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< Our Team Board of Directors Animon Jose Programming Chair An avid advocate for independent cinema and its impact on social causes, Animon has been a volunteer with Indie Meme since 2014. Starting as a photographer, Animon has seamlessly transitioned into roles encompassing programming, hospitality, and graphic design for the Indie Meme Film Festival. Between 2018 and 2020, Animon served on the board of Indie Meme, assuming the role of President in 2020. He rejoined the board in 2022 and currently serves as the Programming Director. Beyond Indie Meme, Animon is an active volunteer for the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, where he currently serves as the co-chair of the Texas Chapter. In his professional capacity, Animon leads the custom solutions team in KPMG's Tax Technology division.

< Our Team Board of Directors Sharmila Mehta Fundraising Chair Sharmila is a culturally fluent professional with a Master’s in Advertising and over 15 years of corporate marketing experience across the U.S. and India. She brings strategic insight, clear communication, and a strong aesthetic sensibility to everything she does. Based in Austin, she has spent the last 12 years helping clients navigate real estate with confidence and care. As a seasoned Realtor, she blends deep local knowledge with a personalized, client-first approach. A passionate advocate for storytelling, Sharmila is especially drawn to independent films that spark dialogue and carry powerful social messages. A long-time believer in the impact of meaningful cinema, she has been a fan and supporter of Indie Meme since its inception and is now honored to serve as a Board Member. Having lived in seven cities across four countries, Sharmila values cultural diversity and builds meaningful connections with ease. She approaches both work and life with empathy, creativity, and curiosity.

< Our Team Board of Directors Alice (Ali) Mechaley-Saigal Membership Chair Indie meme supporter from the beginning, she brings her passion to bridging cultures, ideas, and literacy through storytelling and screen. Forever learning, growing, and traveling—on a mission to lift others as she rises. Rooted in curiosity, driven by connection, and always chasing the next spark of inspiration.

< Our Team Board of Directors Meghana Shukla Marketing Chair

Back to Festival Program 1/1 Pooja, Sir Nepal, USA, Norway 108 2024 AFS Cinema BUY TICKETS WATCH ONLINE When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case, forcing her to leave her wife and her ailing father behind. But when she arrives to investigate, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic racial and homophobic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case—but at what personal cost? Inspired by real events which took place in Southern Nepal during the 2015 race protests. About the Artist Deepak Rauniyar’s first feature film, “Highway” (2012), was the first film from Nepal to screen at a major global film festival, premiering at Berlinale and later playing at Locarno. His second feature, “White Sun” (2016), debuted at the Venice Orizzonti competition with rave reviews, with the Hollywood Reporter calling it “impressively accomplished” and The New York Times, which included Rauniyar among the “9 New Directors to Watch” list, writing that “White Sun” “captures a place that isn’t seen much in movies.” The film screened internationally at over 100 film festivals, including Toronto, Locarno, Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films, Sydney, and Golden Horse. It won the Interfilm Award at Venice and Best Film at the Singapore and Palm Springs Film Festivals. Nepal nominated “White Sun” for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. Trailer Credits Deepak Rauniyar Crew Director: Deepak Rauniyar, David Barker, Asha Magrati Writer: Deepak Rauniyar, Asha Magrati AADI FILMS (Nepal/ US), Rambabu Gurung BAASURI FILMS (Nepal), Alan R Milligan TANNAUSER GATE (Norway) Producer(s): J. Him Lee, Alex Gurvits Film Editor: Featured Cast: Asha Magrati, Nikita Chandak, Dayahang Rai, Bijay Baral, Aarti Mandal, Reecha Sharma, Ghanshyam Mishra, Parmeshwor Kumar Jha, Gaumaya Gurung, Pashupati Rai, Niraj Shrestha Thank you to our community partners for this screening:

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. ALL FILMS IN-PERSON VIRTUAL 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 . 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Read more... Screens w/: Shorts Program 1 (In Theaters + Beyond The End of the World ( Online) In Theaters + Online Hot Chocolate A growing boy and his mother form an important bond through lovingly prepared cups of hot chocolate. Read more... Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) , Family Shorts (Online) . 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 Read more... Screens w/: RK/RKAY (In Theaters) 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. Read more... Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) + Beyond The End of the World ( Online) 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 Read more... Screens w/: Shorts Program 1 (In Theaters + Beyond The End of the World ( Online) 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. Read more... Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories ( Online) 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. Read more... Screens w/ Beyond The End of the World Online) Online Only 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. Read more... Winner : 'Best Animated Short' Award at Tribeca Film Festival 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? Read more... Screens w/: A Matter of Survival ( Online) Online Only 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. Read more... 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. Read more... Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories ( Online) 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. Read more... 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 Read more... Screens w/: Shorts Program 2 (In Theaters) 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. Read more... Screens w/: Reaching for Love - LGBTQ + Stories ( Online) Online Only 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. Read more... Beyond The End of the World ( Online) Online Only Follow event on Facebook

Sun, Aug 25 | Austin Public Library - Central Indie Meme presents Priya Guns Priya Guns discusses her work as an author and an actor. Time & Location Aug 25, 2024, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM CDT Austin Public Library - Central, 710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701, USA About the Event Please join us for a candid conversation with Priya Guns about her debut novel, Your Driver is Waiting, as well as her work as an actor. Priya's writing has previously appeared in short story anthologies, gal-dem, Spring magazine, and anonymously in the Guardian. She is a Creative Writing graduate of Kingston University, and her film credits include Just Drive (2018), Tide of Lies (2019), and This Place (2022). Indie Meme has long championed progressive South Asian and Iranian voices through film screenings and festivals over the past decade. As we embark on a new vision for Indie Meme, we aim to expand the avenues through which we connect storytellers with their audiences. Indie Meme Lit is our latest initiative - we will host events that build bridges between communities through books and writing. We'll spotlight South Asian authors who are tackling taboos and sharing fresh narratives. We're grateful for the continued support of the City of Austin and the Austin Public Library for hosting this event. Questions? Contact Indie Meme Operations & Programs Director, Denise Steusloff at denise@indiememe.org Schedule 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM 30 minutes Check-in & Book Pick-up 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM 1 hour Conversation with Priya Guns

A young man gets a job scaring hordes of monkeys away from New Delhi’s government buildings in Prateek Vats’ notable first feature. (src: Hollywood Reporter) Eeb Allay Ooo! India | Fiction | Drama, Comedy |2019 |98 min| Hindi; English subtitles Virtual IMFF 2020 Screening: Sunday, May 10 2020 | Screening : 6.45pm - 9.15pm Texas Premiere Zoom Q&A with filmmaker Prateek Vats A young man gets a job scaring hordes of monkeys away from New Delhi’s government buildings in Prateek Vats’ notable first feature. (Hollywood Reporter) SYNOPSIS Anjani a young migrant battles hordes of monkeys as a contractual monkey repeller, a newly created government job to tackle the monkey menace in the heart of Delhi. His job profile entails mimicking aggressive langurs. The original and extremely effective employees for the task were recently let off on account of animal rights. The sacred pests shred Anjani's dignity and courage in quick succession and make such a mockery of his professional ineptitude that an early dis charge seems imminent. But when admonished by his pregnant sister, Anjani grits his teeth and decides to counter the monkey business with monkey business of his own. DIRECTOR’S NOTE The biggest democracy in the world is employing exploitative contractual labor to secure the highest offices of her democracy from the nuisance created by a holy animal. The inherent absurdity of this situation is what drew me into this film. For me it sums up the prevalent situation in my country - a nation state propped up on the dehumanized, quite literally in this case the labor of its citizens. Eeb Allay Ooo! is a response to the immediate world around us - a world which is hard to make sense of - a world where being a monkey is far more liberating than being human. While outwardly a satire, I hope my film is true to these internal complexities. The narrative of the film is shaped by extensive use of non fiction elements. incorporating non-professional actors alongside trained actors. Verite footage is mixed with crafted mis-en-scene to weave a revealing account seeped in reality, which is as stark as it is absurd. With Special Thanks to our Community Partner: DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Prateek Vats Prateek is an independent filmmaker based in Mumbai. A graduate of the film direction course from Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) he has directed both fiction as well as non-fiction films which have been showcased at various film festivals and non-formal spaces. His debut feature documentary A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, was awarded the Special Jury Award at the 65th National Film Awards. Eeb Allay Ooo! is his debut fiction feature length film. STILLS SLIDE DECK 1/4 CREDITS Cast ANJANI Shardul Bhardwaj MAHINDER Mahinder Nath SHASHI Nutan Sinha SHASHI (BROTHER IN LAW) KUMUDH Naina Sareen NARAYAN Nitin Goel MIDDLEMAN Krishnan suREAucAr Sanjeev Johri MANAGER Kapil Madan Crew Director Prateek Vats Script Shubham Cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi Editor Tanushree Das Sound Recording & Design Bigyna Bhushan Dahal Line Producer Neel Manikant Excecutive Producer Shwetaabh Singh First AD Abhishek Bhardwaj Costume & DIT Niharika Agarwal Produced by Shwetabh Singh Prateek Vats

