Meet our 2021 sponsors, patrons and supporters. We are grateful to these organizations to help bring independent films from Southeast Asia to our audience. Our 2021 Supporters Become a Sponsor 2020 IMFF Sponsors IMFF 2021 is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin, Economic Development Department Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support of Indie Meme's Festivals & Programs. Our corporate, media, institutional, & local business sponsors sustain our work and further the presence of independent South Asian Cinema in Texas. We could not do it without you! Find our more about our sponsors & their initiatives by clicking their respective logos. Producing Sponsors Scripting Sponsors Patron Sponsors Local Small Business & Organizational Sponsors Planning a wild, adventurous trip? Consider the journeys offered by Mowgli Expeditions. They will donate $100 to Indie Meme for every person who books a trip through them. Thank you to our brilliant sponsors, past and present! We are grateful to our 2015 , 2016, 2017 , 2018, 2019 , and 2020 sponsors.

10-year-old Mukti wishes to swim in a newly filled lake, but his simple wish turns into an unexpected discovery about himself, causing him to question everything he knew.    IN THEATERS: Shorts Program 1 April 14th, 2022 AFS Cinema WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 Dal Bhat India I 29 mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2021 I Gujarati w/ English subtitles WATCH IN THEATERS In a small village in Kutch, India; 10-year-old Mukti wishes to swim in a newly filled lake, which has appeared following many years of drought. His seemingly simple wish turns to an unexpected discovery about himself, which causes him to question everything he knew. This film plays with SHORTS PROGRAM 1 , in theaters. NOTE: This film is only available in theaters. Back to Film Program About the Artist Nemil Shah is an exciting, rising filmmaker from India. His short film, Dal Bhat , about a boy learning something unexpected about his identity, was awarded the Ritwik Ghatak 'Golden Award' in the Short Fiction category at the South Asian Short Film Festival. Dal Bhat has also screened at world festivals & industry events, including the ReelOut Queer Film Festival 2022 and the Indian Film Festival of Cincinatti.

An Iranian family in Finland await the final decision on their asylum application. While deportation looms, the everyday stuff of life - days at the lake, neighborhood gossip, quiet apartment dance parties - goes on Back to Film Program $15 TICKETS ($12 for members) Sun. April 17 @ 2:45PM Venue: Austin Film Society Streaming April 22-24, Eventive Texas Premiere NOTES: This film is screening in theaters, followed by an on-demand window in our virtual cinema. The virtual screening is available only to Texas audiences. Any Day Now Finland I 82mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2020 Finnish, Farsi w/ English subtitles IN-PERSON TICKETS BUY & WATCH ONLINE An Iranian family in Finland await the final decision on their asylum application. Even as deportation looms, the Mehdipour parents move through the days and nights in their refugee accommodations in a quiet, simple manner, full of humor and warmth. Amidst the uneasy situation, the stuff of everyday life - days at the lake, neighborhood gossip, quiet apartment dance parties - goes on. Yet, as their son Ramin, enters junior high, he realizes the uncertainty of their place in new ways. Inspired partly by the experiences of director Hamy Ramezan, who fled Iran for Finland with his family in the 1990s,Any Day Now is an irresistible invitation to the Mehdipour family's table. It also distinguishes itself as a keen, personal portrayal of living under the caprices of the immigration system. The theatrical program includes the short film, CHAI About the Artist Hamy Ramezan is a Finnish-Iranian film director and screenwriter. Having fled persecution in Iran, and survived Yugoslav refugee camps as a young boy, Ramezan and his family arrived in Finland in 1990. He graduated from the film school at UCA, Franham in 2007 and has since completed several short films. His short film Listen (2015) premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2015, hasbeen screened at over 200 festivals and was nominated for Best Short Film at the European Film Awards. Any Day Now is his feature debut. The film screened at Berlinale and went on to win the Jussi Award for 'Best Actor' in Finland. Trailer I cannot