Join author Kalki Koechlin in this unique graphic narrative. A candid, funny and relatable book on pregnancy and parenting that anyone even thinking about motherhood has been waiting for. AN INDIE MEME LIT EVENT 1/3 Mon. April 17th, 2023 @ 6:00PM Central Library, 710 W Cesar Chavez Demo Area Indie Meme presents a book reading of THE ELEPHANT IN THE WOMB Graphic Novel | 256 Pages | Penguin India | March 2022 LIVE, In-Person reading w/ author Kalki Koechlin, moderated by author and poet Usha Akella An author reading and discussion, followed by book signing. Limited copies of the book available, please pre-order now if you would like your book signed. In this unique graphic narrative, we finally have that candid, funny and relatable book on pregnancy and parenting that mothers, expectant mothers, and anyone even thinking about motherhood have been waiting for. This book blends the deeply private with the blazingly political with uproariously funny art and spellbinding honesty. THANK YOU to the City of Austin for their support, Austin Central Library for hosting this program and UT Moody College for being a Community Partner. RSVP to the Free Event * Please turn off your ad blocker to RSVP. About the Author Kalki Koechlin is a French-Indian actor and writer living in Mumbai. She studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, and made her screen debut as Chanda in the critically acclaimed drama Dev.D in 2009. She is also the recipient of a National Award and Best Actress award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival for the internationally applauded film, Margarita with a Straw. She hosts a podcast with the BBC called My Indian Life, and is part of several series streaming on Netflix and Amazon. Throughout her career, she has continued to write and perform for the theatre, often with her original material. She won the Hindu Metroplus Playwright Award in 2009 along with co writer Prashant Prakash for Skeleton Woman. Her work often addresses the issues of women's rights and freedom of speech. She is a feminist and an advocate of children's rights. About the Illustrator Valeriya Polyanychko is a multi-disciplinary visual artist dabbling between the vast expanses of doodles, illustrations, animation and production designs for motion pictures. As a young artist, she was spotted in the small town of Shostka, for finishing her art school exams at the age of just fourteen, whereupon she was offered a scholarship University Of Culture and Art in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2010, she was identified as an upcoming design talent in Ukraine and won a grant prize ( Top 10 Young Designers Of Ukraine competition). This offered her the opportunity to travel to Asia. As a lifelong admirer of Asian art forms, she has travelled extensively across India, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia and Thailand, adopting much of the vibrant design sensibility into her own aesthetic. She presently lives between India and Ukraine, and can often be found sketching her four cats and three dogs - all of whom she considers her muse. The forest behind her home is her favourite place to daydream. About the Moderator Usha Akella has authored four books of poetry, one chapbook, and scripted/produced one musical drama. The Waiting was published by Sahitya Akademi, India’s highest Literary authority in 2019 and due for release in Spanish. She was selected as a Creative Ambassador for the City of Austin for 2015 and 2019. She is the founder of Matwaala the first South Asian Diaspora Poets Festival in the US. In 2018 she graduated with an MSt. in Creative Writing from Cambridge University, UK. She read with a group of eminent South Asian Diaspora poets at the House of Lords in June 2016. Her work has been included in the Harper Collins Anthology of Indian English Poets. She is the founder of the Poetry Caravan in New York and Austin which takes poetry readings to the disadvantaged in women’s shelters, senior homes, and hospitals. She is widely published and interviewed, has delivered keynotes, and has been invited to many international poetry festivals. Synopsis Motherhood is the greatest job in the world...right? In this unique graphic narrative, we finally have that candid, funny and relatable book on pregnancy and parenting that mothers, expectant mothers, and anyone even thinking about motherhood have been waiting for. Actor and writer Kalki Koechlin opens up about so much that we don't talk about-the social stigma of abortions and unmarried pregnancies, the toll that pregnancy takes on a body, the unacknowledged domestic labour of women, the emotional rollercoaster of giving birth, bouts of postpartum melancholy, the unsolicited parenting advice from every corner, and of course the innumerable moments of joy and delight in bringing a real little person into this very weird world. With whimsy and compassion, with uproariously funny art and spellbinding honesty, The Elephant in the Womb blends the deeply private with the blazingly political. It's an eye-opener for anyone who has ever thought that pregnancy was all about the glow and that motherhood was all about fulfilment. From fixing broken parts to enduring untimely farts, Koechlin's nuanced prose-gorgeously illustrated by Valeriya Polyanychko-tells us the bare-faced truth about the physiological discomfort and manic expectations that make it a bittersweet experience. With a combination of personal essays and think-pieces, journal entries captured in real time, reflections and anecdotes, this is the motherload! Thank you to our Community Partners