An Indian-American family must grapple with a new reality when their high-achieving son drops out of college. Love Goes Through Your Mind AUSTIN - May 16th 6-9pm FREE with RSVP 1h 26min | Drama SYNOPSIS An Indian-American family must grapple with a new reality when their high-achieving son drops out of college and returns home a different person than when he left. His parents are unable to accept or admit that their son is now struggling with mental illness, and with his condition worsening, his younger sister, still in high school and reckoning with her own future, takes it upon herself to rescue him. Film followed by a Q&A with Director Ronak Shah. Presented in collaboration with Asian American Resource Center Tickets AUSTIN SCREENING DETAILS FREE Screening, RSVP required. Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 6 PM – 9 PM Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin 8401 Cameron Rd, Austin, Texas 78754 RSVP for FREE Screening

While attending her sister's wedding in India, Anita is pushed to question whether her life in America is any better than those in her hometown.  Back to Festival Program Texas Premiere Anita India I 17 mins I Drama I 2020 I Gujarati w/ English subtitles While attending her sister's wedding in India, Anita is pushed to question whether her life in America is any better than those in her hometown. Director's Statement: Anita is my thesis film for an MFA in Screenwriting & Directing at Columbia University in. It also serves as a 'proof of concept' for my first feature length film, Salt . I grew up in a community with the belief that a woman who moves to America lives an exciting, independent life. Anita is an exploration of this myth of the independent, young, expat wife and the struggle to maintain this façade. The visual language of this film is rigid and deliberate to convey the increasing dissonance Anita feels upon returning to her family home and the eventual disillusionment of her American dream. + Screens with the feature HAVA, MARYAM, AYESHA GET YOUR FESTIVAL BADGE VIRTUAL PREMIERE : SAT. APRIL 17 - 3:30PM CT About the Artist Born and raised in India, Sushma Khadepaun is a writer/director based in New York City. She writes stories that explore identity, freedom, and the myth of the American Dream. Her short film ANITA premiered In Competition at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win The Gotham Award/Focus Features Student Showcase & the National Board of Review Student Grant Award. Sushma often mentors screenwriters at Sundance Co//ab, a digital expression of the Sundance Labs & Festival , and is an Adjunct Professor at VCUArts. She is herself an alumna of the screenwriting & directing program at Columbia University. She is currently developing her first feature, SALT. Credits Crew Writer/Director: SUSHMA KHADEPAUN Producer: ANKUR SINGH Co-Producer: SASHA JOHN Cinematographer: NIKHIL AROLKAR Editor(s): WILL MAYO SUSHMA KHADEPAUN Sound Department: PRANAV KOTHI SAVITHA NAMBRANTH Colo rist : SUDARSHAN SURESH Cast AREZOO ARIAPOOR as 'Hava' MITRA GADHVI as 'Vikram' SANJIVANI SATHE as 'Mother NIKHIL DAVE as 'Father' BHAKTI MANIAR as 'Sister' DEEP SHETH as 'Groom' Additional Crew Prod. Design: POOJA TALREJA Costume Design : VIDHI GALA Visual Effects : ROB BELLON

