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View the available awards for the 11th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival, that will be held April 22-26, 2026 at the Austin Film Society Cinema. IMFF 2026 AWARDS The 11th Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 22 - 26, 2026 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema. Indie Meme Film Festival awards are announced during the Closing Night Party. Most films that are selected are eligible for both Jury Awards and Audience Choice Awards in their own respective categories. Jury Awards Audience Choice Awards 2025 AWARD WINNERS

Plan your visit to Austin for the 11th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival, taking place April 22-26, 2026 at the Austin Film Society Cinema. PLAN YOUR VISIT IMFF 2026 The 11th Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 22 - 26, 2026 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema . We have partnered with Lone Star Court to offer discounted rates exclusively for IMFF 2026 attendees. Lone Star Court is just 15 minutes from the festival venue, AFS Cinema. We encourage you to book your room early to guarantee availability and make the most of this fantastic offer. Rates are subject to availability. BOOK HERE BUY A BADGE MEMBERSHIP AWARDS FILMS SCHEDULE ATTEND IMFF 2026 JURY

Meet our sponsors, patrons and supporters from 2025. We are grateful to these organizations to help bring independent films from South Asia to our audience. Our 2025 Sponsors 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 appreciate all of your support, and could not do it without you! IMFF is in part supported by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin, Economic Development Department. Presenting Sponsor Directing Sponsors Scripting Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors We are grateful to our 2015 , 2016, 2017 , 2018, 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , and 2024 sponsors . BECOME A SPONSOR

Donate today to help Indie Meme bring cultural films to Austin Texas and enrich the city's cultaral heritage. Our mission is to bridge the social and cultural awareness between local communities and South Asia & Iran through independent cinema from South Asia. Donate As a 501(c)(3), we operate thanks to supporters like you. Here's what your donation does: Brings the best of South Asian cinema to Texas Supports independent filmmakers Funds the Indie Meme Film Festival Allows us to have year-round screenings Promotes cultural awareness DONATE Support Indie Meme and help change the way people see the world through South Asian + Iranian films. Become a Leadership Circle Member! Receive wonderful benefits by donating a Leadership Circle gift. Download Info Packet Producers Guild Donor 5,000 $ Every year Contact for Purchase Up to 6 Platinum Badges for IMFF 6 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Directors Guild Donor 3,000 $ Every year Contact for Purchase Up to 4 Platinum Badges for IMFF 4 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Writers Guild Donor $ 2,000 2,000$ Valid for one year Select Up to 3 Platinum Badges for IMFF 4 Complimentary Tickets For Single Screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badge 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/Mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends/family Lead Cast Donor $ 1,000 1,000$ Valid for one year Select Up to 2 Platinum Badges for IMFF 2 Complimentary Tickets For Single Screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badge 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/Mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends/family Supporting Cast Donor $ 500 500$ Valid for one year Select 1 Platinum Badge For IMFF 2 Complimentary Tickets for Single Screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badge 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/Mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends/family Join Our Leadership Circle OUR 2026 MEMBERS Benefits