2022 See-zar Tain (Evening Clouds) Short Burmese mins 18 Virtual 2022 Myanmar Drama Since their factory closed down, San Kyi (18) and her close friend Theint Theint Oo (25) are out of work. San was set up for an arranged marriage by her mother, but since Theint planned to return to her hometown to work, San decided to run away with her. But can the two rely on one another in their plan? Singapore International Film Festival - Singapore, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival - India, Mini Kino Film Week - Indonesia, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Tickets 5/3/24, 11:00 AM Eventive Writer/Director Aung Phyoe Aung Phyoe is a writer, director and film editor. He was born in Pakokku, Upper Myanmar. He is a B.Eng graduate from Nanyang Technological University Singapore, where he developed a strong interest in cinema entering the cinema club at the university. He also began to take film classes and attend screenings at the Film Society in Singapore, which reinforced his passion for cinema. Later, he earned a Diploma in Editing from Mumbai-based film school, Whistling Woods International. His first short film ''Seasonal Rain'' was screened for Open Doors Screening at 71 st Locarno Film Festival and he edited a feature film ''Murder on the Road to Kathmandu'' (2018). In 2018, he participated in the Autumn Meeting's Director Workshop mentored by Tran Anh Hung. His second short film ''Cobalt Blue'' was selected to Pardi di domani - International Competition at 72nd Locarno Film Festival, which became the first Myanmar short film to be selected for competition. His feature film project "Fruit Gathering'' won the Main Jury Prize at Myanmar Script Fund (2017), the Autumn Meeting's Grand Prix in Vietnam (2018) and CNC Development Prize at Locarno's Open Doors Hub (2020). In 2018, he co-founded ''3-ACT Cinema Magazine': which promotes film education and national cinematic heritage and is actively involved in the Myanmar Independent film scene. Director: Aung Phyoe Producer: Thu Thu Shein, Thaiddhi, Claire Marquet, Vit Janecek, Claire Marquet, Vit Janecek Writer: Aung Phyoe Cast: Nandar Myat Aung, Thiri May Thu, May Paing Soe, Mg Bhone Editor: Thu Thu Shein Crew: Thaiddhi, Benjamin Laurent This Event is supported in part by a Mini Grant from Humanities Texas. Community Partners for the Film More Films

In a small town of 1960's India, where cinema is forbidden for women, a 14-year-old embarks on a quest to watch her first film. April 12, 2025 at 3:15:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 2 - 4, 2025 Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Indie Meme Special 10th Year Retrospective Showcase Texas Premiere The First Film India | Short 2023 | 19 mins | Hindi Followed by the film And, Towards Happy Alleys . TICKETS WATCH ONLINE Limited tickets available on site. Audience Choice Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Festival de Cortos de Bogotá - BOGOSHORTS Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival South Asian Film Festival of Montréal – Montréal In a small town in 1960s India, deep-rooted in orthodox traditions, cinema is believed to corrupt young minds, and women are forbidden to watch films. Devi, a 14-year-old girl, is obsessed with films and dreams of watching one in a theater. Her neighbor, Mohan, a 14-year-old mute cinephile boy, narrates stories from his favorite films to her at night. When an unforeseen incident shakes their world, Devi has one last chance to pursue her dream. The First Film celebrates friendship, courage, and the magic of cinema. 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 Piyush Thakur is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). His student short film The Real Millionaire was nominated for the International Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and traveled globally to more than 75 film festivals, winning multiple awards. He was selected from India for the International Student Film Camp in Serbia. After FTII, he worked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film Bajirao Mastani. He was also selected for the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab in Japan and Platform Busan at the Busan International Film Festival. His latest short film, The First Film, had its world premiere at the Festival de Cortos de Bogotá - BOGOSHORTS in Colombia and was recognized as a 'Short Film Market Pick' by the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and 'Film Bazaar Recommends' by NFDC Doc Film Bazaar. It won The German Star of India – Audience Award at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart and Best Short Narrative International Award at the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival. Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation Trailer Credits Crew: Director: Piyush Thakur Writer: Piyush Thakur Deepak Lohana Producers: Piyush Thakur Film Editor: Piyush Thakur Featured Cast: Priyanka Beriya Vasudev Nishad Tony Chawada Usha Athaley Yuvraj Singh Shibanee Mukherjee Rajveer Mukherjee Ajay Athaley Restoration Effort Led By: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation Restoration Credit: Restored by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul), the cinematographer Govind Nihalani and the director Shyam Benegal. Funding supported by Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul) Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

The 30 min documentary, MY CHILD IS GAY AND I AM HAPPY, is a series of interviews of some remarkable parents, whose children represent the LGBTQ community. It shows their journey, from being unsuspecting and often unaccepting, to being the caring, supportive parents they are today. My Child is Gay and I am Happy Friday, Jan 18th 2019 The Austin School of Film 2200 Tillery Street Austin,TX 78723 INDIA | Documentary |30min | Marathi & English with English subtitles AUSTIN SCREENING Wednesday, November 14th 2018 | 7:30 PM AFS Cinema, 6406 N IH-35 Suite 3100, Austin, Texas 78752 SYNOPSIS The 30 min documentary, MY CHILD IS GAY AND I AM HAPPY, is a series of interviews of some remarkable parents, whose children represent the LGBTQ community. It shows their journey, from being unsuspecting and often accepting, to being the caring, supportive parents they are today. In each case, the parent and the child are a source of great inspiration to the community. The film is an important documentary which gives the viewer, a peak into the lives of the LGBTQ community in the conservative society of India, where homosexuality used to be a crime and it was only recently decriminalized by the Supreme court in a historic ruling. The film premiered at Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, 2016. Later screened at many Universities and International Film Festivals, namely Prague India Film Festival, Seattle Film Festival, as part of Kashish Forward - visited 12 - 15 Universities, Institutes and Colleges. IIM Ahmedabad, IIT-B - Mumbai, Jadhavpur University, HR College, Sophia College Mumbai amongst a host of other colleges, all over India. COMMUNITY PARTNER DETAILS Indie Meme Mixer & Short Film Screening Date: Friday, January 18 at 7:30 PM @ The Austin School Of Film 2200 Tillery Street Austin,TX 78723 The event is free for Indie Meme Members and Guests Get/Renew your 2019 membership here - https://www.indiememe.org/membership Film to be preceded by SARI screened at the 1st IMFF Youth Program 2018 This film is about a mother showing her child how to wear a sari, but reveals a surprise at the end. This is spreading a message to accept people for who they are. Directed by Ana Dragomir and a team from Anderson High School consisting of Dhruv Ruttala and Aunteek Naser. Drinks & Dessert sponsors TRAILER DIRECTOR'S BIO SOPAN MULLER has worked with various genres. His experience in filmmaking of more than 20 years, has been extensive, having handled practically every format of filmmaking - from Advertising & Corporate films to Documentaries and Feature Films to Television. Sopan was involved in feature films in the dirction and production departments of Dev Benegal’s ‘ENGLISH, AUGUST’ and ‘SPLIT WIDE OPEN’ and Sunhil Sippy’s ‘SNIP’. He co-produced Dev Benegal’s ROAD, MOVIE. The film travelled to all the major international film festivals – Berlin, Toronto, Tokyo and Tribeca. STILLS

‘The Road Not Taken’ revolves around a woman who decided to quit her day job to pursue her acting career, only to encounter a challenge that compels her to reconsider her decision. April 17, 2024 at 6:15:00 PM AFS Cinema Virtual May 3 - May 5, 2024 North America Premiere The Road Not Taken India | Short 2024 | 13 mins | Telugu TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Indian World Film Festival 24, Hyderabad ‘The Road Not Taken’ revolves around a woman who decided to quit her day job to pursue her acting career, only to encounter a challenge that compels her to reconsider her decision. Restoration Process About the Artist Born and Grew up in India, Sarthwik's debut as a filmmaker came to life with a short narrative, "The Road Not Taken." As a self-taught writer/director, he cultivated a versatile taste for storytelling, finding inspiration in a varied spectrum of Indian and global cinema. This exploration led him to recognize the profound influence films can wield in navigating personal narratives intertwined with universal themes. Having contributed to various short film projects in supporting crew roles, Sarthwik recently wrapped up the shooting phase of his latest project, “ORGANIZIZED,” which is currently in the post-production stage. Inspired by Martin Scorsese's wisdom that "You can train to become a better filmmaker by being YOURSELF,” Sarthwik is learning to explore the realm of cinema through authentic artistic expression. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Sarthwik Bollu Writer: Sarthwik Bollu Producer(s): Prithvi Raj Karreddula Film Editor: Featured Cast: Sirisha Andavolu 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 buddhist fable-like story about the guilt of a childhood incident of killing an ant while washing hands in the sink. Animated through photographic sequences painted with golds and grays, the Zen-like visuals sweep into one another with whispering monologues and glitching noises reflecting the realms of cosmos, power, guilt, prayers, and existence. April 20, 2024 at 10:30:00 AM AFS Cinema Virtual May 3 - May 5, 2024 Texas Premiere Phar Yar Sin (The Altar) Myanmar | Short,Documentary 2023 | 11 mins | Burmese TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen Germany A buddhist fable-like story about the guilt of a childhood incident of killing an ant while washing hands in the sink. Animated through photographic sequences painted with golds and grays, the Zen-like visuals sweep into one another with whispering monologues and glitching noises reflecting the realms of cosmos, power, guilt, prayers, and existence. Restoration Process About the Artist Moe Myat May Zarchi (born in 1994, Myanmar) is a filmmaker, musician and a multidisciplinary artist. Her short films have been screened at Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg, Women Make Waves Int’l Film Festival, Minikino Film Festival and have won awards at Singapore International Short Film Festival (SGIFF), Bangkok Asean Film Festival (BAFF) and UK Asian Film Festival. She was also a finalist in Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize in Moving Image and won the Prince Claus Seed Awards as an Emerging Artist. In most of her works, Moe loves to explore the metaphysical, identity, femininity and personal aspects through innovative use of visuals and sound. She also founded a cinema magazine and organization called “3-ACT” to support cinema education in Myanmar. https://moemyatmayzarchi.cargo.site/ Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Moe Myat May Zarchi Writer: Moe Myat May Zarchi Producer(s): 3-ACT Film Editor: Moe Myat May Zarchi 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.

An elderly couple, desperate for a divine cure for their adult son before they grow too old to protect him, journeys to the Maha Kumbh. April 22, 2026 at 6:15:00 PM AFS Cinema FREE for members Texas Premiere Vimukt (In Search of the Sky) India | Narrative Feature 2024 | 87 mins | Hindi Virtual Q&A with writer-director Jitank Gurjar and lead actor Nikhil Yadav Preceeded by the short film Hills Don't Dance Alone TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Toronto International Film Festival - Netpac jury award International Film Festival of India Vimukt (In Search of the Sky) follows an aging couple, Jasrath and Vidya, who are deeply devoted to their intellectually disabled son, Naraan—a sweet, curious soul adrift in his own world. For the parents, life is a grueling cycle of labor and a growing, painful awareness that they may soon be too old to care for him. Desperate for a miracle to "heal" their son's mind, the family embarks on an epic, soul-stirring pilgrimage to the once-in-a-century Maha Kumbh, the largest religious gathering on Earth. But as they navigate the swirling lights and shadowy figures of the festival, the journey becomes less about a physical cure and more about a profound internal awakening. This poignant and visually stunning debut from Jitank Singh Gurjar offers a rare, intimate look at a rural Indian family grappling with life’s most difficult questions—the ones that have no easy answers. Restoration Process About the Artist Jitank Gurjar is an independent filmmaker and theatre artist with over 11 years of experience, spanning theatre, ad films, music videos, and documentaries. A self-taught storyteller, he made his directorial debut with BAASAN, a regional art film rooted in rural folklore, officially screened at IFFI 54 and the 2024 Cannes Marché du Film. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Jitank Singh Gurjar Writer: Jitank Singh Gurjar, Pooja Vishal Sharma Producer(s): Pooja Vishal Sharma Film Editor: Pavan Theurkar 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.