While Jonaki, an 80-year-old woman, searches for love in a strange world of decaying memories, her lover, now old and grey, returns to a world she is leaving behind. Jonaki India, France, Singapore 2018/ | FANTASY DRAMA | 1 HR 35 MIN. | Bengali with English Subtitles 4/27/2019 | 9:20-11:10 pm ATTEND SYNOPSIS While Jonaki, an 80-year-old woman, searches for love in a strange world of decaying memories, her lover, now old and grey, returns to a world she is leaving behind. TRAILER DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Aditya Vikram Sengupta Aditya Vikram Sengupta was born in 1983 in Calcutta, India. At a very young age his interests meandered towards performing arts. He started training in western classical music and was an active dramatist throughout his childhood. Later, he trained himself in animation and film. His student shorts have screened at various international festivals including Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, Animafest Zagreb and Sao Paulo International Film Festival. His paintings have been showcased in galleries across India and one of his posters is exhibited at the Religious Art Museum, Tehran. He realised that filmmaking encompasses all his interests, allowing him to express himself in a wholesome manner. Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “ Labour of Love” created a tremendous buzz in the international film festival circuit. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2014, Giornate Degli Autori, where it won the FEDEORA for best Debut Film. “Labour Of Love” has since featured at over 70 international film festivals including Rotterdam, Busan, London, Tallinn, Munich, Marrakech, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and IFFLA and has won 13 awards internationally. The film was also feted with 2 awards at the National Film Awards 2015 including the prestigious Golden Lotus for Best Debut Film. Aditya’s next second feature “Jonaki” was officially selected to have its World Premier in the Bright Future section of the prestigious International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2018, where it began its festival journey. Aditya is also currently developing his next project “Memories And My Mother”. The project is the first ever Bengali language feature to be a part of Cannes Cinefondations’ L’Atelier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. It was also a part of the NFDC’s co production market at the Film Bazaar in 2015. MAMM has also received funding from France’s distinguished CNC (Cinema du Monde). DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT “Jonaki” is firefly in Bengali. Fireflies are magical. They flicker, and between each flicker of light they have moved on. My grandmother used to tell me that fireflies are part of a Japanese folktale in which the souls of the dead turn into fireflies and wander into the forest. "Jonaki" is inspired from the life of my grandmother, who I was incredibly fond of and shared an indelible bond with. She grew up in a now nearly extinct class of affluent, aristocratic and anglicised family, the kinds that would attend ball dances and had high-teas. However, her life was marked with pain and suffering. Her father passed away when she was just six. Her mother was authoritarian. Despite being in love with a Christian boy, she was forcefully married at the age of 16, and understandably, my grandfather and she never got along. Chronicles of her life became the subject of my bedtime stories. Before she passed away, she lay in coma for 4 days with her eyes slightly open while she kept murmuring in her trance. I wondered what was she thinking? A few months after her death, I began to have terrible nightmares - sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of explosions and gunshots like the way she had described them to me from her memories of the war. ‘Jonaki’ is an amalgamation of what i imagined was going on in my grandmothers head when she was in coma and the echoes of my nightmare. Is it a recollection of memories and thoughts from the unfulfilled life of an 80-year-old woman. It is a tale of the pain of denied love. It is my attempt to come to terms with my grandmother’s passing. Spaces are just not visual, they are an atmosphere. I wanted the viewers to smell the dampness in the decaying walls of a room that was once the seat of celebration but now an abandoned space filled with roots and creepers. “Jonaki” is an attempt to recreate this experience through cinematic language. It tries to bring the above elements together in a spontaneous, organic and honest mis en scene. CREDITS Cast LOLITA CHATTERJEE, JIM SARBH, RATNABALI BHATTACHARJEE, SUMANTO CHATTOPADHYAY, BURJOR PATEL, INTDRAJIT SINHA, ARUNIMA SINHA, SATYA PRIYO CHAKRABORTY, SUNDERSHIKA TAMANG DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY ADITYA VIKRAM SENGUPTA PRODUCED BY SAMIR SARKAR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ADITYA VIKRAM SENGUPTA & MAHENDRA SHETTY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VIKRAM MOHINTA COPRODUCER CATHERINE DUSSART PRODUCTION DESIGNER JONAKI BHATTACHARYA EDITOR ADITYA VIKRAM SENGUPTA MUSIC ALEXANDER ZEKKE COLORIST DEBOJYOTI GHOSH & SIDHARTH MEER SOUND HINDOLE CHAKRABORTY AWARDS “Jonaki” was officially selected to have its World Premier in the Bright Future section of the prestigious International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2018. STILLS jonaki7 jonaki6 jonaki5 jonaki3 jonaki4 jonaki2