remember a film in which the consolations of kindness were so vivid. - International Cinephile Society " touching drama... a lovely positive first feature " - Film Uforia Thank you to our community partner for this screening! Austin Iranian Professionals Association (AIPA) is a cultural nonprofit organization that aims to pass on the rich Iranian culture and traditions not only to second generation Iranians but also to other cultures. AIPA achieves this goal, to some extent, by organizing and hosting a multitude of events including but not limited to holidays, music, art, and fundraisers to celebrate traditions and unify the community. What the Critics Say... OFFICIAL SELECTION Berlinale Credits Crew Director: HAMY RAMEZAN Writer: HAMY RAMEZAN ANTTI RAUTAVA Producer(s): JUSSI RANTAMAKI EMILIA HAUKKA Cinematographer: ARSEN SARKISIANTS Set Design: KARI KANKAANOAA Costume Design: KIRSI GUM Still photographer: SAMI KUOKKANEN Cast ARAN-SINA KESHVARI as 'Ramin Mehdipour' SHAHAB HOSSEINI 'Bahman Mehdipour' SHABNAM GHORBANI as 'Mahtab Mehdipour' KIMIYA ESKANDAR as 'Donya Mehdipour' Crew Cont'd: Editor: JOONA LOUHIVUORI Sound: SVANTE COLERUS Music: TUOMAS NIKKINEN LINDA ARNKIL Production Companies AAMU FILM COMPANY

When a rural Himalayan girl befirends a female backpacker, her mother becomes suspicicous that this will encourage rebellious ideas. Back to Film Program IN THEATERS: Shorts Program 1 April 14th, 2022 AFS Cinema WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 An Early Spring India I 38 mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2019 I Hindi, Pahari w/ English subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE In this subtle and absorbing coming of age film, a young girl, eager to pursue alternate life paths over marriage, befriends a female backpacker passing through her Himalayan village. Her mother and the other villagers are intrigued and somewhat unsettled by the solo traveller. Tensions arises when the yearly crops become infested and the girl's mother believes that this backpacker is stoking her daughter's rebellious ideas. They must all face both the promise and instability of their futures. This film plays with SHORTS PROGRAM 1 , in theaters and with the FAMILY SHORTS program online. NOTE: This film is playing on-demand in our virtual cinema. WATCH IN THEATERS About the Artist Pramati Anand pursued her Masters in Film & Video from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. Her creative journey revolves around exploring stories, people and places through travel and audio-visual media. Her masters student productions RUSHNAI (Ink) and ‘AKASHVANI (Voice From The Sky) traveled the festival circuit in India and South Asia. She also completed a short documentary, IN SEACRH OF FIREFLIES, in Suzhou, China as part of an international youth film project: LOOKING CHINA. The project was screened at Interscreen by Filmart in Serbia, which she attended as a participant of the documentary masterclass - Interdoc. Her graduation film, Jhat Aayi Basant (An Early Spring) was an official selection at the International Film Festival, Goa and is currently doing the festival rounds. Trailer

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Pakistani indigenous folk artists talk about their struggle to keep a fading art form alive while reminding the world what they are about to lose. Indus Blues Pakistan 2018 | Documentary | 76 mins. | Urdu with English Subtitles 4/27/2019 | 10:00 am - 12:00 noon This feature will be preceded by a short film - INDIAN CIRCUS ATTEND SYNOPSIS In Pakistan, a country riddled with political turmoil, economic challenges, and social identity crisis, musicians and instrument craftsmen find it hard to survive and sustain their art. They also have to deal with the fact that being a music performer is a social taboo in the society. 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. TRAILER DIRECTOR'S PROFILE JAWAD SHARIF Jawad is an award-winning filmmaker who has come into prominence for exploring social subjects that are often ignored. Known for his signature visual storytelling style, he has also won several awards for his project "K2 & the Invisible Footmen," which has been screening around the world. With his brainchild Indus Blues, he aims to highlight an art form he personally cares about. An alumnus of the, Swedish Institute and Institut Fur Auslandsbeziehunge, Germany, Jawad is also the founder of Bipolar Films. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT A project very close to my heart, Indus Blues tells the story of some of the most precious folk music treasures from the cultures of Indus which are on the verge of disappearance. The musicians associated with these musical instruments are ironically the most prominent figures in their art form but they are barely surviving in a society largely indifferent to what they have to offer. While I strongly believe that this is a story that the entire world needs to be told, urban audiences in Pakistan are surprisingly as unaware of the existence of some of these musical instruments as someone who is unfamiliar with this culture. However, the reasons driving me to produce this film go far beyond than just the disappearance of these folk musical treasures. Perhaps one of the greatest factors that inspired me was the social attitude toward art and music in Pakistani societies. There is no doubt that music is a rich and inseparable part of the cultures in Pakistan but increasingly menacing religious orthodoxy and obscurantism are jeopardizing this beautiful form of creative expression. I believe our very civilization is under threat due to the obscurantism imposed by religious indoctrination of society. The musicians and craftsmen that we have featured in this film have first-hand accounts of harassment and violence at the hands of religious clerics and their followers. Even the makers of this film were physically threatened and obstructed by some miscreants in some of the communities covered. Of course, religious extremism is just one of the factors behind the decline of folk music in Pakistan. Problems such as lack of economic sustenance, poor opportunities, low market demand, and lack of state patronage are also primary factors. Clearly, other factors have been heavily influenced by religious intolerance toward music, resulting in significant strata of society shunning music because they are taught that it is forbidden and evil. Meanwhile, the more westernized urban communities, though lesser affected by religious extremism, are mostly disconnected from their ethnic roots and not exposed to the plight and the music of these folk artists. While you see recent commercial ventures promoting music in Pakistan, even featuring folk artists, they are still nowhere near enough to what is required. It is important to note that some of the folk treasures such as Boreendo and Sarinda are not likely to survive unless the government and its cultural departments offer patronage to the artists and invest in their promotion. Many of the musicians and craftsmen featured in the film are among the last remaining artists to keep their tradition alive, and that too because it was a part of their family inheritance. As a matter of fact, Ejaz Sarhadi is the last remaining Sarinda player, Fakeer Zulfiqar is probably the only known prominent Boreendo player and Zohaib Hassan is a rare, solitary youth who took up the Sarangi in the tradition of his grandfather Ustad Hussain Baksh Amritsari. Indus Blues is also about artists responding to hate and intolerance with peace and love. The film also reveals the humanist philosophy among the artists and Sufis of Pakistan who offer an alternative understanding of their faith for arts and music to survive, if not flourish. The preparation, research, and production of Indus Blues have been a tremendous learning experience for me and my team. We were astounded by the sophistication and wisdom of our folk artists in Pakistan and realized that we have much to learn from them. I hope Indus Blues goes a long way to take the message of the folk artist of Pakistan to the entire world. I am honored to have the opportunity to offer them a platform through this film. CREDITS Directed & Produced by Jawad Sharif Creative Producer Arieb Azhar Executive Producer Zeejah Fazli Co-Producers Adeel Malik & Mohsin Reza Naqvi Edited by Jawad Sharif & Asmat Bashir Cinematography by Asmat Bashir Screenwriter/Associate Producer Haroon Riaz Production Coordinator Mehnaz Parveen Assistant Director Ahmed Waqas FEATURING Ajmal Laal Bheel Rehmatullah Baig Gulbaz Karim Ustad Ziauddin Allahjurriyo Kambhar Ibraheem Hajano Muhammad Jan Mai Dhai Arieb Azhar Saif Samejo Nighat Chaudhary Krishan Laal Bheel Faqeer Juman Shah Sachu Khan Ejaz Sarhadi Zohaib Hassan Faqeer Zulfikar Akbar Khamisu Khan Sattar Jogi Mumtaz Ali Sabzal SHAFQAT Karim Directed & Produced by Jawad Sharif Creative Producer Arieb Azhar Executive Producer Zeejah Fazli Co-Producers Adeel Malik & Mohsin Reza Naqvi Edited by Jawad Sharif & Asmat Bashir Cinematography by Asmat Bashir Screenwriter/Associate Producer Haroon Riaz Production Coordinator Mehnaz Parveen Assistant Director Ahmed Waqas FEATURING Nighat Chaudhary is the leading classical Kathak dancer of Pakistan. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, she moved to Pakistan to practice and promote her passion for classical dance. She is currently teaching classical Kathak dance in Lahore. However, her art has been under attack since the Islamization during the Zia regime in Pakistan. In modern Pakistan, she remains to be one of the few beacons of hope resisting social taboos and keeping the tradition of classical dance alive. Saif Samejo is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Sketches band. Samejo is known for his cultural activism and revivalism of the folk music, with Sindhi music as his primary area of interest. Founder of the Lahooti Melo festival, he is credited for bringing ancient Sindhi musical instruments such as Boreendo, Chang, and Kamacho to the modern spotlight. Mai Dhai is a Merwari language classical folk singer from Tharparkar, Sindh, with tribal roots in Rajasthan in modern India. She was first noticed in popular culture in Pakistan since her appearance in a popular music television show in 2015. She has represented Pakistan in SXSW Music 2015 in the United States in collaboration with the Foundation of Arts, Culture and Education. Arieb Azhar is one of the most prominent contemporary folk and Sufi vocalists and songwriters in Pakistan. Son of the late Aslam Azhar, who is remembered as the architect of television broadcasting in Pakistan, Arieb inherited a rich tradition of arts and culture in his family, and his style reflects an attractive mix of World music and traditional music of the Subcontinent. Together with being a professional musician, Arieb is also an arts producer, festival curator, and cultural activist. He is also the Creative Producer of Indus Blues. FEATURING Sachu Khan is one of the most legendary folk and semi-classical Suroz players in the history of Pakistan. This maestro is a towering figure in the local musical tradition. He started his career in the 1970s with Radio Pakistan Quetta. He has represented Pakistan around the world. Currently, Sachu Khan is seriously ill and is fighting heart disease. Faqeer Zulfikar is the only known Boreendo player in Pakistan. He also plays the Narr, a Sindhi variant of the flute, as well as the Damburi, which is a smaller version of the Dambura but played like a Rabab. The son of Sindhi folk artist Mir Muhammad Lund, Faqeer Zulfikar, who was the recipient of Pride of Performance Award, is singlehandedly keeping the ancient tradition of Boreendo alive. Zohaib Hassan is the leading name among the handful of Sarangi players left in Pakistan. Hailing from the Amritsar clan, Zohaib is the grandson of Ustad Hussain Baksh Amrtisari who migrated to the heart of the walled city of Lahore from eastern Punjab in modern day India. The tradition of the Sarangi is linked with classical dance used to be practiced in the Shahi Mohalla of Lahore, which has been outlawed since the Islamization during the term of General Zia-ul-Haq. Ejaz Sarhadi is the only Sarinda player left in Pakistan and is a master of his craft. He is the son of the legendary Muneer Sarhadi, who along with his father Pazeer Khan, is credited for popularizing the musical instrument in the mainstream of folk music in both Pakistan and United India. Ejaz Sarhadi’s son has opted to learn the saxophone as his instrument of choice instead of the Sarinda. Ajmal Laal Bheel is the protégé of the colorful folk artist Krishan Laal Bheel and is a member of the Bheel Bhakti troupe. He is the primary Raanti player, an instrument only played by the Bheels from Rahimyar Khan. He is at the forefront of keeping this ancient folk tradition alive and also crafts the Raanti, which is not made in any other place in the country. FEATURING Mumtaz Ali Sabzal is a multiple award-winning expert craftsman of the Balochi Banjo while being a maestro of the instrument. He comes from the founder family of the instrument based in Lyari and followed his father’s advice to learn to craft the instrument. Today, he crafts a Banjo in a month and a half and also prepares them with the addition of a Swarmandal. He also has plans to create a new musical instrument derived from the Banjo and the Veena. Ustad Ziauddin is the torchbearer of a tradition a couple of