A grandmother tells a story to her grandson about the origins of their remote indigenous village in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Back to Festival Program 1/4 Sat. April 15th @ 10:30AM AFS Cinemas Online April 28 - May 1 MURMURS OF THE JUNGLE India I 20 mins I Documentary I 2022 Marathi w/ English subtitles BUY TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Official Selection of the Chicago International Film Festival & International Film Festival - Rotterdam Winner of 'Best Short' Award at NFDC Film Bazaar A grandmother tells a story to her grandson about the origins of their remote indigenous village in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. As the mysterious morning unfolds, spirits wander in the forest and dark secrets buried in time slowly emerge. The trees whisper tales of the Gods and ancestors. And while civilization and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth continues, the forest stands eternal. A bridge between the old and the new. About the Artist Sohil Vaidya is a writer and director based in Pune and Los Angeles. He won the Grand Prix for 'Best Short Film' at Melbourne International Film Festival for his film MURMURS OF THE JUNGLE and a Directors Guild of America Award for his thesis film DIFFICULT PEOPLE. Sohil's films have been screened at 90+ world-renowned festivals including Rotterdam,Melbourne, Chicago Int'l, Raindance, IFFI( Indian Panorama), Palm Springs, Rhode Island International, Edmonton International, LA Asian Pacific, Dharamshala (DIFF), Kerala (IDSFFK), and New York Indian Film Festival and have been acquired by multiple online platforms. Sohil is a BAFTA Fellow for their newcomer's program in Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) Film School with MFA in Film/TV Directing. Credits Crew Writer/Director: Sohil Vaidya Producer(s): Abhijit Vaidya Renuka Kulkarni Cinematography: Digvijay Thorat Asst. Camera: Anand Mansuk Asst. Director: Ketki Deshpande Cast: Sunil Bhoir Nitin Bhoir Pradeep Bhoir Vijay Bhoir Baby Bhoir Sonabai Bhoir Voice-over: Sumant Shinde Varsha Gupte Sound Design & Mix: Bigyna Dahal Sound Recordist: Pradyumna Chaware

The three villages used in the shoot are located in the northwest of Iran, in the Turkish-speaking Azeri part of Iran, where people in the countryside are particularly attached to local traditions with some aspects still very archaic. Austin Nov 14th 2018 3 Faces GET TICKETS 1h 40 min, Country: Iran, Language: Persian, running with English subtitles GET TICKETS SYNOPSIS Winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, this road movie portrays acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi (THE WHITE BALLOON, TAXI, THIS IS NOT A FILM) and renowned Iranian actress Behnaz Jafari (THE CHALKBOARD, MOKHTARNAMEH) traveling to a rural village to find a distraught young girl whose family has forbidden her from studying acting. Both the mystery and the journey evolves into a calm yet profound exploration of tradition, patriarchy and female identity over generations within Iranian society. – Ray Loyd, Programmer. The 3 Faces shoot took place in three villages: the birthplace of Panahi's mother, father and grandparents. Such a familiar and protective environment greatly facilitated the possibility of filming without risk. The three villages used in the shoot are located in the northwest of Iran, in the Turkish-speaking Azeri part of Iran, where people in the countryside are particularly attached to local traditions with some aspects still very archaic. The attitude of the inhabitants in the film is consistent with what is still happening in the region. CO-PRESENTED WITH TRAILER Tickets AUSTIN SCREENING Wednesday, November 14th 2018 | 7:30 PM AFS Cinema, 6406 N IH-35 Suite 3100, Austin, Texas 78752 BUY TICKETS DISCOUNT CODE: AAAFF2018IM DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Jafar Panahi is an award winning director, writer and producer from Iran. After several short films and documentaries, he directed his first feature The White Balloon , which premiered in 1977 at Cannes' Directors Fortnight and won the Camera d'Or. Panahi's films are known for portraying realistic images of the Iranian society, causing them to be banned from the screen in Iran. In fact only his first film, The White Balloon has been granted the screening license in Iran. Panahi was arrested twice, the second time for 86 days. Panahi has won a number of human right prices, such as the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and The Medal of Art for Freedom. CAST B ehnaz Jafari as Behnaz Jafari J afar Panahi as Jafar Panahi M arziyeh Rezaei as Marziyeah Rezaei M aedeh Eteghaei as Maedeh N arge Del Aram as Mother CREW P roducer & Director - Jafar Panahi S cript- Jafar Panahi D irector of Photography - Amin Jafari E dit - Mastaneh Mohajer S ound Design and Edit - Amireza Alavian P ost production - Pooya Abbasian