Take action to reach our audience for your organization while accomplishing your social responsibility by making a difference in local & global communities. SPONSOR INDIE MEME Reach our audience, support local arts and culture, & foster global community connections through socially conscious independent cinema from South Asia. "My debut feature, Kacchey Limbu, arrived at Austin thanks to Indie Meme's Year End Program. It was the first showing of the film in America, and I couldn't have asked for a better screening, audience, or reception for the film. This experience was embellished further by Indie Meme's special connection with their audience. The festival doesn't just share the film, but also the context of its making. It was a most fulfilling experience as a filmmaker to present my film at the special venue that is the Austin Film Society Theatre. Shubham Yogi Filmmaker, Kacchey Limbu What We Do And Why Indie Meme brings meaningful, thought-provoking independent films from South Asia to our audience here in Texas. After each screening of these award-winning films that often have limited distribution in the US, we host lively discussions about thematic elements both in-person and online to build our community. We are unique in what we do and how we do it. We believe in independent filmmakers and the stories only they can tell. We exist to amplify their voices, ensuring their work is provided a space and context where it can resonate far and wide. When possible, we team up with relevant community organizations and support them through fundraisers & awareness campaigns. Your Investment And The Exposure For Your Brand Become an Indie Meme Sponsor, support meaningful, socially relevant, award-winning independent cinema and help foster conversations that build global community connections. Your investment will highlight and expose your brand to a desirable demographic. Our loyal fan following of the Indie Meme community grows with every screening, actively engaging with our partners and sponsors. In addition to putting your brand in front of our U.S audience via our film screenings, we garner a lot of interest fr om South Asia - India / Pakistan / Bangladesh / Nepal / Bhutan / Afghanistan / Sri Lanka – with site traffic covering a distinctive cross-section of society in India & abroad. Prospectus - Corporate Prospectus - Small Businesses Become a Corporate Sponsor Become a Small Business Sponsor OUR 2026 SPONSORS For more information or to customize your sponsorship: Please reach out to sponsorship@indiememe.org ! Become a Corporate Sponsor Contact for Purchase Become a Small Business Sponsor ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Join Our Dedicated Sponsors OUR 2026 SPONSORS Become a Corporate Sponsor Marquee Sponsor 15,000 $ Valid for one year Contact for Purchase Up to 8 Platinum Badges for IMFF 8 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Opportunity to address the audience before or after the film Advertisement during screening (all movies, all year round) Logo display (newsletter, website, social media) Media Interview Presenting Sponsor 10,000 $ Valid for one year Contact for Purchase Up to 6 Platinum Badges for IMFF 6 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Opportunity to address the audience before or after the film Advertisement during screening (all movies, all year round) Logo display (newsletter, website, social media) Media Interview Producing Sponsor 7,500 $ Valid for one year Contact for Purchase Up to 4 Platinum Badges for IMFF 4 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Opportunity to address the audience before or after the film Advertisement during screening (all movies, all year round) Logo display (newsletter, website, social media) Media Interview Directing Sponsor 5,000 $ Valid for one year Contact for Purchase Up to 2 Platinum Badges for IMFF 2 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Opportunity to address the audience before or after the film Advertisement during screening (all movies, all year round) Logo display (newsletter, website, social media) Media Interview Scripting Sponsor 3,000 $ Valid for one year Contact for Purchase Up to 2 Platinum Badges for IMFF 2 complimentary tickets for single screenings Discounted All-Access Festival Badges 20% off in-person screening & event tickets Socials/mixers to build our Meme-er community Additional discounted tickets/badges to bring friends and family Opportunity to address the audience before or after the film Advertisement during screening (all movies, all year round) Logo display (newsletter, website, social media) Media Interview Become a Small Business Sponsor ! 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Anirudh, devastated by job loss, finds comfort in the advice of gas station clerk Sai Santosh. But when a seemingly innocent whistled tune triggers a sudden emotional outburst, the night takes an unexpected turn. April 10, 2025 at 11:30:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Austin Premiere Smoke Cheyyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro) USA | Short 2024 | 13 mins | Telugu TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. Audience Choice Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Oakcliff International Film Festival, Dallas Dallas International Film Festival Shorts, Dallas Anirudh, devastated by job loss, finds comfort in the advice of gas station clerk Sai Santosh. But when a seemingly innocent whistled tune triggers a sudden emotional outburst, the night takes an unexpected turn. 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 Prithvi Raj Karreddula is a Dallas-based, award-winning filmmaker originally from Hyderabad, Telangana, India. He has been crafting compelling narratives as a writer and director, seamlessly bridging English and Telugu cinema. His multifaceted expertise extends beyond directing to include cinematography and editing, allowing him to shape every aspect of his projects for a cohesive cinematic experience. In 2024, Prithvi’s short film Smoke Cheyyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro), which he directed, garnered significant acclaim, winning the Best Texas Film award at the DIFF SHORTS Film Festival. The film, a dark comedy, was also featured among the best short films of 2024 by Shorted. His 2023 short film, Learning Not To Drown, which he also directed, received recognition at multiple prestigious festivals, including the Burbank International Film Festival, Indie Meme Film Festival in Austin, and the SOHO International Film Festival in New York. A strong believer in blending stories beyond language barriers, Prithvi has a diverse filmography with experience in multiple genres, always weaving his own South Asian roots into his storytelling. With a passion for cinematic innovation and cultural authenticity, he continues to make his mark in contemporary cinema. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Prithvi Raj Karreddula Writer: Prithvi Raj Karreddula Producers: Prithvi Raj Karreddula Chiranjeevi Pamidi Film Editor: Prithvi Raj Karreddula Featured Cast: Sateesh Peddaiahgari Raaman BV Darcy Doyle Kaci Fullinwider 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!

