A light-hearted story about childhood and old age that reminds us about the importance of enjoying the little happy moments that shine through what can sometimes be a darker existence. Gubbare 4/14/2019 | 4:00 pm This short film will be screened prior to CHUSKIT ATTEND SYNOPSIS Here is a light-hearted story about childhood and old age that reminds us about the importance of enjoying the little happy moments that shine through what can sometimes be a darker existence. In this story a child focuses not on the shadows but on whatever light illuminates them. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Gubbare is very heart touching story for common man. I am associated with this film to raise social issue at a large scale. DIRECTOR’S BIO M Gani has more than 20 years of varied experience in theater and film making. He gained wide attention when he produced his film Qaid with a practically non-existent budget under Jan cinema.

Trapped in their own worlds, four women claim their desires through secret acts of rebellion. Top of Page Tickets Top of Page Tickets Lipstick Under My Burkha India/2015/87 Minutes/ English & Hindi with English Subtitles SYNOPSIS Trapped in their own worlds, four women claim their desires through secret acts of rebellion. In rural India, a burkha-clad college girl struggles with issues of cultural identity and her aspirations to become a pop singer. A young two-timing beautician seeks to escape the claustrophobia of her small town. An oppressed housewife and mother of three lives the alternate life of an enterprising saleswoman. A 55-year-old widow rediscovers her sexuality through a phone romance. Caught in a conservative society, these women set forth to break the mold, in search of a little freedom. APRIL 27th, 7:15 pm Angelika Film Center & Café, Plano, TX Post-screening SKYPE Q/A with filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava & Actress Aahana Kumra in Attendance Follow event on Facebook Interested in screening this in your hometown? Write to us Tickets TRAILER STILLS DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Alankrita Shrivastava is a feature film director and screenwriter from Mumbai, India with a penchant for telling women’s stories. She likes to explore the complex interior world of women through her films. Alankrita has written and directed two feature films - TURNING 30!!! (2011) and LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA. She has worked on several Indian feature films including Raajneeti as an Associate Director, and Khoya Khoya Chand as an Executive Producer. She has also directed short films, documentaries and music videos. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT I have never worn the burkha. I don’t live in a small town. No one has tried to curb my freedom. I come from a fairly liberal middle-class family and I live in a metropolitan city. Yet there is always something gnawing away within me. Some chains that seem to hold me back. I never feel totally free. Perhaps I am no different from that small town woman who is dreaming of freedom. Perhaps her secret acts of rebellion are mine too. And chains are chains, be they external or internal. This oneness with the characters is what fascinates me. I feel each one of the characters is part me. This film is then perhaps my own search for freedom. The landscape of small town India is rapidly changing. So are the desires and aspirations of women. Through the colourful kaleidoscope of their world, we see these women secretly trying to live a little of their small lipstick dreams. Dodging prying eyes, battling fear, they go about their days… reading what they shouldn’t be, singing what they shouldn’t be, feeling what they shouldn’t be and wanting what they shouldn’t be wanting. From a Western perspective, perhaps their desires may seem small. But it is the smallness of their desires that makes the story poignant for me. I hope by making this film I have been able to break some new ground in exploring the complex interior world of a woman in India. Through the four stories, I have tried to dig deep into what it means to be a woman. What it means to desire, and have the courage to act upon that desire. This story of four ordinary women in small town India, dreaming small lipstick dreams of freedom is then an important, universal story. CAST & CREW PRINCIPAL CAST Ratna Pathak Shah Konkona Sen Sharma Aahana Kumra Plabita Borthakur And Sushant Singh Vikrant Massey Shashank Arora Vaibbhav Tatwawdi Jagat Singh Solanki Sonal Jha Jagat Singh Solanki Director Alankrita Shrivastava Producer Prakash Jha Production Company Prakash Jha Productions Story Alankrita Shrivastava Screenplay Alankrita Shrivastava Additional Screenplay Suhani Kanwar Dialogue Gazal Dhaliwal Cinematographer Akshay Singh Editor Charu Shree Roy Sound Design Rahul Badwelkar Original Songs Zebunissa Bangash Song Lyrics Anvita Dutta Background Score Mangesh Dhakde Production Designer Vikram Singh Costume Designer Rohit Chaturvedi Casting Director Shruti Mahajan Parag Mehta ABOUT THE CAST Konkona Sensharma, daughter of filmmaker and actor Aparna Sen, is one of the finest film actors in India. She has won several awards including the National Award for her performance in Mr and Mrs. Iyer (2002) and Omkara (2006). She has acted in several acclaimed and popular Hindi feature films including Talvar (World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2015), Luck By Chance, Wake up Sid and Page 3. She has a huge repertoire of work as an actor in Bengali films as well. She won the Filmfare East Best Actor Award (2014) for Goynar Baksho (2014) Ratna Pathak Shah, a graduate of the National School of Drama, is a very accomplished and well-known theatre, TV and film actor. Most recently she played the lead protagonist in the highly acclaimed and popular Indian film, Kapoor and Sons since 1921. Her filmography includes Heat and Dust, Mandi, Mirch Masala, Perfect Murder, What If….., Jane tu ya jane na, Golmal 3, Khoobsurat and Nil Battey Sannatta. She is a founder member of Motley, a theatre company in Mumbai, which performs plays in Hindustani and English. Aahana Kumra is a young film, television and theatre actor. She has acted in several popular Indian TV series, including Yudh and Agent Raghav. She has done a substantial amount of theatre with leading theatre groups like Motley, Ansh and Akvarious. Plabita Borthakur, the youngest of the lot, hails from Assam in the North Eastern region of India. She has been acting in several Indian TV commercials in the last couple of years. She also sings and composes music for a band called Manu & Chow. Lipstick Under My Burkha is her first feature film as a lead actor.

