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Catch the best of independent cinema from South Asia and Iran at indiememe.org. IMFF (Indie Meme Film Festival) takes place every April in Austin, Texas. MEMBERSHIP IMFF 2026 DONATE 11th Indie Meme Film Festival BADGES NOW ON SALE! A Cinematic Celebration Like No Other April 22 - 26, 2026 | AFS Cinema | Austin, TX Immerse yourself in the boldest, most thought-provoking independent South Asian films, all on the big screen! Experience exclusive in-person screenings, engaging Q&As, vibrant mixers, and unforgettable filmmaker events. Be part of the movement. Be part of the story. Become a member to get a 20% discount! 11TH IMFF BUY A BADGE Upcoming Events 2026 ASIA x AUSTIN Summit Mar 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704, USA Where Global Innovation Meets Central Texas Opportunity. The Asia x Austin Summit returns to the heart of the city, now an official 2026 SXSW event. More Info Membership Offer IMFF 2026 Badges Apr 22, 2026, 2:30 PM CDT – Apr 26, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752, USA ATTENTION: For individual film ticket purchases, please consult the festival schedule to note the date and time for the screening. Check back for when it becomes available. Members must log in to get their discount! More Info Latest from Indie Meme Follow Us on Socials! Programs Indie Meme Film Festival Indie Meme Lit Indie Meme Archival Project Indie Meme Masterclass Support Indie Meme Become a Member Volunteer With Our Family Sponsor Our Programs Become a Leadership Circle Member