After waking up and finding his wife and baby missing, a worried husband seeks help from community members.  ​ Back to Festival Program 1/5 Weds. April 12th @ 6:15PM AFS Cinemas Online April 28 - May 1 LEARNING NOT TO DROWN USAI 20 mins I Drama I Short I 2021 I English BUY TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Live Q&A w/ Texas-local director, Prithvi Raj Karreddula & award-winning composer Mickey J. Meyer After waking up and finding his wife and baby missing, a worried husband seeks help from community members. About the Artist Prithvi Raj Karreddula is a Dallas filmmaker from Hyderabad, Telangana, India. He's been a writer and director for both English and Telugu films since 2017. He also possesses a handful of additional skills in film production such as cinematography, editing, and music composition. Prithvi Raj is most known for his short films "Audible Frequency" (2021), "Humans" (2019) and "Bhoomi" (2021). Mickey J. Meyer is an Indian composer and singer known for his works predominantly in Telugu Cinema. He has received two Filmfare Awards South, and three state Nandi Awards for 'Best Music Direction'. An alumnus of Trinity College of Music, Meyer started his career in 2005 and composed music for films such as HAPPY DAYS (2007), KOTHA BANGARU LOKAM (2008) LEADER (2010) and A Aa (2016). Credits Crew Writer/Director: Prithvi Raj Karreddula Producer(s): Gopal Bala Prithvi Raj Karreddula Mark Ragunton Kiran Reddy Jinna Cinematography: Mark Ragunton 1st AD: Jazzie Dash 2nd AD: Thomas Farmer Sound: Tyler Cardwell Cameron Hazelwood Morgan Honaker Dawood Tafsir Benjamin Wilbanks Cast: Sri Chilukuri Corey Pratt Raymund C. King Cody Hallford Anna Antonia Hunter Edens Sasha Singh Carlos Manuel Cadena Raviteja Cherughattu Newsha Sadri Ryan Ehlmann Hair & Make-Up: Alexis Fernandez Composer: Mickey J. Meyer

April 26, 2026 at 1:00:00 PM AFS Cinema Texas Premiere Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust India, France, Germany 2024 Recorded Q&A with writer-director Ishan Shukla Preceeded by the short film A door to my memory TICKETS BUY A BADGE International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2024 – World Premiere, Bright Future ETPAC Award for Best Asian Film Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) 2024 – Belgian premiere Cinedays Festival of European Film 2024 – North Macedonian premiere Ishan Shukla’s SCHIRKOA - IN LIES WE TRUST is an animated film that transports you to a future society where nothing is as it seems. Some things about Schirkoa feel familiar, including businessmen with bad habits, globalized urban landscapes, and ties of love and passion. However, everything is put into question when one councilman falls for someone he shouldn’t, and uncovers the true corruption, greed, and control running Schirkoa. Once he makes a key discovery, the fabric of society threatens to collapse on him. With voice acting from Asia Argento, Anurag Kashyap, and Gaspar Noé, this edgy Orwellian tale will haunt as much as it challenges our current notions of culture, civilization, and what the future holds. Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Ishan Shukla created his first comic at the age of six and continued developing original comic work throughout his school years. After working in Singapore’s animation industry for several years, he returned to India and single-handedly completed his first short film, Schirkoa. The film, which later inspired his animated feature Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, received over 30 awards and became the first Indian animated short to be longlisted for the Academy Awards®, followed by screenings at more than 120 international film festivals. He has since founded his own animation studio, Red Cigarette Media, where he focuses on creating deeply personal and artistically driven animated feature films for adult audiences, bridging arthouse sensibilities with broader appeal. Ishan Shukla also directed The Bandits of Golak, one of the nine short films in the Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 anthology from Lucasfilm, which premiered in May 2023 on Disney+. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Ishan Shukla Writer: Ishan Shukla Producer(s): Bich-Quan Tran,Ishan Shukla Film Editor: Nicolas Titeux Featured Cast: Golshifteh Farahani Asia Argento SoKo King Khan Denzil Smith John Sutton Tibu Fortes Shahbaz Sarwar Lav Diaz Karan Johar Shekhar Kapur Anurag Kashyap Piyush Mishra Gaspar Noe Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

