Sthal explores the tradition of arranged marriage in rural India, where a girl's marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. Narrated from the perspective of a young girl, Savita, it highlights the patriarchy rooted in society. Eventive Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Sthal (A Match) India | Narrative Feature 2023 | 104 mins | Marathi ORIGINAL FILM PAGE WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival 2024 (Best Film, Best Actress) Third Eye Asian Film Festival 2024 (Best Film, Best Actress) Pune International Film Festival 2024 (Sant Tukaram Award - Best Marathi Film, Best Screenplay) In a village in the Vidarbha region of India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a brighter future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations. Being dark-complexioned and short in height, Savita is seen as an added ‘burden’ on her parents and ‘marrying her off’, as difficult as finding fair price for their crop. Facing countless rejections from potential suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. Shot on real locations with real people from the village, all non-actors, Sthal (A Match) is the director's debut feature film that explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India while highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society. 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 Born in a village in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Jayant Digambar Somalkar is an engineering graduate, but his creative bent of mind made him veer towards filmmaking. His debut short film, ‘Iyatta - Class,' showed at many film festivals and won many awards. He has co- written and co-directed the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime Video Original Series 'Guilty Minds’. ‘Sthal - A Match’ marks the director's debut feature, showcasing his talent for storytelling and commitment to presenting social issues in an authentic and compassionate manner. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Jayant Digambar Somalkar Writer: Jayant Digambar Somalkar Producers: Shefali Bhushan Karan Grover Riga Malhotra Jayant Somalkar Film Editor: Abhijit Deshpande Featured Cast: Nandini Chikte Taranath Khiratakar Sangita Sonekar Suyog Dhawas Sandip Somalkar Sandip Parkhi Swati Ulmale Gauri Badki Mansi Pawar 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 frustrated filmmaker can't get his latest feature to click. Things take a turn for the worse when the lead character he also plays runs out of the edit and into real life. ​ Back to Film Program $15 TICKETS ($12 for members) WATCH ONLINE: April 22-25th, 2022 Southwest Premiere I am Belmaya Nepal I 91 mins I Documentary I 2021 I Nepali w/ English subtitles BUY & WATCH ONLINE Nominated for 'Best Documentary' at the British Independent Film Awards Shot over 5 years, I am Belmaya follows the life and early filmmaking career of Belmaya Nepali, an aspiring documentarian from Nepal. Orphaned at age 9, Belmaya faced an unstable home life and discrimination due to her family status as 'low-caste' Dalits. She fell in love with photography at an orphanage in Pokhara, but had few opportunities to practice. Without a clear path forward, Belmaya found herself married and raising her first child, a daughter, in a restrictive home and social environment. Years later, a filmmaking course offers Belmaya another chance to pursue the visual arts and she leaps at the opportunity. Determined to record and relay the stories of her community, she begins documenting the lives of girls and women like herself - seeking opportunity in education, work, and all stages of life. "wonderfully engaging and unfettered" - BuzzMag, UK "an uplifting tale of determination and passion" - The Upcoming About the Artist(s) Born in a hill village near Pokhara, Belmaya Nepali had little formal education. As a child she often worked, cutting grass and collecting heavy firewood, and faced derision from some at her school. Orphaned at the age of 9, she moved to a home in Pokhara where she was introduced to photography at 14. She’d grab the camera at every opportunity, participating in exhibitions at the British Council in Nepal and the Royal College of Art in London. Her work was included in a book, My World, My View . In 2014, aged 21, she embarked on a documentary filmmaking training. Her graduation film, Educate Our Daughters , about the importance of education for girls, was selected for numerous film festivals. Belmaya has gone on to document the hardships of boatwomen in Pokhara, Rowing Against the Flow, for Thomson Reuters Foundation. Sue Carpenter is a documentary filmmaker, writer, photographer, and co-director of the documentary, I Am Belmaya , which follows a young Nepali woman, Belmaya, whom she met in 2006, when teaching in Pokhara. Sue also became a producer of Belmaya's first documentary short, Educate Our Daughters , which was selected for 7 international festivals, triumphing at the UK Asian Film Festival 2019. Sue is director of Tideturner Films , with the mission of making independent documentaries, particularly those that instigate social change and turn the tide on injustices against women. She is a keen supporter of her community and in 2019 completed the documentary, The Wonderful Walk, about the regeneration of Herne Hill Station Underpass and creation of a magnificent 40 metre mural. Sue is a founder trustee of GlobalGirl Media UK , a charity that trains girls in digital media skills to change the male-dominated narrative in the media. Trailer Thank you to our community partner for this screening!