The 7th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival brings 30+ acclaimed South Asian films to audiences in Austin, TX and nationwide in April 2022. 2022 Award Winners See the Winners ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 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. 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 15+ languages, the 7th Indie Meme Film Festival is an unmissable event for all fans of world cinema. READ THE JURY BIOS Meet the Jury WORLDWIDE VIEW THE SCHEDULE IN-PERSON SCHEDULE EXPLORE THE FILMS program WORLDWIDE Follow event on Facebook

The virtual festival, streaming April 28th - May 1st,  will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs. IMFF 2023 - ONLINE Indie Meme Online Film Festival is back and better than ever! Join us this year on Filmocracy to watch over 20 amazing films spanning 9+ countries. The virtual festival, streaming April 28th - May 1st, will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs. IMFF2023 REGULAR & PLATINUM BADGE HOLDERS GET FREE ACCESS to the VIRTUAL edition With a Virtual Badge, you can watch all the films available online for only $50. Get ready to explore and enjoy the best of international cinema from the comfort of your own home. Click the button below to view the online festival program and get your Virtual Badge today! Indie Meme membe rs get 20% off. Email puneet@indiememe.org for the discount code. ALL FILMS IN THE VIRTUAL FESTIVAL ARE AVAILABLE FOR STEAMING IN THE US ONLY (except if stated otherwise) GET YOUR VIRTUAL BADGE & TICKETS NARRATIVE FEATURES EIKHOIGI YUM (Our Home) India I 2022 I Manipuri I 87 mins I dir. Romi Meitei Chaoren, an eleven year-old boy from a rural fishing village, fights to attend and excel in school, amidst the threats of poverty and displacement. Read more... IFFR - FIPRESCI Award for 'Best International Film' *Q&A w/ filmmaker Romi Meitei International Premiere HAWA Bangladesh I Bengali, Bangla I 130 mins I dir. Mejbaur Rahman Sumon A fishing trawler is beset by mysterious, possibly supernatural occurences after they take onboard a young woman lost at sea. Set in the Bay of Bengal and inspired by myth, this genre-defying tale is a gem of modern Bangladeshi cinema. Read more.. Bangladesh's Official Oscar Entry - 'Best International Feature' KAMLI Pakistan I Urdu I 130 mins I dir. Sarmad Sultan Khoosat A tale of love, loss, and cloaked secrets centered on the lives of three women in Pakistan, including a young married woman drawn to a mysterious man who saved her life. Read more... 'Best Actress' - Indus Valley International Film Festival (IVIFF) Official Selection of Rotterdam (IFFR) THE PORTRAITS India I 91 mins I Malayalam I dir. Bijukumar Damodaran From National-Award winning filmmaker, Dr. Biju, comes a collection of six cinematic sketches that depict the various means by which fascist governments conspire to silence their own people. Read more.. 'Critic's Choice Award' - Rajasthan Int'l Film Festival 2021 'Life Award' - Imagine India Int'l Film Festival , Spain 2022 MARIAM India I Hindi I 78 mins I dir. Arvind Pradap Mariam, mother & breadwinner for her migrant family in Mumbai, decides to become an illegal surrogate to support her children. However, as the pregnancy progresses she faces unexpected challenges with the family awaiting the child. Read more.. Official Selection of Busan International Film Festival UNTIL TOMORROW Iran I Persian (Farsi) I 86 mins I dir. Ali Asgari Fereshteh, a young student in Tehran, must hide the existence of her illegitimate two-month old baby for the night when her parents announce a surprise visit. She and her resourceful best friend must weigh up their true allies. As they traverse the city, their simple mission proves surprisingly treacherous. Read more... Official Selection: Berlinale '22 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM Texas Premiere US I Bangladesh I Bengali, Bangla, English I 85 mins I dir. Vivek Bald, Alaudin Ullah A New York actor & playwright investigates the pasts of his Bangladeshi immigrant parents, unearthing a lost history in which South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans forged an extraordinary multiracial community in mid-20th century Harlem. Read more... Official Selection: CAAMFest & DOC NYC * Q&A with directors Vivek Bald & Alaudin Ullah THE SHOW MUST GO ON Texas Premiere India I English, Gujarati, Hindi I 60 mins I dir. Divya Cowasji, Jall Cowasji After decades of dormancy, the aging icons of Parsi theater return to the state for a final curtain call. The documentary chronicles the joy & resilience of the cast as they prepare to go out with a bang. R ea d more... Official Selection of Bangkok International Documentary Awards & Cambridge Film Festival SHORTS PROGRAM 1 Looking for Answers , Looking for Love Birdsong Laos I Hmong I 17 mins I dir. Sparsh Ahuja, Omi Zola Gupta Birdsong explores the dying whistling traditions of the Hmong people of northern Laos. The film follows the personal stories of three individuals, as they reflect on their experience as practitioners of a vanishing musical language. Read more... Official Selection - SXSW '23 Junko Nepal I Nepali I 14 mins I dir. Minsho Limbu A newly married girl is left by her husband in her mother's home and waits years for news. Eventually, she finds comfort in her resilient mother. Read more... 