centuries old and arguably the most capable Sitar maker in Pakistan. Winner of the Presidential Pride of Performance Award, Ziauddin is the son of Ustad Sher Muhammad, who was one of the most prolific Sitar craftsmen in United India. Ustad Ziauddin also happens to be the only credible Sarangi craftsman in Pakistan who has witnessed the times change for classical music in Lahore. Krishan Laal Bheel leads the Bhakti musical troupe of the Bheel tribe of Cholistan and is the most prominent Merwari artist in Pakistan. Bheel’s troupe is known for its Bhakti music, using traditional instruments such as the Manjeera used in Hindu chanting rites. Introduced in a popular show of Pakistan Television in the late 70s, Krishan Laal Bheel has since become an essential feature in folk music shows in the country. Sattar Jogi is from the Sindhi snakecharmer community and is keeping an ancient tradition alive that is specific to his people and culture. For an instrument that is not sold publicly, he bears a heavy responsibility on his shoulders including the others from his community. However, this rich symbol of the heritage of the Indus is fading gradually. Gulbaz Karim is a Sufi vocalist and Chardha player representing the Wakhi Pamiri musical tradition, who mostly plays the poems of the Sufi saint Pir Nasir Khusrow. While based in Karimabad, Gulbaz is affiliated with an Islamabad based Wakhi Sufi band called Bazm-e-Laka. Muhammad Jan is one of the two Suroz players left in Eastern Balochistan. Muhammad Jan also sings and plays the Dambura on the side. He is the son and student of Thango Khan who crafted the original instrument played by legendary Balochi artist Sachu Khan, featured in the Indus Blues project. Ibraheem Hajano crafts the Alghoza, and is the student of the illustrious Ustad Khamisu Khan, an instrument which has become synonymous with the culture of Sindh. He had learned to craft this instrument in a period of one year in his teens. A passionate soul, Hajano loves his craft and makes the instrument for his teacher’s son Akbar Khamisu Khan. Raanti Raanti is an ancient folk bow and string instrument of the Merwari origin. Raanti is used mainly as an accompanying instrument to the Bhakti folk musical troupe of Krishan Laal Bheel. However, its unique and distinct sound clearly stands out and can be heard in the music of the Bheel community and the Manganhaar community. Sarangi Even though the origins of Sarangi remain obscure in the leaflets of history, the sound of the instrument has become synonymous with the Indian subcontinent. Considered to be one of the most difficult instruments to play, Sarangi forms the core of the melodies of the various ragas of Indian classical music. The tradition of the Sarangi is linked with classical dance practiced in the Shahi Mohalla neighborhood of Lahore. Suroz Suroz is the Balochi variant of the Persian bow and string family of instruments. The musical instrument is primarily used to play traditional Balochi tunes, especially the folk tales such as the Hani Shah Mureed. The instrument is played with a bow on three main strings, with sympathetic strings used to accent the scale. Balochi Banjo An unlikely innovation, Balochi Banjo was adapted from the Japanese toy organ Taishogoto in 1919 by Lyari maestro Gul Muhammad Baloch. Balochi Banjo is a string instrument that is both strummed and played with keys on a meter-long deodar board. The modern form of the instrument often comes paired with a Swarmandal. A variant of this instrument is known as Bulbultarang in India. Chardha Chardha or the Pamiri Rabab is a variant of the string instrument Rabab from Kabul popular in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Chardha has its roots in the Persian and Tajik culture and was popularized by the Persian mystic Pir Nasir Khusrow who used it for preaching. Today, Chardha is gaining popularity in the Hunza region of Gilgit-Baltistan, apart from Tajikistan and the rest of Central Asia. Murli Been Coming from the eons old tradition of the Jogi snakecharmers of India, the Murli Been is crafted out of a gourd and twin reeds sealed with beeswax. Its mesmerizing organic sound in the Indian subcontinent as forever been associated with snakes and snakecharmers, and has become an inseparable part of the traditional music of Sindh. Alghoza A unique wind instrument indigenous to the cultures on the eastern bank of the Indus, Alghoza is a wind instrument with a double pipe structure. Crafted from Acacia or Rosewood, the