2023 Ullarivu Short Malayalam mins 14 Texas Premiere In-Person, Virtual 2023 India Kids, Drama Ullarivu is about a young girl's transformative journey from a carefree child of the earth into a cautious young girl in the world, as she pieces together the hidden meanings and unfair rules of the patriarchal world. Her love for nature and exploration comes to a standstill when she is forced to understand that her access to the world itself is limited due to her gender. Even though she is brought up in a loving, protective family, helmed by her father, the family dynamics are deeply rooted in patriarchal rules and values. In a world that assigns pink for girls and blue for boys at birth itself, it's only a matter of time until the rules of subjugation are inflicted upon even the most hungry, wild souls. Mumbai Film Festival (2023) International Kolkata Short Film Festival (2024) Tickets 4/19/24, 6:15 PM All Badges, Individual Tickets AFS Cinema Director, Writer & Producer Sumi Mathai Sumi Mathai is an advertising professional turned filmmaker based in India. Her debut short film 'Detour' was selected as one of the 10 scripts to be produced by Jio Cinema, from a nationwide submission of 900+ entries. Detour premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival (2017), and won the Special Jury Mention. It was also screened at Indische Filmfestival Stuttgart, Bangalore International Short Film Festival, Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest, and IndoGerman Filmweek, Berlin. Ullarivu (The Awakening) is her second short film which she produced through a crowdfunding campaign, apart from writing and directing it. She is passionate about telling stories that explore lived experiences of young girls and women, with empathy and integrity. It is her hope that her stories can shift existing cultural narratives around womanhood, and also contribute towards building a world that is kinder and more inclusive. She is currently developing her first feature film screenplay which was one of the finalists at the Pitch Fest conducted by Screenwriters Association India. Director: Sumi Mathai Producer: Sumi Mathai Writer: Sumi Mathai Cast: Devananda Shamej, Pradeep Joseph, Nandini Gopalakrishna, Shivarchana Rajesh, Aksa Prasad, Minnu Elsa Joshy, Krishna Raj & Arun Kalabhavan Editor: Abhishikta Kaila Crew: Anand Ravi, Anjo John, Sreejith Sreenivasan This Event is supported in part by a Mini Grant from Humanities Texas. Community Partners for the Film More Films

A love story like no other, THE CYCLE OF LOVE is an inspiring true-life adventure about the search for self-belief and risking everything for what your heart tells you. April 25, 2026 at 3:30:00 PM AFS Cinema Texas Premiere The Cycle of Love United Kingdom, Sweden | Documentary 2025 | 98 mins | English, Hindi Live Q&A with protagonists Lotta Mahanandia Von Schedvin and P.K. Mahanandia, & producers Karl Von Schedvin and Emelie Mahanandia Von Schedvin. TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Telluride Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival - Winner Social Impact Award Middleburg Film Festival - Winner Audience Award for Best Documentary Jackson Hole Film Festival Best Documentary Audience Choice - Indie Meme Film Festival 2026 In 1977, PK, a 23-year-old Delhi street artist from a poor, ‘untouchable’ family, picked up a handful of paintbrushes and a second-hand bicycle and set off on a 6000-mile cross-continent mission - to find Lotta, the woman who had captured his heart. A love story like no other, THE CYCLE OF LOVE is an inspiring, heart-warming, epic true-life adventure about the search for self-belief and risking everything for what your heart tells you. Restoration Process About the Artist Orlando is an Academy Award-winning director and the founder of award-winning UK creative house Grain Media. His work includes Academy Award-winning THE WHITE HELMETS; Academy Award-nominated VIRUNGA; BIFA-winning EVELYN, EMMY-nominated LOST AND FOUND, EMMY-nominated CONVERGENCE: COURAGE IN A CRISIS, Platino-nominated THE LOST CHILDREN, critically acclaimed Netflix series HEART OF INVICTUS and forthcoming THE CYCLE OF LOVE. Other work includes Academy Award-winning LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL); EMMY-nominated SCOUTS HONOR; and EMMY-winning BUY NOW! all of which he executively produced. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Orlando Von Einsiedel Writer: Producer(s): Harri Grace Chloe Leland Film Editor: Katie Bryer Bfe Featured Cast: P. K. Mahanandia Lotta Von Schedvin Chirag Benedict Lobo Mina Dale 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 son fights corrupt officials while his mother tends their poppy farm in India. As authorities strike back at their lower-caste family, they must choose between keeping food on the table and standing up for what’s right. September 13, 2026 at 2:30:00 PM AFS Cinema 100% of proceeds will go to Nepal Flood Relief I, Poppy India | Documentary 2025 | 82 mins | Marwari, Hindi Preceded by the short film Family Man TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL Best International Feature Documentary - Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, 2025 A son fights corrupt officials while his mother tends their poppy farm in India. As authorities strike back at their lower-caste family, they must choose between