An ambitious man loses his phone, which locks him out of his home. With no options, he should survive freezing night in a car running out of gas. April 10, 2025 at 6:30:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 World Premiere Lost in Concrete Woods USA | Short 2025 | 24 mins | Telugu TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Ram, an ambitious man consumed by his routine, oblivious to the world around him. When he gets locked out of his home on a freezing night, he is forced to navigate an unfamiliar reality—one without comfort, technology, or control. As the long night unfolds, every passing hour presents new challenges—physical, emotional, and existential. Unexpected encounters and moments of isolation begin to shift his perspective, nudging him toward a realization that had always been waiting in the shadows. Restoration Process About the Artist Pruthvi Teja Anumandla is a budding independent filmmaker from Southern India, driven by a passion for experimental and personal storytelling. Rooted in real-life experiences, his films transform intimate moments into deeply resonant narratives, often exploring themes of isolation, ambition, and the overlooked nuances of everyday life. With a keen eye for authenticity, he crafts stories that are introspective, emotionally raw, and universally relatable. Beyond his reflective storytelling, Pruthvi enjoys experimenting with lighter, more entertaining narratives. His Telugu mockumentary Raatri Em Jarigindante showcases his ability to blend humor with unconventional storytelling. With a natural flair for comedy and a drive to push creative boundaries, he continues to carve his own path in independent cinema, crafting unique narratives that leave a lasting impact. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Writer: Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Producer(s): Dundinath Gunda Prithvi Raj Karreddula Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Film Editor: Praveen Kumar Pinnint Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Featured Cast: Ravi Teja Mukkavalli Henry Okigbo Kerry Graves C. Bala Narasimham Ishaan Telang Coco Penukonda Brenna Spencer God's Power Osa 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.

The film follows four young girls that routinely travel from Lyari to a musical school in another area. The travel is long and dangerous, plus the girls' families are not always supportive of their desire to learn music as they feel that it violates Islamic law. Lyari Notes follows the girls over a three-year period. Eventive Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Lyari Notes India, Pakistan | Documentary 2015 | 70 mins | Urdu ORIGINAL FILM PAGE WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. World Premiere and nominated by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists – EDA Award at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam – Nov 2015 Winner of the Golden Boddhisattva Award (Patna) at the Bodhisattva International Film Festival – Feb 2017 Winner of excellence in best documentary feature (red category) at the ARY Film Festival (Karachi) – May 2017 In Pakistan a rock star teaches a group of girls to express themselves through music in Karachi’s most volatile district. Hamza Jafri travels in an armed vehicle. He is a musician famous for his hard hitting political lyrics since the 1990s. Since then religious fundamentalism has been on the rise with shops selling music torched, concerts bombed and musicians threatened with death. Seeing the shrinking space for music and artists Hamza opens a music school. Captured over 3 years Lyari Notes is the narrative of four young girls who attend Hamza’s music school and learn what it takes to express oneself despite the cycles of violence. 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 Miriam Chandy Menacherry (Director and Producer from India) – Founder, Director at Filament Pictures a Mumbai based production house. She has pitched and produced award winning films that have been broadcast on international channels like the National Geographic channel, BBC world and Arte. Her last documentary The Rat Race weaves together the narratives of rat killers in Mumbai. It won the Mipdoc Co production Challenge at Cannes, premiered at IDFA and won the audience awards at Florence and Kerala. It is one of the rare documentaries to get theatrical releases in 3 Indian cities winning critical and popular acclaim. Maheen Zia (Director and Producer from Pakistan) – Pakistani film director and editor. She has a degree in radio/tv production from Drake University USA and teaches at the Department of visual studies Karachi University. She is one of the founding members of Pakistan’s young international film festival – The Kara Film Festival and has served as a juror at international film festivals in Tehran, Tampere, Hyderabad and Kabul. She is the winner of the India EU Film initiative- Berlin Today Award- for her film `Match Factor’. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Miriam Chandy Menacherry & Maheen Zia Writer: Miriam Chandy Menacherry Abhijit Kachhap Likokba Sangtam Maheen Zia Producers: Miriam Chandy Menacherry Iikka Vehkalahti Maheen Zia Film Editor: Monisha R Baldawa Sankalp Meshram Featured Cast: 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!