A 9-year-old boy in a remote village begins a lifelong love affair with cinema when he bribes his way into a rundown movie palace and spends the summer watching & learning from the projection booth. Back to Film Program $15 TICKETS ($12 for members) Fri. April 15th, 2022 @ 6:15PM Venue: Austin Film Society 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX Texas Premiere Last Film Show India I 110 mins I Drama, Coming of Age I 2021 Gujarati w/ English subtitles IN-PERSON TICKETS Tribeca 2021 - 'Audience Award' Winner (2nd Place) A mischievous nine-year-old boy, Samay, gets into the habit of visiting the rundown local movie theater, against his father’s wishes. Without the money to attend, he strikes up a deal with the laissez-faire projectionist, who welcomes him into the projection booth in exchange for home-cooked meals. Samay’s fascination with movies inspires him and his friends to start their own secret screening operation, but when the 35mm theater’s future is threatened , they must struggle to maintain their new connection to cinema. NOTE: This film is playing only in theaters. "an ethereal take on the magic of movies" - IndieWire "revels in the liberation of a childlike point-of-view." - PopMatters About the Artist Pan Nalin was born in a remote village near Gir Forest in Gujarat, and he left his home at an early age to pursue filmmaking. He is a self-taught filmmaker who achieved worldwide critical and commercial triumph with his debut feature Samsara Pan Nalin's latest feature Last Film Show won the ' Best Picture, Golden Spike' at Valladolid International Film Festival, the 'Audience Choice Award - 2nd Place' at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the 'Audience Favorite Award' at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Last Film Show will be theatrically released worldwide in 2022. Nalin is currently developing English language features and series with Gotham Group in Los Angeles. Trailer Thank you to our community partners for this screening! Credits Crew Writer/Director: Pan Nalin Producer(s): Pan Nalin Dheer Momaya Marc Duale Exec Producer(s): Hemant Chaudhary Yash Gonsai Shubham Pandya Co- Producers: Virginie Lacombe Eric Dupont Cast: Bhavin Rabari Bhavesh Shrimali Richa Meena Dipen Raval Alpesh Tank Paresh Mehta Vikas Bata Rahul Koli Vijay Mer Kishan Parmar Shoban Makwa

A small farming community in South India decides to switch from their decades-old practice of chemical agriculture to organic farming. Timbaktu 30min short Documentary/ India SYNOPSIS Filmmaker – Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh When a small farming community in South India decided to switch from their decades-old practice of chemical agriculture to organic farming, little did they know that they were planting the seeds of a silent revolution. By showcasing the exemplary efforts of farmers of a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh, Timbaktu explores critical issues of food security and sovereignty. At its heart, Timbaktu looks at the relationship that a farmer shares with her land, her seeds and raises critical questions about food, the very essence of human life. Telegu with English Subtitles Tickets TICKETS NOT AVAILABLE TRAILER

Indie Meme is proud to present a Short Films Showcase as part of the Frisco Discovery Center's Open House 2018. FREE and Open to Public. Short Films Showcase - DFW Sunday, July 15th 2018 @ noon FREE and Open to Public Indie Meme is proud to present a Short Films Showcase as part of the Frisco Discovery Center's Open House 2018 Sunday, July 15 @ 12 pm Black Box Theater 8004 Dallas Pkwy #200, Frisco, TX 75034 Event is FREE & Open to public Films 90 to WIN India / 27 min / Fiction/ Hindi with English subtitles The story of a man who challenged Duckworth-Lewis method - a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited overs cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. It is generally accepted to be the most accurate method of setting a target score. VIEW TRAILER (coming soon) HAKLA 21 min / Fiction/ Hindi & English, English Subtitles Bolly-Latino dance film Hakla (Stammer) tells the story of Ish (Isvara), a teenager with a stammer who dreams of becoming a Bollywood dancer but must overcome his father’s stern personality. After the death of his mother, Ish finds that dancing offers him a way to self-express and connect with others, including his father. This Bolly-Latino fusion short film was shot entirely in Austin, Texas with the participation of local non-actors in the community. VIEW TRAILER

While 45 year old @Kalatmakabita is enjoying her newly found fame on tiktok, her teen daughter, @Princessxorimoh, also a micro- influencer is embarrassed by her mother’s social media persona. Back to Festival Program Sat. April 15th @ 10:30AM AFS Cinemas Online April 28 - May 1 FELT CUTE MIGHT DELETE LATER Nepal I 12 mins I Short I 2023 I Nepali w/ English subtitles BUY TICKETS WATCH ONLINE From 'Stories We Tell, a Gauthali Campaign that enables women sharing personal stories through the medium of cinema. While 45 year old @Kalatmakabita is enjoying her newly found fame on tiktok, her teen daughter, @Princessxorimoh, also a micro- influencer is embarrassed by her mother’s social media persona. About the Artist The film was conceptualized by Swati Regmi, participant of the ‘stories we tell workshop” conducted in Nepalgunj. Swati’s story was selected out of 6 workshop participants.