male pipe gives a constant drone to support the female melody flute, which allows the player to produce various tunes on the tonic scale. Boreendo The haunting sound of Boreendo takes you centuries back into history. Local legend holds the origin of the Boreendo in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Boreendo is crafted using the same clay that is used to make pots and building bricks in the villages in Sindh, so no other instrument is more connected to the soil. The holes in the baked vessel enable the artist to control the pitch. Sarinda Sarinda is a bow and string instrument of the Pashtun variety, said to have originated in the Tirah Valley in the tribal areas near Afghanistan. The instrument was popularized in modern times by Muneer Sarhadi, the late father of our featured musician Ejaz Sarhadi. There are no known Sarinda craftsmen left in Pakistan. COMMUNITY PARTNERS

A newlywed girl patiently waits for a call from her husband, who has left to find work in India. As days pass, longingness turns to loneliness, then resignation to resolve. Streaming April 28-May 1st, 2023 On Filmocracy Back to Festival Program 1/5 BIRDSONG Laos I 18 mins I Documentary I 2022 I Hmong w/ English subtitles WATCH ONLINE Commissioned by Audible UK and Aesthetica Short Film Festival for The Listening Pitch 2022 Birdsong explores the dying whistling traditions of the Hmong people of northern Laos, whose sonic exchanges straddle the boundary between music and speech. The film follows the personal stories of three individuals from Long Lan village, as they reflect on their experience as practitioners of a vanishing musical language. Birdsong portrays the collision of an ancient linguistic practice with the modern condition of urban life in Laos. The film explores how listening can change our perception of both society and nature, offering a glimpse into the philosophical relationship between sound and reality. About the Artist Omi Gupta and Sparsh Ahuja are filmmakers based between London, Melbourne and New Delhi. Their first collaboration, 'Child of Empire', a VR experience of the 1947 Partition of British India, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The film opened to glowing reviews in The Economist, and was also the front page article of The Hindu weekend following Sundance. Sparsh is lead producer on 'Lost Migrations', a series of three animated shorts on postcolonial South Asia. Omi has written one episode in this series, called ‘Seabirds’, which follows the story of the Tamil exodus from Burma following the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. Their work has exhibited at the BFI and V&A, London. Credits Crew Writer/Director: Omi Zola Gupta Sparsh Ahuja Producer(s): Omi Zola Gupta Sparsh Ahuja Dorn Bouttasing Exec Producers: Steve Melia Cherie Federico Lindsay Poulton (for The Guardian) Jess Gormley (for The Guardian) Line Producer: Bounsoo Thor Co- Producer: Lao New Wave Cinema DOP: Janamejaya Daroz Contributors: Neng Chue Vang Neng Chi Lee Chia Por Lee Jong Sue Lee Li Her Film Editor: Giorgia Zarantonello Translator: Bounsoo Thor Sinxay Thavixay Colorist: Yash Soni Designer: Ollie Cameron Sound Engineer: Athidxay Boundao heuang

Tensions arise when a young girls gets a dram school admission letter on the eve of a family dinner. IN THEATERS: Shorts Program 1 April 14th, 2022 WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 Baahar (Outside) India I 14 mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2021 I Hindi w/ English subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE Disaster brews when Seher gets accepted to a boarding school--a dream come true--on the evening of a big family dinner. This film plays with SHORTS PROGRAM 1 , in theaters and with the FAMILY SHORTS program online. NOTE: This film is coming to theaters and our virtual cinema. WATCH IN THEATERS Back to Film Program About the Artist Prakshi Malik is a filmmaker and dancer creating cinema about women of color from a global perspective. She grew up in Delhi, India and is currently based in the Twin Cities, MN. She was awarded the 2020 Short Film Grant by Austin Film Society for her short film, BAAHAR, which premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival. Her previous short, EMBERS, screened at various world festivals including PBS Short Film Festival, Roxbury Int'l Film Festival, Faces of Austin, Black Harvest Film Festival & Regent Park Film Festival. Prakshi has trained in Kuchipudi dance, West