2023 Places I've Called My Own Short Hindi mins 28 Texas Premiere In-Person, Virtual 2023 France, India Drama, LGBT, Family After several years in the US, Tara, in the midst of her IVF process, returns to India for the funeral of her father. There, she finds a mother in denial about her sexual orientation, an ex-girlfriend who has rebuilt her life with a man, and the shadow of the paterfamilias that continues to hang over the home. PÖFF Shorts 2023, Chéries-Chéris 2023, Créteil 2024 Tickets 4/20/24, 10:30 AM All Badges, Shorts Program Ticket AFS Cinema Writer / Director Sushma Khadepaun Born and raised in India, Sushma is a writer/director based in New York. Her student short film 'ANITA' had its world premiere in Venice's Orizzonti 2020. She is the first Indian female director in competition in Venice since 2000. Her new film PLACES I’VE CALLED MY OWN premiered in November 2023 at PÖFF Shorts. Director: Sushma Khadepaun Producer: Damien Megherbi, Justin Pechberty, Avantika Sigh Writer: Sushma Khadepaun Cast: Aditi Vasudev, Bhumika Dube, Amardeep Jha Editor: Clémence Carré Crew: This Event is supported in part by a Mini Grant from Humanities Texas. Community Partners for the Film More Films

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. Back to Film Program IN THEATERS: RK/RKAY April 16th, 2022 AFS Cinema WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 Eventive NOTE: This film is available only in theaters. Miniaturist of Junagadh India I 29 mins I Historical Drama I 2021 I Hindi, Urdu w/ English subtitles Winner of 'Best Short Film' at Imagine India & 'Best Actor' for Raj Arjun at IFFSA - Toronto 1947. The ravages of Partition have compelled an old artist, Husyn Naqqash, to sell his ancestral home in Western India and move with his family to Karachi, Pakistan. When the opportunistic man who has bought the house learns that Husyn is a well-known miniature painter with an invaluable collection - he schemes to get hold of the art. But all is not what it seems. There is a secret about the collection that Husyn's family is holding back. Not only from the buyer - but also from Husyn himself. This film screens with the feature RK/RKAY , in theaters . WATCH IN THEATERS About the Artist Kaushal Oza was born and raised in Bombay and is a graduate of Film Direction from the reputed Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He has twice been awarded the National Film Award. His first short VAISHNAV JAN TOH was awarded 'Best Debut Director of a Short Film' in 2010 and his second, AFTERGLOW, won the National Award for the 'Best Short Film on Family Values' in 2013. AFTERGLOW has consistently rated as one of the best short films to watch on YouTube & popular online portals and is nearing 1 million views. His films have won 15+ 'Best Film' Awards in places like London, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Delhi and have been showcased at festivals from LA to Singapore. In 2021, he wrote & directed and a 30 minute short ,The Miniaturist of Junagadh, which features Naseeruddin Shah, Rasika Dugal, Raj Arjun and Padmavati Rao. The film premiered at NYIFF. He is currently in development of his first feature , LITTE THOMAS, which was selected for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab and mentored at CineKid Film Festival, Amsterdam. It was also a part of the NFDC Co-production Market at Film Bazar.