< Our Team Ahmed Moledina Advisors Advisor Distinguished as a strong leader in the area of technology company financial management, Mr. Moledina has over 20 years of solid financial management, consulting and analysis experience, with particular focus in the area of high-tech start-up financial operations establishment and management.

Sid (Karan Soni) plans to come out to his conservative, community-oriented parents at a local diner. Luckily, he has the power of time travel on his side in this heartfelt sci-fi twist on the coming out story. Streaming April 28-May 1st, 2023 On Filmocracy Back to Festival Program 1/2 Coming Out with the Help of a Time Machine USA I 15 mins I Drama I Comedy I Sci-Fi I 2022 I English WATCH ONLINE Official Selection of Tribeca Film Festival '22, BFI Flare, CAAM Fest 'Best LGBTQ+ Short Film' - DFW South Asian & Cleveland International Film Festival Sid plans to come out to his conservative, community-oriented parents at a local diner. If anything goes wrong, Sid could lose the support of the people who matter to him most. Luckily, he has the power of time travel on his side—and he’ll do everything in his power to emerge from this encounter unscathed. Coming Out With the Help of a Time Machine gives a heartfelt sci-fi twist to tales about family dynamics and acceptance. About the Artist Naman Gupta is an award winning director and writer who has gained recognition for his work that reflects a commitment to diversity and inclusivity.He has a talent for integrating contemporary social issues into entertaining narratives, creating thought-provoking and emotionally engaging stories. Naman is an alumni of Ryan Murphy's Director Shadowing program and the winner of NETFLIX sponsored Tasveer Film Fund, as well as a semi-finalist of NBCUniversal's Launch Director Shadowing Program. His firm short, COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE, screened at 65+ festivals, including Oscar-qualifying Tribeca, SXSW, Hollyshorts, CAAM Film Fest, & Inside Out Toronto. The film has won 20 Awards in all the main categories and is being converted into a unique "sci-fi immigrant family drama" TV series. Apart from his passion for storytelling, Naman is also fascinated by astro/quantum physics, the mysteries of the cosmos, and enjoys rock climbing. Trailer Credits Crew Writer/Director: Naman Gupta Screenwriter: Janki Parekh Producer(s): Nav Gupta James Orfanos Vijaykumar Mirchandani Neetu Sh arma Exec Producer: Rahul Brahmbhatt Featured Cast: Karan Soni Sangeeta Agrawal Raghuram Shetty Cinematograp her: Derrick Cohan Prod Design: Jack Hagen Composer: Dhruv Goel Film Editor: Lillian Cusumano Sound Mixer: Aobo Huang

< Our Team Staff Radhika Malhotra Executive Director Radhika has been a part of the Indie Meme family since 2013, serving in many roles over the years—from volunteer and community ambassador to festival operations, filmmaker hospitality, event logistics, and audience engagement. Her longstanding commitment to Indie Meme's mission, combined with her deep roots in Austin's South Asian community, makes her uniquely positioned to lead the organization into its next chapter. Professionally, Radhika brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in operations, project management, financial oversight, and organizational strategy across the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Austin Intercultural Network, where she led organizational operations, managed City of Austin grants, produced large-scale cultural events, and built strong community partnerships. As Executive Director, Radhika looks forward to strengthening Indie Meme's operational foundation, expanding community partnerships, growing membership and fundraising efforts, and continuing to celebrate bold, independent storytelling from South Asia and beyond.

