Feet Under', ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’, 'NH10' and 'Anaarkali of Aarah' as well as indies like 'The President Is Coming' and the National Award winning children's film 'Chahutkan ki Mahabaharat'. Director of Photography Arvind Kannabiran A Parson's School of Design alum, Arvind Kannabiran has been working in the advertising and feature film industry for more than 25 years in both America and India. His feature film credits as a Director of Photography include 'NH10', 'Anarkali of Aarah', 'Manorama Six Feet Under', 'Loins of Punjab Presents' and 'My brother, Nikhil'. Production Design Aradhana Seth Aradhana is a filmmaker, visual artist and designer. Her production design credits include 'Angry Indian Goddesses', 'Don', 'Easy', 'Earth' and 'Fire'. As an Art Director she has worked on 'London Has Fallen (India)', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'The Bourne Supremacy' and 'Stiff Upper Lips (India)'. She has directed/produced over 18 documentary films including ‘DAM/AGE’ and ‘A Suitable Boy’ for the BBC with Arundhati Roy and Vikram Seth. Sound Design P.M. Saatheesh A graduate of the National Film & Television Institute, Satheesh has worked on numerous documentaries for BBC, National Geographic, etc. as well as several feature films including ‘Mangal Pandey’, ‘Fakir of Venice’, and ‘Baahubali’. Satheesh also won a National Award for Best Sound Design on ‘Kumar Talkies’. CAST CREDITS Chuskit Jigmet Dewa Lhamo Dorje (Grandfather) Morup Namgyal (Padma Shri) Tsering (Mother) Yanchen Dolma Stobdan (Brother) Padma Chospel Sonam (Father) SS Wangchuk Norbu (Neighbour) Tsetan Angchok Angmo (Chuskit's friend) Stanzin Ngidon Deskit (Chuskit's friend) Yanchen Dolma Ahmad (Doctor) Satyadeep Misra CREW CREDITS Written and Directed by Priya Ramasubban Produced by Priya Ramasubban Director of Photography Arvind Kannabiran Production Design Aradhana Seth Costume Design Deepali Kosta Kabi Editor Jabeen Merchant Music Mathias Duplessy Sound Design Satheesh PM STILLS CHUSKITProduction still 4 CHUSKITProduction still 3 CHUSKIT_still1 CHUSKIT_still18 CHUSKIT_still9

The 2020 Indie Meme Film Festival jury and awards. Jury & Awards 2020 JURY AWARD WINNERS DOCUMENTARY JURY RAMA TIRU Jury, Documentary As a Commercial/Industrial photographer, Rama has completed many successful projects in India and Austin. Her art photography evolved from her prowess in classic commercial photography and her technical expertise in Digital techniques. and she has showcased her work in many solo and group art shows. Her breath-taking works of Tibet, Thailand, India, Japan, Peru, Bolivia have been showcased in various venues. She has created one of a kind images by experimenting with alternate image processing and transfers techniques on fabric, wood, and metal sheets. ANDREW LEE Jury, Documentary Andrew Lee began his film career after winning $210k+ in cash prizes on his short films. Andrew produced his first feature doc, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, co-produced SXSW 2017 Audience Award winning documentary Dealt & Slamdance Film Festival 2019 documentary Seadrift about the Vietnamese refugees that settled in Texas which won the 2019 Houston Film Critics TIFA Visionary Award and is set to broadcast on PBS in May 2020. His latest feature doc Jump Shot about the inventor of the basketball jump shot premiered at SXSW 2019 and is set to release digitally in May 2020. He currently serves as the board president of the Austin Asian American Film Festival WINNER WINNER NARRATIVE JURY CELESTE QUESADA Jury, Narrative Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Producer and Creative Director Celeste Quesada's 22+ year career has focused on promoting the finest talent that Texas has to offer. Her work ranges from the production of “one of a kind” special events to the development of integrated PR and marketing strategies that fuse graphic design, branding, web identity and social media. Quesada's client list includes working with legendary Austin musicians, filmmakers and fashionistas of all genres, local architects, designers and numerous non-profit clients including Austin Film Society, Fusebox Festival, SIMS Foundation, American Gateways, El Buen Samaritano, Forklift Danceworks, Chula League, Austin Chronicle and the Austin Music Awards. TIM TSAI Jury, Narrative Tim is a filmmaker