'Best Cinematography' - Linz Int'l Short Film Festival Learning Not To Drown When a father awakens to find his family missing her turns to community members for help. Read more... An Austin Local Production, In-Person Director Q&A USA I English I 20 mins I dir. Prithvi Raj Karreddula Man & Wife India I English, Bengali I 9 mins I dir. Rahul Roye Just before their arranged wedding ceremony, a groom comes out to his would be bride, sharing that he secretly cross-dresses. Read more... Official Selection of Dharamshala, UK Asian Film Festival, & NYIFF Periyanayaki New Zealand I English, Tamil I 11 mins I dir. Bala Murali Shingade A recent Sri Lankan immigrant begins another day at her job stacking shelves at the local supermarket. Today, on her wedding anniversary, she is forced to reconcile with the difficult realities of her life. Read more... 'Best Short Film' & 'NZ’s Best Audience Award' - New Zealand Int'l Film Festival Sona Canada I English I 15 mins I dir. Zahra Torkamanlou On the verge of turning forty, how should Sona face the problem of her loneliness? Read more... What Are You Searching For? India I Hindi I 35 mins I dir. Princy Pal Living in a small village in Himachal, Jyotsana is in denial of her husband’s demise. The turmoil of living a life between the past and the present make her more hostile towards motherhood. Read more... Official Selection: South Asian International Film Festival, NYC SHORTS PROGRAM 2 Through the Looking Glass: The Past, Future, and Time Unbound Coming Out With The Help of a Time Machine USA I English I 15 mins I dir. Naman Gupta Sid (Karan Soni) plans to come out to his conservative, community-oriented parents at a local diner. Luckily, he has the power of time travel on his side in this heartfelt sci-fi twist on the coming out story. Read m ore... Official Selection - Tribeca Film Festival, BFI Flare, CAAMFest The Horse From Heaven India I Assamese I 15 mins I dir. Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap A lonely elderly man, Kuxhol, becomes a prophet when he is gifted with the legendary ‘horse of heaven' - even if the horse is just a donkey. Re ad more... Oscar-Qualifying Indian Entry for 'Best Short Film' - 2023 Academy Awards Desi Standard Time Travel Canada I English I Urdu I 19 mins I dir. Kashif Pasta When a new father suddenly loses his own dad, an opportunity to travel back in time for an evening gives him a chance to end things on a better note. Read more... 'Best Short Film' - Audience Award - Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Murder Tongue Pakistan I Urdu, Sindhi I 18 mins I dir. Ali Sohail Jaura May 1992. A state-sanctioned 'Operation' has put the city of Karachi in a state of unrest. Abdul Aziz A nsari wakes up at night and is informed that his son hasn’t returned home. Read more... 'Programmer's Choice - Narrative Short - Bushwick Film Festival Murmurs of the Jungle India I Marathi I 20 mins I dir. Sohil Vaidya A grandmother tells a story to her grandson about the origins of their remote indigenous village in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Read more... 'Best Short' - NFDC Film Bazaar Official Selection: Chicago International Film Festival, IFFR Queer Parivaar UK I English, Hindi, Urdu I 30 mins I dir. Shiva Raichandani When a mysterious gatecrasher appears at their wedding, Madhav and Sufi are forced to face past secrets and reflect on what makes a family. Read more... Iris Prize - Best British Short' - Film4 & Pinewood Studios Swipe Pakistan I Urdu I 15 mins I dir. Arafat Mazhar A young boy addicted to iFatwa, an app that crowdsources religious death sentences, spends his days swiping on the lives of strangers. Read more... Official Selection: Annecy International Animation Festival SHORTS PROGRAM 3 Growing Pains Faces USA I English I 11 mins I dir. Kumar Mayank Problems in a relationship come to the surface during a cinematography group exercise..Read more... An Austin Local Production, In-Person Q&A Felt Cute Might Delete Later Nepal I Nepali I 12 mins I dir. Swati Regmi While 45 year old @Kalatmakabita is enjoying her newly found fame on tiktok, her daughter, @Princessxorimoh, also a micro- influencer, is embarrassed by her mother’s social media persona. Read more... Hajur Nepal I Nepali I 10 mins I dir. LSM Sarita, a young mother working from home during COVID-19, tries to balance her work and family- but her endurance reaches a breaking point as responsibilities keep piling up. Read more... Lalanna's Song India I Malayalam, Hindi I 33 mins I dir. Megha Ramaswamy Two young mothers having a rough day are unprepared to meet Lalanna, a precocious preteen girl who suavely pushes their buttons. They find they have a merciless instinct to set her straight. Read more... Official Selection: Mumbai Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Lori (Melancholy of My Mother's Lullabies) Nepal I NepaliI 15 mins I dir. Abinash Bikram Shah A mother sings lullabies to her 12 year-old daughter in order to calm her down. But, when the lullabies end, their reality turns out to be much grimmer. R ead more... Special Jury Mention - Cannes Film Festival The Return USA, India I English, Urdu I 18 mins I dir. Hena Ashraf A writer-director struggles with her profound sense of loss after the sudden death of her father, who dies while visiting his homeland of India. Hena wrestles with their strained relationship the only way she knows how: making a film. Read more... Official Selection of DOCNYC, IFFLA Wheels on the Bus Nepal I Nepali I 16 mins I dir. Surya Shahi 12 year old Bhyal, a blacksmith, is bullied into making iron wheels for their upper-caste peers. Exhausted by the situation, Bhyal and his best friend are compelled to break social conventions and take matters into their own hands. Read more... Official Selection: Berlinale '22