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. Eventive Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 International Premiere Eikhoigi Yum (Our Home) India | Narrative Feature 2022 | 86 mins | Manipuri TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL IMFF2023 - Audience Choice Award for the Best Narrative Feature at IMFF, Austin, USA 69th National Film Awards, Best Manipuri Film, India Best Director at Kazan International Muslim Festival, Russia FIPRESCI Award for the Best International Film at 27IFFK, Kerala/India Belonging to an isolated fishing community of the Loktak lake, Chaoren makes the best use of his exclusive existence by excelling in school. When the canoe he uses every day to attend school has to be sold off because of his father’s illness, his spirit is not dampened. He beats the long distance from his shanty floating hut to his school by swimming his way through. But when the Government issues an eviction notice demanding Chaoren’s family to leave their home, his dreams are left with an angst of a displaced person. Restoration Process About the Artist Romi Meitei is prolific filmmaker who has produced several box-office hits. Besides notching up commercial successes, his films have been screened in world-renowned film festivals including IFFI, MIFF, IFFK, and others. He is recipient of the prestigious FIPRESCI and NETPAC awards, and well as the 'Best Director' Prize at the Sailadhar Film Awards in Assam. His projects have also received several Manipur State Film Awards, including 'Best Feature Film', 'Art Director', 'Child Artiste', and 'Best Editor' for EIKHOIGI YUM at the MSFA 22 award ceremony. He is the Chairman of Mami Thawan Foundation, which aims to render services for the welfare of Manipur. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Romi Meitei Writer: Romi Meitei Producer(s): Chingsubam Sheetal, Romi Meitei Film Editor: Johni Meitei Featured Cast: 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.

A young sex worker embarks on a surreal journey across a dystopian city to raise money for a ritual that promises to lift a mysterious curse hanging over her life. April 25, 2026 at 8:15:00 PM AFS Cinema Fucktoys USA | Narrative Feature 2025 | 106 mins | English Live Q&A with writer-director-actor Annapurna Sriram and producer Timothy Petryni Preceeded by the short films Squat N Stool and Burnt Orange TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL SXSW Film Festival - Special Jury Award NewFest: New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize Nashville Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize Part-time sex worker, full-time chaos magnet, AP is convinced that the universe has it out for her… and she might be right. In this wild, unfiltered debut from writer/director/star Annapurna Sriram — AP seeks a cosmic reset after a tarot reader floating in a swamp tells her she needs $1,000 and a sacrificial lamb to lift her curse. Armed with neither, she meets up with her long-lost kindred spirit Danni, and together the two moped off on a bizarre quest through Trashtown USA — a dystopian, neon-drenched sprawl of strip clubs and urban decay, stocked with a series of assorted oddballs, Tom of Finland cops, and some all-too-familiar type clients. Fucktoys is rude, crude, unhinged, girlypop middle finger to filmic convention, and a comedic calling card for anyone who finds themself asking the question: am I cursed??? Restoration Process About the Artist Annapurna Sriram is an emerging horse girl from Nashville, TN. She holds a BFA in Acting from Rutgers’ Mason Gross. Her most cherished previous work includes Jesse Eisenberg’s The Spoils, Wallace Shawn’s Evening at the Talkhouse, and the feature film Feral. She is an aficionado of fetish, fantasy, and foreplay. Fucktoys is her directorial debut. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Annapurna Sriram Writer: Annapurna Sriram Producer(s): Timothy Petryni Film Editor: Lilly Wild Grason Caldwell Featured Cast: Annapurna Sriram Sadie Scott Francois Arnaud Big Freedia Brandon Flynn Damian Young 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.