keeping food on the table and standing up for what’s right. Filmed observationally for 5 years, I Poppy is an intimate film about the intertwining but divergent paths of poppy farmer Vardibai and her activist son Mangilal as they grapple with systemic oppression. Their moral dilemma crystallizes around a painful choice: continue bribing officials so they can survive, or fight for systemic change at tremendous personal cost. This multi-layered narrative transcends its Indian context to explore universal themes of justice, family and the human cost of standing up against institutional power. Restoration Process About the Artist Vivek Chaudhary is a self-taught filmmaker, who has a keen interest for artistic and moving stories of microcosms that shine light on bigger systemic structures around social justice and economic redistribution. His debut documentary, a mid-length film titled Goonga Pehelwan (The Mute Wrestler) documented the struggles of deaf wrestler, Virender Singh, who on account of his disability was discriminated against by the Indian sporting system. The film won the Indian National Film Award for Best Debut Film in the year 2015. The film was instrumental in changing sporting policies for deaf sportspersons in India. I, Poppy is his first feature-length film. It has been mentored and supported by top grants and festivals including IDFA Bertha Fund, CNC, Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum, The Whickers Foundation, DMZ Docs Festival (South Korea), Lisbon Docs and DOK Leipzig. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Vivek Chaudhary Writer: Producer(s): Xavier Rocher Film Editor: Tanushree Das Camille Mouton 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.

April 25, 2026 at 5:45:00 PM AFS Cinema Divine Comedy Iran, Turkey, Italy, France, Germany 2025 Virtual Q&A with writer Alireza Khatami TICKETS BUY A BADGE Venice Film Festival 2025 - Orizzonti Bahram is a 40-year-old filmmaker whose Turkish-Azeri arthouse films have been systematically silenced by Iranian censors. When his latest work is once again denied a screening permit by the Ministry of Culture, he embarks on an underground mission to bring his art to the public. Alongside his sharp-tongued, Vespa-riding producer Sadaf, he embarks on a defiant underground mission to bring his art to the public, dodging absurd bureaucracy and his own creeping self-doubt. Never the one to shy away from exposing the heavy-handed interference of his country’s regime, director Ali Asgari (working with Alireza Khatami) adopts a tone of playful irreverence to celebrate the audacity of artists whom regimes seek to silence. In a brilliant meta-textual turn, real-life filmmaker Bahram Ark plays a fictionalized version of himself, blending stark realism with a wit that mocks the very idea of repression. Sarcasm and wit abounds yet Asgari never once trivializes his protagonist’s suffocation as he fights for his art. Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Ali Asgari is a writer, director, producer and prominent figure in Iranian cinema which films focus on the precarious lives of individuals living on the margins of society in his native country. Two of his short films, More Than Two Hours (2013) and The Silence (2016), were nominated for the Short Film Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes. His short film The Baby was also featured in the short film competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. In 2017, his debut feature film, Disappearance premiered in Orizzonti at the Venice International Film Festival and was selected at the Toronto Film Festival in Discovery section. After staging several other short films, he directed his second feature film, Until Tomorrow, which premiered at the 2022 Berlinale in Panorama section. Ali’s third feature film, Terrestrial Verses, a cross-genre film, premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard and was theatrically released in more than 10 territories across the world. Terrestrial Verses has drawn over 100,000 spectators in France and 26,000 in Italy. His fourth feature film, Higher than Acidic Clouds, is a boundary-pushing hybrid film that has been selected for IDFA 2024. Most recently, Ali Asgari was chosen as a jury member for the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival. Ali is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His latest feature film, Divine Comedy, will premiere at Venice Film Festival 2025 in Orizzonti section. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Ali Asgari Writer: Alireza Khatami Bahram Ark Ali Asgari Producer(s): Milad Khosravi Ali Asgari Film Editor: Ehsan Veseghi Featured Cast: Bahram Ark Sadaf Asgari Bahman Ark Faezeh Rad Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

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. Filmocracy Virtual April 28 - May 1, 2023 Coming Out with the Help of a Time Machine India | Short 2022 | 15 mins | English TICKETS DONATE TO NEPAL "Best LGBTQ+ Short Film" - DFW South Asian & Cleveland International Film Festival Restoration Process 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. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Naman Gupta Writer: Naman Gupta Producer(s): Film Editor: Featured Cast: Karan Soni, Sangeeta Agrawal, Raghuram Shetty 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.