April 23, 2026 at 6:00:00 PM AFS Cinema Austin Premiere New Moon Rain USA, Nepal 2025 Live Q&A with writer-director Santosh Dahal Shown as part of the Texas showcase TICKETS BUY A BADGE Best student film, Dallas Movie Fest, 2025 China International New Media Short Film Festival (CSFF) Semi Finalist, Tianjin International Academic Film Festival, USA/China, 2025 A devoted father from Nepal, a moment of discipline toward his daughter, so ordinary where he came from, leaves marks that speak differently in the USA. Accusations rise, careers fall, and the home he built turns away. As whispers of judgment close in, memories of his parents offer solace before he disappears into the new moon night. Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Born in Urlabari, Nepal, Santosh Dahal is a filmmaker whose work moves between memory, migration, and longing. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film Studies and a Master’s degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University, and earned his MFA in Cinematic Arts from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he later taught filmmaking. His films explore quiet inner worlds shaped by place and absence. MRIGATRISHNA (Mirage) (2021) premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and received international recognition, including awards at the Nepal America Film Festival. His earlier work, SANKALPA (The Pledge) (2016), was also recognized internationally, including the Singapore internal film festival. He has also worked as an assistant director on the feature film Dying Candle. Santosh is currently developing his debut feature film, The Flowers of Wild Sugarcane. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Santosh Dahal Writer: Santosh Dahal Producer(s): Deepa Guragain Prem Prasad Adhikary Film Editor: Niranjan Raj Bhetwal Santosh Dahal Featured Cast: Raj Ballav Koirala Aruna Karki Biyansha Neupane Bikash Neupane Nandav Raj Das Grishma Upreti Nischal Pokhrel Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

A man undergoes a mysterious transformation as a flowering plant begins to grow from his mouth, forcing him to confront his evolving relationship with his teenage daughter and the delicate balance between change and acceptance. Eventive Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase North America Premiere Flowering Man India | Short 2023 | 24 mins | Hindi TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. "Paridrishya" International Festival of Short Films and Documentaries Karnataka Symbiosis Film Festival International Festival for Short Documentary & Fiction Films- Best Director Award in the Short Fiction category JIO MAMI year Round Programme, Goa In The Flowering Man, a middle-aged man experiences an inexplicable transformation when a delicate flowering plant begins to sprout from his mouth. As the phenomenon takes hold, he struggles to understand its significance while navigating his relationship with his teenage daughter. What begins as a surreal affliction soon becomes a profound metaphor for growth, acceptance, and the silent emotions that often go unspoken between loved ones. Through striking visuals and an evocative narrative, the film explores themes of metamorphosis, human connection, and the quiet resilience found in embracing change. 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 Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar is an Indian filmmaker known for his thought-provoking storytelling and unique cinematic vision. He studied Direction and Screenplay Writing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), graduating in 2017. Dastidar's short film, The Flowering Man (2023), has garnered critical acclaim and was showcased at the 16th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK). The film explores the metamorphosis of a man who begins to grow a flowering plant from his mouth, symbolizing his transition and evolving relationship with his teenage daughter. In addition to The Flowering Man, Dastidar has directed other notable works, including Taap - About Mercury Rolling Down the Bodies (2020) and Whispers of the Henna Tree (2021). Dastidar's films often delve into themes of identity, transformation, and human relationships, reflecting his commitment to exploring complex narratives through cinema. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar Writer: Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar Producers: Film & Television Institute of India Film Editor: Arirtra Majumdar Featured Cast: Tanishka Meesala Rajeev Gaur Singh Maitreyaa Trilok Khairnar 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!

An American -Indian gay couple travels to India to adopt a child living with HIV in an Indian orphanage. Will the couple be able to cope up with the cultural challenges in India? Saving Chintu India | 24 MIN. 44 SEC. |Hindi, English Subtitles Virtual Screening Details: "Shorts Showcase" Sunday, Nov 8 2020 | Screening : 7.00pm Register SYNOPSIS An American-Indian gay couple travels to India to adopt a child living with HIV in an Indian orphanage. Will the couple be able to cope up with the cultural challenges in India? Sam and Oliver are a gay couple who travel all the way from the United States to India to adopt Chintu The little boy is infected with HIV and lives in an orphanage. However, there are bumps on the road as India’s adoption rules do not favour same sex couples, which acts as a deterrent to complicate the situation. Sam seeks the help of his close friend Meera to cross the hurdle. This leads to a misunderstanding with Oliver who feels left out. Simultaneously, we are introduced to Dr. Sanjay and his wife Asha who consider adoption to make their family complete. Will Sam and Oliver be able to overcome the obstacles they face? And will Chintu be saved and get a loving home to experience the bliss of parental love? That’s the answer we look for in the film. DIRECTOR'S BIO Kabeer Khurana Tushar Tyagi is an Indian born and raised filmmaker. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering and a degree in Directing and Filmmaking From a very early age, he realised he wanted to tell stories, and show life as art and art as life . For detailed biography and filmography please see the directer's IMDB profile - https://www.imdb.com/name/ STILLS SLIDE DECK 1/3