A mother sings lullabies to her 12 year-old daughter in order to calm her down. But, when the lullabies end, their reality turns out to be much grimmer and more life-altering. April 15, 2023 at 12:45:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual April 28 - May 1, 2023 Lori Nepal | Short 2022 | 15 mins | Nepali, English Screens with "In Search of Bengali Harlem " TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Special Jury Mention - Cannes Film Festival Restoration Process About the Artist Abinash Bikram Shah is a National Award-winning writer/director based in Nepal. An alumnus of Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Berlinale Talents, and Asian Film Academy, he has written, directed, and produced short films that have participated and won at many International Film Festivals. His most recent short film LORI (Melancholy of my Mother’s Lullabies) became the first Nepali film to be officially selected at Cannes Film Festival (2022), where it competed for Palme d’Or Short and was awarded a 'Special Jury Mention'. He has also written several feature films that have premiered in Berlin International Film Festival (2012) and Venice - International Film Critics Week (2015) and went on to become Nepal's Official Entry for the Oscars in Best Foreign Language Film section. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Abinash Bikram Shah Writer: Abinash Bikram Shah Producer(s): Film Editor: Featured Cast: Priti Jha, Sujita Sah, Ankita Yadav Thank you to our community partners for this screening! This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

2019 Indie Meme Film Festival Schedule IMFF2019@Austin Schedule **Please note: schedule subject to change** All screenings are at AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin TX All Films have ENGLISH SUBTITLES SUNDAY April 14th 2019 Soft Opening A Family Affair & Meme-er Afternoon (Open to Indie Meme Members, IMFF Badge Holders & friends of participating youth) 3:00 - 4:00 pm YOUTH PROGRAM - 5 short films (US/ Austin/ English) Q&A with the young Filmmakers in attendance 4:00 - 6:00 pm GUBBARE (India I short I 10 mins I Hindi) A girl selling balloons meets a lonely old man at a park. This light-hearted story about childhood and old age reminds us about the importance of enjoying the little happy moments in life even after all its sorrows. FAMILY FILM CHUSKIT (India I Narrative I 90 mins I Ladaki) 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. Skype QA with filmmaker Priya Ramasubban 6:00 - 7:00 pm MEMBER MIXER @ AFS Lobby FRIDAY April 26th 2019 Opening Night: Film Screening & Party 5:30 - 6:30 pm RED CARPET , AFS Cinema Lobby 6:30 - 8:30 pm OPENING NIGHT FILM THE LAST COLOR (India I Drama I 90 mins I Hindi) A 9 year old flower seller & tightrope walker (Chhoti) ,befriends a 70 year old widow (Noor) living a colorless life of abstinence. Chhoti promises hope to Noor as this poignant story of love, friendship, commitment and victory of the human spirit unfolds on the banks of River Ganges. The Last Color is a story of three people on the fringe of society with a deep bond with each other. QA with filmmaker Vikas Khanna in attendance 9:00 - 11:00 pm OPENING NIGHT PARTY (open to Badge holders only) Complimentary Dinner and Cash Bar @URBAN An American Grill, Westin Domain SATURDAY April 27th 2019 10:00 - 12:00 noon INDIAN CIRCUS (India/Short film/ 22min 15sec /Hindi) A circus facing extinction due to competition with new modern forms of entertainment tries its luck with a new act. INDUS BLUES (Pakistan/ Documentary/1hr 16min / Urdu) Pakistani folk artists talk about their struggle to keep a fading art form alive while reminding the world what they are about to lose. Filmmaker Jawad Sharif not only showcases the unique performances of these rarely seen musical instruments from perhaps their last remaining maestros but also takes the audience on a journey throughout the landscape of Pakistan from the northern Karakoram mountains to the southern coastline. Skype QA with filmmaker Jawad Sharif 12:45 - 2:45 pm YASMINA (US/Short film /6min 41sec /English & Farsi) A surprise encounter leads a daydreaming, young, line cook to discover that perhaps her heart’s desire may be found in the unlikeliest of places. HALF WIDOW (India/ Fiction/Drama/ 1hr 31 min/ Kashmiri & Urdu) Amid the backdrop of the Kashmiri conflict, a young woman must come to grips with the disappearance of her doting husband and embark on harrowing journey of self-discovery. QA with filmmaker Danish Renzu in attendance 3:45 - 5:45 pm LAYOVER (US/ Short Film/9min/English) 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 apart. THE LAST LETTER (India/UK/Short Film /15 min 30 sec/Hindi) Mohan was living a secret all his life, rife with inner conflict, but he starts to see things differently, after