A school boy being questioned by his teacher- his first bitter lesson in social discrimination. As he struggles to understand this silent injustice, he begins to see the world through new, questioning eyes. April 12, 2025 at 5:45:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 International Premiere Da'Lit Kids India | Short 2024 | 6 mins | Malayalam Followed by the film The Glassworker . TICKETS TICKETS A school boy being questioned by his teacher- his first bitter lesson in social discrimination. As he struggles to understand this silent injustice, he begins to see the world through new, questioning eyes. Restoration Process About the Artist Appu Soman is an animation filmmaker from kerala, currently based in Kolkata as a student of SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute). Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Appu Soman Writer: Appu Soman Producer(s): Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute Film Editor: Featured Cast: Hridhya Raveendran Aromal A R Melvin Babu Aaron P J Dhivahar Muthuveeran Cookie 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.

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. Filmocracy Virtual: April 28th-May 1st The Show Must Go On India | Documentary 2022 | 60 min | English, Gujarati, Hindi TICKETS TICKETS Official Selection of Bangkok International Documentary Awards & Cambridge Film Festival After decades of dormancy, the aging icons of Parsi Theatre return to the stage, putting aside their walking sticks and wheelchairs for one final curtain. Plunging into rehearsals, this documentary chronicles the resilience of a singular cast of characters that want nothing more than to go out with a bang. For most of them it will be the last time on stage after careers spanning over half a century. As the film tumbles headfirst into the creative chaos of rehearsals, we are given an intimate portrait of the bonds shared between veteran stars and youngsters and a joyous celebration of old age. When a great tragedy befalls the cast on the eve of the final show will the show go on, despite the odds? Restoration Process About the Artist Divya Cowasji is a photographer and documentary filmmaker who lives in a small town in central India. Her work as a documentary filmmaker won her a National Award in 2015. Divya was also awarded the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship for two semesters studying Analogue & Alternate Processes in Photography at the International Center of Photography in New York. In 2021, she was the recipient of the India Photo Festival Grant. In the same year, she was selected as a Fellow in the American Film Showcase Documentary Workshop (USC School of Cinematic Arts). Her personal work focuses on the telling of oral histories, on ideas of home and family, memory, place, play and the body. Her photographs have been exhibited Objectifs Women in Film & Photo, Singapore (2021), India Photo Festival, Hyderabad (2021), Vantage Point Sharjah (2021), Glasgow Gallery of Photography (2020), Angkor Photo Festival, Cambodia (2020), and Chennai Photo Biennale (Winner Portfolio Review with Agence VU, 2020). --- Jall Cowasji is a cinematographer and filmmaker from a small town called Mhow in central India. At the age of ten, his grandmother introduced him to a video camera, and the rest is predictable history. He is currently shooting PIRATES, a Disney+ India action-drama series set in Somalia, his longest and most demanding project to date. His recent work includes segments of ‘Omnivore’, the upcoming docu-series for Apple TV, led by Cary Joji Fukunaga. A 2020 graduate of the MFA Film Program at NYU Tisch, Jall has worked across cultures, including in India, South Africa, Norway, Sicily, and the US. His work was nominated for the 2019 ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for 'Outstanding Cinematography'. His creative approach is rooted in the search for simplicity, and he believes in a work environment that holds kindness and composure as integral to the creative process. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Divya Cowasji & Jall Cowasji Writer: Producer(s): Film Editor: 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.

Once upon a time in a village, an old lady steals the rooster and the sun never rises again... April 12, 2025 at 3:30:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know India | Short 2023 | 15 mins | Kannada TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. 1. First Prize - LA CINEF- the 77th Edition of Festival De Cannes, France 2. Best Film in Indian Category - 14th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2024 3. Best First-Time Filmmaker Award - 4th Greece International Film Festival The sun never rises again after an elderly woman steals the village's rooster, which throws the community into disarray. To bring the rooster back, a prophecy is invoked, sending the old lady's family into exile. 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 Chidananda S Naik is alumni of FTII, where he graduated with Post Graduate Certificate in TV Direction. He won the Cinéfondation 1st Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for his film 'Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know...' which is his final project at FTII. He pursued his passion for filmmaking after studying medicine at Mysore Medical College. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Chidananda S Naik Writer: Chidananda S Naik Producers: Film & Television Institute Of India (FTII), Pune Film Editor: Manoj Gowda Featured Cast: Vishwas B S Jahangeer M S Vasudha Bharighat Anup Gowda Kushal B K Sanju Chavan 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!

Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom Bhutan TICKETS TICKETS Restoration Process About the Artist Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Writer: Producer(s): Film Editor: 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.

"Manthan" is a compelling film about an idealistic veterinarian who sparks a milk cooperative movement in a village, challenging deep-rooted caste hierarchies and exploitation, facing fierce resistance, false accusations, and political strife, but ultimately igniting change and hope for a better future. April 9, 2025 at 11:30:00 PM AFS Cinema Manthan (The Churning) India | Narrative Feature 1976 | 134 mins | Hindi Virtual Q&A with actor Naseeruddin Shah TICKETS TICKETS Cannes Classics 2024 "Manthan”, a fictionalized version of the beginnings of the remarkable dairy cooperative movement that transformed India from a milk-deficient nation to the world’s largest milk producer inspired by Verghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution, is also India’s first crowdfunded film produced by 500,000 dairy farmers who contributed Rs. 2/- each towards the production of the film. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Restoration Process 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. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Shyam Benegal, a pioneer of Indian parallel cinema, is renowned for his socially conscious films tackling caste, gender, and socio-political issues. Born on December 14, 1934, he debuted with Ankur (1974), followed by acclaimed films like Nishant, Manthan, and Bhumika. Manthan was uniquely crowd-funded by 500,000 farmers, highlighting India's White Revolution. Benegal has collaborated with legendary actors like Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah and directed the iconic TV series Bharat Ek Khoj (1988). Honored with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and multiple National Film Awards, his work continues to inspire and challenge societal norms. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Shyam Benegal Writer: V. Kurien Shyam Benegal Vijay Tendulkar Producer(s): Shyam Benegal/Sahyadri Films for Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. Film Editor: Bhanudas Diwkar Featured Cast: Girish Karnad Smita Patil Naseeruddin Shah Anant Nag Amrish Puri Kulbushan Kharbanda Mohan Agashe Sadhu Meher Rajendra Jaspal Abha Dhulia Anjali Paigankar and the people of Sanganva 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! This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A bereaved widow - Farah - seeks to keep the memories of her husband alive by protecting the last batch of his saplings from a rodent infestation. Eventive Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Austin Premiere An Orphanage of Memories India | Short 2024 | 21 mins | Kashmiri TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. Tasveer Film Festival Jakarta Film Week - Winner (Global Short Award) Izmit International Short Film Festival (Finalist) In a small village of Kashmir, Farah, the caretaker of a small piece of land has lost her husband under tragic, unexplained circumstances. Feeling overwhelmed with grief, Farah clings onto her late husband's memories. Under threat of her home being uprooted by the prospect of a new buyer, Farah finds a new lease of life when she discovers the saplings her husband brought to their kitchen garden. Just as she is done planting them, she discovers small rat droppings around the garden. With this, Farah dives deep into a point of no return as she dedicates her life towards protecting the saplings at the cost of affecting her sanity. 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 Rayit Hashmat Qazi is an independent filmmaker from Kashmir, who is currently working in Mumbai, India. He has worked as an assistant to international as well as Indian directors on TVC's for the last 6 years. From Jim Sonzero to Rob Cohen and Harvey Brown, Rayit has been a right hand to a wide array of filmmakers while working with Band Bang Films on brands as diverse as AIRTEL, Tanishq, Britannia, Pepsi, Loreal, etc. In addition to this Rayit has worked as an assistant director on the critically acclaimed Mukti Bhawan that went on to premiere at the Venice Film Festival amongst other international film festival giants. This experience was instrumental in helping him transition from assisting to directing ads of his own. Over the course of the last two years, Rayit has made commercials for brands like Britannia, HUL, BMC, Airtel, etc. His maiden short Do Cup Chai (Two Cups of Tea) which sees the story of two ex-lovers who meet each other to fulfill a promise over a cup of tea, was nominated in the Best Short Film category at the NYIFF (New York Indian Film Festival). It further went on to premiere at Silk Screen International Festival and the prestigious Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival in Assam. Currently, Rayit is developing a show for Amazon as well as MX player. He has completed his graduation in Audio Visual Production/Filmmaking from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Rayit Hashmat Qazi Writer: Rayit Hashmat Qazi Producers: Rayit Hashmat Qazi Film Editor: Rohan Kapoor Featured Cast: Shafia Maqbool Yousuf Shahnaz 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!