African dance and performed with Ananya Dance Theatre. She brings her background in dance to filmmaking and has edited award-winning films. Prakshi holds a BA in Media and Cultural Studies from Macalester College and MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ordinary people navigate societal constraints in a series of vignettes. April 20, 2024 at 9:00:00 PM AFS Cinema Texas Premiere Terrestrial Verses Iran | Narrative Feature 2023 | 77 mins | Farsi Live, ZOOM Q&A with Filmmaker Alireza Khatami TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Cannes Film Festival BFI London Film Festival Terrestrial Verses follows everyday people from all walks of life as they navigate the cultural, religious, and institutional constraints imposed on them by various social authorities, from school teachers to bureaucrats. These stirring vignettes, humorous and affecting, capture the spirit and determination of people amidst adversity, offering a nuanced portrait of a complex society. Restoration Process About the Artist Ali Asgari is a prominent Iranian cinema figure with more than 200 awards to his name. Two of his short films, More Than Two Hours (2013) and The Silence (2016), were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Festival de Cannes. The Baby was featured in the short film competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. Ali's films focus on the precarious lives of individuals living on the margins of society in his native country, Iran. His debut film, “Disappearance”, was developed at the Cinéfondation Residency of the Festival de Cannes and had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in 2017. "Until Tomorrow," his second feature film, at the Berlinale in 2022. Ali is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Alireza is an award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker based in Canada. Born into the indigenous Khamse tribe in Iran, he is influenced by his heritage's rich storytelling traditions. His films poignantly investigate the interconnection of memory, trauma, and power dynamics, often through filmmakers such as Asghar Farhadi. His debut feature, "Oblivion Verses," developed at the Cinéfondation Residency of the Festival de Cannes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning three awards, including the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay and the FIPRESCI Prize. Alireza also co-wrote "Until Tomorrow," which premiered at the Berlinale Film Festival. He is currently working on an auto-fictional psychological thriller in Turkey. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Alireza Khatami, Ali Asgari Writer: Alireza Khatami, Ali Asgari Producer(s): Ali Asgari, Milad Khosravi, Alireza Khatami, Cyrus Neshvad, Reyhaneh Rad Film Editor: Ehsan Vaseghi Featured Cast: Bahram Ark, Arghavan Shabani, Servin Zabetian, Sadaf Asgari, Faezeh Rad, Hossein Soleymani, Majid Salehi, Farzin Mohades, Gouhar Kheir Andish, Ardeshir Kazemi 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.

Aise Hee (Just Like That) tells the story of an old woman's little rebellion, a rebellion of little things. But why are people around her so concerned? Why are people so afraid? Why are people so angry? Aise Hee (Just Like That) India | Fiction | Drama | 2019 |119 min| Hindi; English subtitles Virtual Screening: Sunday, January 31st 2021 | Screening : 6.30pm - 9.30pm CST Register Now Film-maker Kislay in attendance for the a post screening Q&A Aise Hee (Just Like That) tells the story of an old woman's little rebellion, a rebellion of little things. But why are people around her so concerned? Why are people so afraid? Why are people so angry? Mrs. Sharma is the ideal wife of a locally respected small-time government employee living with extended family in small-town Allahabad. But when her husband dies, Mrs. Sharma begins to take liberties with her life that, although innocent in themselves, begin a rapid rippling of gossip and familial tensions that together spell tragedy. Mrs. Sharma is expected to move down and live with her son and grandchildren, and not worry herself with issues of finance and property. But she has plans of her own. The film follows Mrs. Sharma as she picks up new hobbies, living an independent lifestyle while being indifferent to the judgemental eyes of family and society. Neighbours are shocked and family are chided! Failing to bring Mrs. Sharma to her senses, the entire locality, including her own children and grandchildren, slowly turn