revisiting the reality from which he escaped years ago. YOURS TRULY (India/Fiction/Romantic Drama/1hr 39 min/English & Hindi) US PREMIERE Amidst the daily din of the local trains in Calcutta, a lonely working woman in her late fifties finds herself falling in love with the voice of the railway announcer. Skype QA with filmmaker Sanjoy Nag 6:30 - 8:50 pm I DREAM/YaliniDream (US/ Music Video /1min 50sec/English) YaliniDream reveals the experiences of a Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater, song, and dance. CENTERPIECE HER. HIM. THE OTHER (Sri Lanka/Fiction/Drama/1hr56min/Sinhala & Tamil) Three Sri Lankan filmmakers renowned for their internationally acclaimed films based on the Sri Lankan civil war, join in to make one film to express their views on post-war reality. QA with filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage in attendance 9:20 - 11:10 pm JONAKI (India, France, Singapore 2018/FANTASY DRAMA/1HR35 MIN/Bengali with English Subtitles) 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. Skype QA with filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta SUNDAY April 28th 2019 10:30am - 12:30 pm TOKRI (India/ Animated short/14 min / no dialogue) After accidentally breaking her father’s cherished watch, a young girl sells homemade baskets to pay for the repair. This stop-motion animation captures the lives of two seemingly insignificant people, changed by one fateful encounter. NAMDEV BHAU (India/Narrative/ 84 min/Hindi & Marathi) A 65 year old chauffeur, flustered by the noise around him in the city of Mumbai, has completely stopped speaking! He decides to leave everything in search of the 'Silent Valley' which boasts of a naturally occurring phenomena of almost a zero decibel sound level. On this journey, he chances upon an exasperating 12 year old boy, who happens to be on his own solo expedition to the mystical "Red Castle". QA with filmmaker Daria Gai in attendance 1:30 - 3:50pm THE SOUND MAN - Mangesh Desai (India/ Documentary/ 112 min/ English) Featured amongst top 10 sound mixing engineers of the world by New York Times, Mangesh Desai was a genius and regarded so by the Indian film community. With unparalleled understanding of the craft & technique of sound, Desai's dynamic range of work goes from the artistic extremes of Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal’s art films to the blockbusters by the likes of Manmohan Desai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Gulshan Rai, Yash Chopra with films including Deewar, Kabhi Kabhi, Sholay - the list goes on! A true tribute to a true hero. QA with filmmaker Subhash Sahoo in attendance 4:45 - 6:30 pm BUBBLE MAN (US/Short Documentary/ 9min 3sec/ English) FADE (Iran/Short film/3min/No dialogue) Seen through the eyes of a young boy, Fade is a walk down memory lane of life before the war. JIRGA (Afghanistan/Australia /Fiction/Drama//1hr18 min / English & Pashto) US PREMIERE Jirga is a traditional Pashtun tribal authority of community elders. The decision of the Jirga is binding on all members of the tribe. An Australian ex-soldier returns to Afghanistan to find the family of a civilian he accidentally killed during the war. Seeking forgiveness, he puts his life in the hands of the village justice system – the Jirga. Skype QA with filmmaker Benjamin Gilmour 7:15 - 9:30pm CLOSING NIGHT FILM KAMYAAB India/Fiction/Comedy-Drama/1hr 53min/Hindi) On being made to go through his own IMDB page, Sudheer, a washed up side actor from the heydays 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. . QA with filmmaker Hardik Mehta in attendance 9:30 - 11:30pm CLOSING NIGHT PARTY (open to Badge holders only) IMFF2019 AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT

The film is the story of struggle for justice of Cecilia Hasda, a tribal woman from West Bengal-India. Cecilia Austin : Wednesday, September 27th 2017 7:00-8:30pm 2016/ India, Norway/ English, Hindi, Bengali/ 84 Min Interested in screening this in your hometown? Write to us SYNOPSIS The film is the story of struggle for justice of Cecilia Hasda, a tribal woman from West Bengal-India, whose daughter is trafficked and found dead in New Delhi. In a country where thousands of tribal children get trafficked every year to cities and many never found, Cecilia decides to fight for justice for her daughter with the help of her employers Pankaj and Sunaina. As the trio battle corruption at all levels, they find themselves navigating a complex network of cops, traffickers, judges, lawyers, villagers and family members. When Cecilia’s husband is kidnapped and her two sons are forced to leave the village, Cecilia begins to lose all hope. Disappointed with the whole judicial system, Cecilia seriously begins to consider out of court settlement. With the pressure from traffickers mounting, Cecilia eventually ends up taking the money from traffickers and withdraws the case from the court. She goes back to her village hoping to start a new life. But instead, she takes to alcohol and 6 months later succumbs to liver failure. COMMUNITY PARTNERS Tickets Wednesday, September 27th 2017 7:00 - 8:30pm AFS Cinema 6406 N IH-35, Austin, TX TICKETS NOT AVAILABLE The film screening will be followed by a Q&A and a member mixer. CURRENT Indie Meme Members get a $2 DISCOUNT per ticket. Check your email for a member