whose feature directorial debut SEADRIFT chronicles the racial hostilities that erupted in violence during the early days of Vietnamese refugee arrival on the Texas gulf coast. The film premiered at Slamdance 2019 and will be broadcast on PBS in May, 2020. Previous work include a series of short films on early Chinese Texans for Austin PBS, and editing the non-narrative film YAKONA (SXSW '14 Audience Award) about the San Marcos River. He earned an MFA in film production from U.T. Austin, served as the former executive director of the Austin Asian American Film Festival, and is a Firelight Media Documentary Labs fellow. SANDHYA SHARDANAND Jury, Narrative Sandhya Shardanand is an Austin-based producer who enjoys every step of taking stories from the page to the screen. Her most recent projects are Richard Linklater’s APOLLO 10 ½, which is currently in post-production; BULL, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival – Un Certain Regard; and SUPPORT THE GIRLS, which had its premiere at SXSW 2018. Previously she worked alongside director Terrence Malick on THE NEW WORLD, THE TREE OF LIFE and TO THE WONDER. She has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Special Mention SHORTS JURY ASAD KIRMANI Jury, Shorts Asad Kirmani is a Writer/Director and a practicing psychiatrist in Austin, TX. While in medical school he produced and directed All the Wrong Reasons, a full-length comedy feature about a hapless young medical student. While doing his psychiatric residency in New York City he produced and directed Curing Gender, a documentary about the history of psychiatry and transsexuality that has been used educationally by a number of hospitals and institutions across the country, and was shown at the 2013 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco. He has written and directed three short films, Stress Freud, Pornistan, and Hijabi. Pornistan won the 2013 Flatland Film Festival Chris Caddel Filmmaker Award and was a Finalist for Best Comedy Short at the 2014 Central Florida Film Festival. Hijabi premiered at the Brooklyn Short Film Festival in 2017. It was distributed through the online streaming service Seed&Spark, where it was featured on their “Must-See” list. He is currently in post-production on his fourth short film, How to Wash the Dead. GREG DAVIS Jury, Shorts Fate exerts a powerful pull on our lives. As Greg Davis knows, it can drag you through the mud before it shows you the light at the end of the tunnel. For Davis, fate is his quest for meaning, his desire to connect his experiences with those of people worlds apart. Born and raised in a small East Texas town, After 10 years in the tech sector, he quit his job and went on a yearlong global soul-searching expedition. Greg, who is represented by National Geographic Image Collection, worked his way from local festivals to international exhibitions. His first major solo exhibit for the Museum of the Southwest followed the stories of individual pilgrims to the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the largest religious pilgrimage in history, about which he also completed his first short documentary film, Cloth Paper Dreams. That led to a follow up film,“The Man From Mathura”, that is currently in production. LENG WONG Jury, Shorts Leng Wong is a producer and artist based in Austin, TX. As a producer, she has produced over 50 productions and events including theater, film, festivals, and community events, since 2012. Her latest project was producing the People of Color Comedy Festival (PoCCF), the first of its kind in Texas, in 2019. Leng was also the executive producer for the Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) who successfully brought the festival back in 2014. She is the founder of Lucky Chaos, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to produce works by artists from under-represented communities, with emphasis on personal stories. “Being an artist is about putting your soul out there, in spite of all the fears and doubts because it’s those fears and doubts that make us human and compel us to create.” WINNER AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS Thank you to our lovely members for joining us on the virtual journey and putting in the votes for their favourites! The ballots have spoken and we were able to give pride of place to one of our favourite films! WINNER