against her. She is accused of being selfish, and some even fear that she might be possessed by an evil eye. DIRECTOR'S PROFILE Kislay Kislay is a freelance filmmaker and a recent alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He has made three shorts and co-written the much acclaimed ‘Soni’ (directed by lvan Ayr). Just Like That’ is his first feature film. Director's Note : While growing up in Allahabad, a provincial city in the North India, | often heard stories of wayward old women - and these stories were invariably narrated as the subject of great hilarity amongst the family. However, what happens if that mother figure starts asserting herself? What if the supposed ‘honour’ is made immaterial by the mother herself and not the ‘other’? As rapid urbanization is spreading across the country, the older traditions are being challenged by the new consumer culture. The liberalization of the Indian economy is often misconstrued as the modernization of Indian society, while in fact the exact reverse is taking place. Our culture is becoming increasingly insecure, and as a result also increasingly intolerant and rigid. TRAILER STILLS 1/9 CREDITS Produced by Shwetaabh Singh ...producer Cinematography by Saumyananda Sahi Film Editing by Tanushree Das Production Design by Mausam Aggarwal Yogesh Langyan Camera and Electrical Department Anuj Ujawane ...first assistant camera Costume and Wardrobe Department Mausam Aggarwal ...wardrobe Editorial Department Bhusam Kiran ...colorist Vikas Verma ...Subtitles Editor

When a young girl comes out to her biased psychiatrist in 1983, he calls her parents for an intervention to cure her. Back to Film Program IN THEATERS: Shorts Program 1 April 14th, 2022 WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 WATCH IN THEATERS A Coup Pakistan I 8 mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2021 I Urdu w/ English subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE When a young girl comes out to her biased psychiatrist in 1983, he calls her parents for an intervention to cure her. This film plays with SHORTS PROGRAM 1 , in theaters and with the LGBTQ+ SHORTS program online. NOTE: This film is coming to theaters and our virtual cinema. About the Artist 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. Trailer

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. Back to Film Program NOTE: This film is playing in theaters and our virtual cinema. $15 TICKETS ($12 for members) Sun. April 17th, 2022 @ 10AM Venue: Austin Film Society Streaming April 22-24, Eventive Texas Premiere A Night of Knowing Nothing India I 96 mins I Documentary, Drama I 2021 Hindi, Bengali w/ English subtitles IN-PERSON TICKETS BUY & WATCH ONLINE Oeil d'Or for 'Best Documentary'- Cannes Film Festival In her debut film, Payal Kapadia deftly merges reality with fiction, weaving together archival footage with student protest videos to tell the story of L, a student at the Film and Television Institute of India, writing to her estranged lover. Gradually we’re immersed in the drastic changes taking place at the school and in the lives of young people across the country. A Night Of Knowing Nothing is a vital tapestry of the personal and the political, an essential document of contemporary India and a nostalgic look at youth fighting the injustice of their time. a vivid portrait of revolt and oppression, love and pain" - Indiewire "this is active and engaged filmmaking" - POV Magazine About the Artist Payal Kapadia is a Mumbai-based filmmaker and artist. She studies Film Direction at the Film & Television Insitute of India. Her short films Afternoon Cloud s and And What is the Summer Saying premiered respectively at the Cinéfondation and Berlinale. She is a Berlinale Talents alumna and participated in 2019 at the Cinéfondation—Résidence du Festival de Cannes. Her first feature length film, A Night of Knowing Nothing , was selected for Director’s Fortnight, Cannes 2021, where it won the Golden Eye Prize for Best Documentary. Her next project, All We Imagine As Light , which received support from CICLIC, Hubert Bals Fund & PJLF Arts Fund, is currently in development. Trailer Thank you to our community partners for this screening! Credits Crew Director: Payal Kapadia Writer(s): Payal Kapadia Himanshu Prajapati Producer(s): Ranabir Das Thomas Hakim Julien Graff Cinematography: Ranabir Das Cast: Bhumisuta Das Crew Cont'd Editor: Ranabir Das Sound: Moinak Bose, Romain Ozanne Color Grading: Lionel Kopp Drawings: Suranjay