discount code. (non-members PLEASE purchase the regular price tickets) Austin Documentary Fan Members (ADF) & Austin Film Society Members (AFS) get 10% off with the discount codes available to them through their organizations. Students get a 10% discount TRAILER DIRECTOR'S PROFILE A one time financial consultant Pankaj left his lucrative job to pursue his passion for films when he was 24 . He worked as a television producer for 6 years before founding his own production company in 2009. His work has been supported by organisations like IDFA Bertha Fund, Norwegian Film Institute (SORFOND), Sundance Documentary Fund, BritDoc and Indian Films Division. Pankaj joined one of India's biggest media groups – NDTV in 2002 and was part of the core team that launched India's first lifestyle channel, NDTV Good Times. He later worked as a senior producer with India’s leading news channels and produced shows from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iceland and Burma. As a television producer, the content produced by him has won various media awards. The subjects have ranged from Global Warming’s impact on Arctic Ice to the Sri Lankan conflict. Pankaj’s mid-length documentary, “Still Standing” on his quadriple gic father won the best debut film of a director from the Indian government and got the award of excellence from the Indian Documentary Producer’s Association. His first feature length film, “Cecilia” premiered at IDFA 2015. He is also the Producer/EP of independent Bollywood film, “Shuttlecock Boys”, which released in the Indian screens in 2012 and featured in almost all the top Indian critics’ year -end lists. Pankaj has also worked as a consultant on Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan ’s popular show on social issues, Satyameva Jayate besides directing several social and corporate films for clients like United Nations, TED and Government of India. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT As far as I can remember I have always seen domestic helps in my house. When me and my sister were growing up, both my parents were working. So in order to take care of the house and their kids, they used to hire full time nannies. There were placement agencies that had come up in every neighbourhood. For anyone needing a domestic help at their house, all one needed to do was pay a small commission and they would be provided with a person according to their needs. It was one such agency that my parents relied on as well. A lot of these agencies only provided young girls and boys. No one knew from where and how they procured them, and no one really cared to ask. As long as they were getting “house-keepers” , it didn’t really matter. I clearly remember one occasion, when we ended up hiring a young girl in our house as well. It was a very common sight and in fact still is, to see young kids taking care of the house hold chores in cities like Delhi. My ignorance levels persisted even when I joined the news industry. I started coming across horror stories of trafficking from India’s remote tribal parts. But my knowledge was still mostly limited to sex trafficking. It was only much later when I started making this film that I realized that most of these so called “domestic helps” came from India's neglected tribal parts where no development had happened even after decades of independence and democratic freedom. There was immense poverty and so it was very easy for traffickers to make the gullible parents sell their kids for a very small sum of money. This film is not just Cecilia's story. It is a story of every poor tribal who is being sold glitzy city dreams and being lured miles away from their land. It is also a story of every middle class family who has been indirectly contributing to trafficking by hiring these trafficked girls and children. If I could have been so ignorant, then I am sure there are plenty others like me. Films cannot bring about a change overnight. But I hope that with this film I can make more Indians aware and educated about the perils of labour trafficking. STILLS cecelia2 cecelia3 cecelia6 cecelia4 cecelia5 cecelia1 CREDITS Directed and Produced by Pankaj Johar Executive Producer Iikka Vehkalahti Co-Producers Arne Dahr Sunaina Kapoor Finn McAlinden Editing James Valiakulathil Camera Pankaj Johar Sound Design Susmit Bob Nath Niraj Gera Additional Photography Hemant Gaba Vidhi Sharma Hirakjyoti Das Nirmit Shahi Deepak Jain

On the night before leaving her small-town home, Sejal discovers her widowed mother has stopped taking the medication she relies on for her mental health. As Sejal tries to confront her, her mother remains lost in making aloo poori—a farewell meal steeped in family ritual. April 12, 2025 at 10:30:00 AM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Texas Premiere Aloo Poori USA | Short 2025 | 13 mins | English, Hindi TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. Chicago South Asian Film Festival Red Rose International Film Festival Planet Female Global StoryFest (Best Student Film) Aloo Poori follows the story of a mother and daughter during their last day of living together in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Sejal is on the cusp of leaving her home and mother behind, unsure if she’s scared to go, or scared to stay. Her mother Madhuri is avoiding a recent mental