April 26, 2026 at 3:45:00 PM AFS Cinema Little Fishies India 2025 Shown as part of the Family Shorts Program TICKETS BUY A BADGE On the day of their father’s funeral ceremony, 13-year-old Raya and her younger sister Mia find themselves engulfed in the absurd and chaotic atmosphere of a grieving Punjabi household. Relatives assign duties, rituals unfold, and Raya feels a widening disconnect between the culturally appropriate way of grieving and her own instinctive way of grappling with the loss. This internal dissonance, coupled with Raya’s desire to shield Mia from the heaviness around them, drives her to hatch a plan to slip away from the stifling ceremony and escape to the beach. The sisters’ mission gets derailed when their mother catches them and forbids them from leaving — she chides Raya for not supporting her, and insists that they grieve in the "correct” way. Raya pushes back, questioning the contradictions in her mother’s argument, which leans heavily on duty and tradition. This difference in philosophies sets off a heart-wrenching conflict between mother and daughter, each struggling to cope with the same pain. As Raya and Mia fight against all odds to escape, they are forced to navigate judgment from their own family members, who deem their behavior unfit for the ceremony. Not only must Raya now fight their expectations of what a daughter in mourning must look like, but also reckon with a startlingly heavy question — is there really a right way to grieve? Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Mallika Juneja is a writer and director based in Mumbai, India. After completing her BFA in Filmmaking from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Mallika worked in New York at companies such as A24, Comedy Central, and William Morris Endeavor. In 2021, Mallika’s screenplay won "Best Original Half-Hour Pilot" at NYU's Fusion Film Festival, and in 2024 she was a part of the jury for the same category at the festival. In Mumbai, Mallika has worked with Tiger Baby and Excel Entertainment; first as a Development Executive, and then as a Director's Assistant. While with Tiger Baby, she was Creative Assistant and then a Director's Assistant on films and series for Netflix and Amazon, along with theatrical releases. Independently, Mallika has directed music videos, ads, plays, and promotional content for Tiger Baby, Netflix, EO2 EXP, as well as other independent producers and brands. In 2024, she was selected as one of five directors at the Creative Minds of Tomorrow program organized by the International Film Festival of India and the NFDC, where she directed a short film that won two awards at the closing ceremony. Mallika tends to tell thought-provoking, character driven stories that are gripping and fresh — stories that gently reflect on the contradictions of the time and society we live in, while also being grounded in raw human emotions. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Mallika Juneja Writer: Mallika Juneja Producer(s): Jasmin A Singh Film Editor: Sruthy Sukumaran Featured Cast: Myra Singh Saisha Salvi Charu Shankar Suhaas Ahuja Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

April 26, 2026 at 3:45:00 PM AFS Cinema United States Premiere Waagh (The Leopard) India 2025 Shown as part of the Family Shorts Program TICKETS BUY A BADGE FrightFest, London 2025 Beijing International Film Festival 2025 Ahmedabad Children and Youth Film Festival 2025 When a leopard wanders into a redeveloped apartment complex in Mumbai - its natural habitat long since encroached upon - fear quickly spreads. Mumbai is the only city in the world with a forest nestled within its limits, where leopards co-exist with malls, highways, and high rises. When the leopard is found dead, 8-year-old Apu’s world begins to distort. Waagh is a tense psychological drama that explores childhood paranoia, silent fears, and the primal instincts simmering beneath the fragile surface of urban life. Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Mukti Krishan is a filmmaker and writer whose work spans fiction, documentary, and animation. A graduate of Vancouver Film School, she began her career in VFX and animation before transitioning to live-action storytelling, with a focus on emotionally resonant, psychologically layered narratives. Her fiction projects have been supported by the Asia Society Fellowship Grant and the Mumbai Mantra–Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. As a documentary director, her work has been commissioned by Discovery, YouTube Originals, and Zee5. Her independent film Raqs-e-Inquilab, set in Kashmir, was featured on MUBI and The Atlantic Selects. In the commercial space, she has directed acclaimed campaigns for MTV, Google, Lux, and Asian Paints, among others, earning recognition including a Kyoorius Blue Elephant finalist and a Digies Award for Best Short. Across formats, Mukti’s films primarily explore themes of identity, silence, and the hidden interior lives of her characters. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Mukti Krishan Writer: Mukti Krishan Kamya Nair Producer(s): Mukti Krishan Film Editor: Abhro Banerjee Featured Cast: Arjun Amedkar Sagar Deshmukh Sharvari Patankar Thank you to our community partners for this screening!