health diagnosis and her daughter's departure by throwing her heart into her cooking. The two have never had to function without each other, and on the eve of Sejal’s departure, they realize they might not know how to-- grappling with what forgiveness and farewell truly mean to them. Film Heritage Foundation used the best surviving elements for the restoration – the original camera negative and the 35 mm print preserved at the NFDC – NFAI. Unfortunately, the sound negative was not available. We digitized the sound from the 35 mm print preserved at Film Heritage Foundation. The film elements were repaired by the Film Heritage Foundation conservators and the scanning was done in Prasad Lab in Chennai We found that due to the deterioration of the print, there were vertical green lines on many parts of the film. While the scanning and digital clean-up was done at Prasad under the supervision of L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, the grading, sound restoration and mastering was done at the lab in Bologna. Both Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, the cinematographer of the film, have been involved in the restoration of the film. Restoration Process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation The screening will be preceded by a performance by Specific Thing. Specific Thing is the project of local musician Román. Sometimes he plays by himself and sometimes he plays with his snazzy band — he loves to do both! And the music? It draws from folk, punk, pop, latin, communism, animals, friends... He likes to keep it cartoony, quick, and catchy. The band released an album in 2025 called "Now Is Actually Not A Good Time". Find more at @specificthing on Instagram. Meet Specific Thing About the Artist Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Aditi Sridhar (she/her) is a narrative and documentary filmmaker dedicated to telling culturally specific stories that challenge perspectives and foster action-oriented conversation. Raised in small town Pennsylvania, her storytelling practice is deeply rooted in the intersection of community, identity, and place. She recently produced a feature-length documentary on Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, exploring how his Pittsburgh roots shaped his iconic body of work. Aditi has worked at Warner Brothers Pictures and is an alum of the AMPAS Gold Rising Program, where she was selected as a Trophy Presenter at the 95th Academy Awards. Her directorial debut short film, PIVOT, was featured at festivals across the country, including the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Fargo Film Festival, and DC South Asian Film Festival. She is currently developing new projects that blend homegrown storytelling with global perspectives, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices in media. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Aditi Sridhar Writer: Aditi Sridhar Producers: Aditi Sridhar Owen Gambill Film Editor: Featured Cast: Sangeeta Agrawal Anvita Gattani Advika Ravishankar Mike Puthumana Restoration Effort Led By: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation Restoration Credit: Restored by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul), the cinematographer Govind Nihalani and the director Shyam Benegal. Funding supported by Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul) Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

The 8th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival brings 30+ acclaimed South Asian films to audiences in Austin, TX and nationwide in April 2023. IMFF '23 April 12-16, 2023 SEE THE FILMS FILMS ATTEND SCHEDULE JURY SUBMIT AWARDS PLAN YOUR VISIT MEMBERSHIP ARCHIVES

The 2018 Indie Meme Film Festival brought 4 days of curated cinema from South Asia, film premiers, filmmakers & crew in attendance, red carpet, member mixers, discussions, networking and parties in April 2018. SCHEDULE FILMS ATTEND YOUTH SPONSORS ABOUT PRESS Presented by IndieMeme.org 3rd Indie Meme Film Festival #IMFF2018 April 19-22, Regal Arbor, Austin Hi there! Team Indie Meme is proud to bring you the THIRD Indie Meme Film Festival! After our resounding success over the last two years, we are at it again, bringing you the best of South Asian Cinema. Join us April 19-22nd 2018 in Austin Texas and enjoy 4 days of curated cinema from South Asia, film premiers, filmmakers & crew in attendance, red carpet, member mixers, discussions, networking and parties! Schedule | Attend | Our Team Voted "Best International Passport " by The Austin Chronicle Follow event on Facebook

From sisters surviving a post-apocalyptic Bangladesh to a middle schooler altering reality with her magic eyelashes, these bold, visionary shorts follow characters to the ends of their regular world and beyond, into the new ones their shaping.From sisters surviving a post-apocalyptic Bangladesh to a middle schooler altering reality with her magic eyelashes, these bold, visionary shorts follow characters to the ends of their regular world and beyond, into the new ones their shaping. $10 TICKETS ($8 for members) WATCH ONLINE April 22-25th, 2022 Back to Film Program Shorts Program C - LGBTQ+ Stories - Reaching For Love India, Pakistan I 94 mins I Coming of Age, Romance, Drama I English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi w/ Eng subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE NOTE: This is an online exclusive program. Stories of love, family, and connection from the LGBTQ+ community. This year's selections come from a range of filmmakers and primarily feature women and non-binary characters at their center. FEATURING: The Song We Sang (dir. Aarti Neharsh) On a festive Navratri night, two women may have the chance to fall for one another. A Coup (dir. Areeba Naveed) When a girl comes out to her biased psychologist in 1983, he invites her parents for an intervention. U for Usha ( dir. Rohan Kanawade) A single mother falls for a local schoolteacher in a way she never could have imagined. Sheer Qorma ( dir. Faraz Arif Ansari) A queer couple travel to family seeking acceptance. My Mother's Girlfriend ( dir. Arun Fulara) Renuka is in love with Sadiya, but her adult son doesn't know of her new partner. About the Artist(s) Aarti Neharsh is an award-winning filmmaker whose debut, THE SONG WE SANG, traveled the globe winning prestigious awards like 'Best Indian Narrative Short' at Kashish MIQFF, and the Audience Choice Awards at Indian Film Festival of LA and Dharamshala Int' Film Festival. After the success of her first short, she is now in the process of developing her first feature as a writer/director with Green Chutney Films . Faraz Arif Ansari is a Muslim, gay, non-binary Indian filmmaker known for writing and directing the multi-award winning LGBTQ+ shorts, SISAK and SHEER QORMA. Ansari also wrote the screenplay for Indo-Pakistan Peace Project Short Feature, SILVAT, directed by Tanuja Chandra. When not behind the camera, they conduct cinema and theatre sessions for underprivileged children and the trans community in Mumbai & Delhi. Areeba Naveed is an independent filmmaker currently working as a freelancer. She recently completed her degree at the National College of Arts, Pakistan, where she graduated as Valedictorian with a Distinction. Her short film, A Coup, played at Diorama India and the Seoul Int'l PRIDE Film Festival. After completing a diploma in Interior Design, Rohan Kanawade spent as much time as possible honing his storytelling craft, despite no formal training in filmmaking. In 2010 he left his full-time job and invested his time in writing & direction. Film after film, the quality of his storytelling improved, and in 2017 his short KHIDKEE was selected by Indian Panorama of IFFI, Goa. Impressed by his work, mythology writer Devdutt Pattanaik extended financial support to Rohan’s next short U FOR USHA. Rohan is currently developing his first feature film. Arun Fulara is a writer and filmmaker based out of Mumbai. He is known for his beloved LGBTQ shorts, SUNDAY ('20) and MY MOTHER’S GIRLFRIEND ('21) which travelled widely to festivals around the world including Frameline, Kashish Mumbai Int'l Queer FF, & GAZE Dublin. MY MOTHER’S GIRLFRIEND won the prestigious Kashish QDrishti Film Grant awarded by Lotus Visual Productions & the Kashish Arts Foundation. He’s previously assisted acclaimed filmmaker Devashish Makhija and is currently developing his own first feature, MY HOME IS IN THE HILLS. Trailer Thank you to our community partner for this screening!

How-to: Virtual Screenings INDIE MEME IS NOW ONLINE! Indie Meme is now hosting our expertly curated cinema on virtual event platform, Filmocracy . This new home allows screenings, Q&As, & events to be accessed from one convenient map. All you need is a TICKET OR BADGE and a FREE Account with FILMOCRACY. Grab a ticket --> Visit our Virtual Village --> 1. GET YOUR TICKET Purchase your desired ticket or Festival Pass on Eventbrite .(TIP: Be sure to use you member email for any applicable discounts!) 2. REGISTER ON FILMOCRACY Using the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS as you did to purchase your ticket, create a free account on Filmocracy.com , our new virtual home. Your ticket(s) will automatically connect! 3. FIND OUR EVENT On Filmocracy, find Indie Meme by clicking EVENTS in the top menu bar, OR by scrolling down to MY EVENTS on your welcome page. Click "Go to Fest Village" and you're in! This is your home base and you'll never have to go anywhere else. If you get lost, the address is: https://festival.filmocracy.com/indiememe/ 4. EXPLORE THE FESTIVAL VILLAGE In our virtual village, you can move between the Q&A LOBBY for Q&As and events, the THEATER, where LIVE screenings will take place., and the ON-DEMAND library, where films can be viewed on your own time. Just click on a building to enter! 5. ARRIVE EARLY & BE AS SOCIAL AS YOU LIKE In the Q&A Lobby, you'll find rooms in which you can chat via text, video, or audio. (like ZOOM, you can switch your camera/mic on or off anytime.) It's an optional but cozy way to get the theatrical experience we've been missing. 6. ENJOY THE FILM! When the screening time arrives, click the THEATER to watch. A pop-up window will appear and the film will load and play. Or, for VOD programs, click the ON-DEMAND LIBRARY and pause/play at your own pace. 7. JOIN THE Q&A If a live event follows the film, you can close the theater window and click the Q&A LOBBY. A few minutes post screening, the hosts will start a presentation. The moderator & filmmaker will discuss the film, and take audience questions via chat or video. See you there! Check out our full table!