Attend the 11th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival, held in Austin, TX April 22-26, 2026. Buy an all-access badge or individual film tickets. ATTEND THE FESTIVAL Attending with a Festival Badge PLATINUM and PASSPORT badges provide admittance for one (1) to ALL festival film screenings. Only PLATINUM badges include admission to festival parties and ceremonies. Member Discounts: Members receive a 20% discount off all badges. Super Fan Members may purchase up to (4) discounted badges. Fan Members may purchase up to (2) discounted badges. Log in to your Indie Meme Account before checkout to access your member discount. BECOME A MEMBER Includes: ALL Festival Film Screenings Admittance for one (1) to Opening Night Party Closing Night Party & Awards $220 BUY A BADGE PLATINUM BADGE Includes: ALL Festival Film Screenings Admittance for one (1) to Every in-person film Weds - Sun, including Opening and Closing Night Films ***DOES NOT INCLUDE PARTIES*** $120 BUY A BADGE PASSPORT BADGE Thursday April 10, 2025 at 6:30:00 PM Texas Shorts Program Six independent short films: Fragments of Us , Nirmalya , Lost. , Smoke Cheyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro), Cowboys and Hindus , and Lost in Concrete Woods . A carefully curated selection of thought-provoking shorts that explore (1) The fragile landscape of love and self-discovery, (2) The moral dilemmas faced by an immigrant family, (3) The struggle with loneliness as time slips away, (4) An unpredictable encounter, (5) A journey into the heart of Texas ranch life, and (6) An unfamiliar reality for a night. EVENT HAS PASSED Friday Kennedy April 11, 2025 at 10:00:00 PM Kennedy is an insomniac ex-cop, long though to be dead... still operating for the corrupt system, while looking for redemption. EVENT HAS PASSED Saturday April 12, 2025 at 10 :30:00 AM Saturday Shorts Program Seven independent short films: Virundhu (The Feast) Aloo Poori , A Lazy Noon , Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know , Hema , Pyaar Andaaz (Love Undoes) , and Blue . A carefully curated selection of incredible shorts that feature (1) A fisherwoman’s bold act of defiance, (2) A farewell meal, (3) A confrontation to emotional abuse, (4) A fulfilled prophecy, (5) The complexities of immigrating, (6) A metaphysical enquiry into human existence, and (7) A trip out to sea. EVENT HAS PASSED The Glassworker DOWNLOAD April 12, 2025 at 5:45:00 PM Preceded by the short films Da'Lit Kids and Ouroboros . A young, gifted Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an approaching war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young aspiring violinist daughter, Alliz,shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son. As the love develops between Vincent and Alliz, they will need to gather up their courage to confront their fathers. EVENT HAS PASSED And, Towards Happy Alleys DOWNLOAD April 12, 2025 at 8:15:00 PM Preceded by the short film The First Film . Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetic works of the feminist poet Forough Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani, and human rights activist Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being banned from practicing their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country. And, Towards Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties. EVENT HAS PASSED Pooja, Sir DOWNLOAD April 12, 2025 at 10:45:00 PM When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case, forcing her to leave her wife and her ailing father behind. But when she arrives to investigate, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic racial and homophobic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case—but at what personal cost? Inspired by real events which took place in Southern Nepal during the 2015 race protests. EVENT HAS PASSED BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay DOWNLOAD April 13, 2025 at 1:30:00 AM Preceded by a 10-minute music set by Specific Thing. 'BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay' is a documentary film that takes the viewer back 30 years in time to explore the sounds of the city's musical counterculture as it was. It puts you into the shoes of its mercurial artists, passionate folks behind the scenes, and misfits who went to gigs through the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. The film puts a spotlight on what happened in the shadowy world of underground live music and answers questions like what it meant to watch an artist live in 1994, what it’s like today, and what kind of underground music was played in 2006. Over the span of 53 minutes, it cruises through real and rare DIY stories all the way from the 1990s, right up to 2023. EVENT HAS PASSED Sunday Agent of Happiness DOWNLOAD April 13, 2025 at 3:30:00 PM How can you measure happiness? The country of Bhutan invented Gross National Happiness to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who travels door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. He is still living with his elderly mother at the age of 40, but is nevertheless a hopeless romantic who dreams of finding love: a happiness agent who is in search of his own happiness. We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live. EVENT HAS PASSED Little Jaffna DOWNLOAD April 13, 2025 at 5:45:00 PM The district of 'Little Jaffna' in Paris is the heart of a vibrant Tamil community, where Michael, a young police officer, is assigned to infiltrate a criminal group known for extortion and money laundering for the benefit of separatist rebels in Sri-Lanka. But as he works his way deeper into the heart of the organization, his loyalty will be tested, in a relentless pursuit against one of Paris' most hidden and powerful gangs. EVENT HAS PASSED Puratawn (The Ancient) DOWNLOAD April 13, 2025 at 8:00:00 PM Rittika returns to her ancestral house with her husband Rajeev to celebrate her mother’s 80th birthday. After reaching her house she finds that her mother is not the same as she had always believed her to be. Initially jolted with this realization, she slowly comes to terms with her condition and its irreversibility. Through her mother she comes to change her perspective on life and being. What seemed like an ostensibly routine and ritualistic event turns to a larger metaphysical enquiry into human existence and how the past dictates our current state. The film deftly braids in questions of failing memory, cherishing the past, a fear of obsolescence and reconciliation into a haunting, moving story that is at its heart about burying the ghosts of the past in order to make peace with what has happened so that one can move on. EVENT HAS PASSED Boong DOWNLOAD Preceded by the short film Chashma . April 13, 2025 at 10:30:00 PM The story centers on a young schoolboy named Boong, portrayed by Gugun Kipgen, who embarks on a journey to reunite his divided family amidst the backdrop of Manipur's socio-political unrest. Facing challenges such as racial tensions and border issues, Boong's resilience and determination drive him forward. The film delves into themes of childhood innocence, family bonds, and the impact of geopolitical divisions on personal lives. EVENT HAS PASSED

Meet our sponsors, patrons and supporters. We are grateful to these organizations to help bring independent films from South Asia to our audience. Our 2026 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! Indie Meme is supported in part by the City of Austin Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment 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 , 2024 , and 2025 sponsors. BECOME A SPONSOR

The Indie Meme Film Festival will return April 22 - 26th, 2026, bringing the best of independent South Asian cinema to Austin with in-person screenings, Q&As, mixers, and filmmaker events. INDIE MEME FILM FESTIVAL April 22 - 26, 2026 BUY A BADGE Indie Meme Film Festival 2026 Our Flagship Program April 22 - 26, 2026 | AFS Cinema | Austin, Texas The 11th Indie Meme Film Festival is coming back April 2026, sharing the best of independent South Asian cinema in Austin with in-person screenings, Q&As, mixers, and filmmaker events. Badge Sales are Open! You can now buy a badge for the 11th Indie Meme Felm Festival! Order a Passport badge for access to all festival screenings, or a Platinum badge for acces to screenings PLUS all festival parties and ceremonies! Become a member to get 20% discount! BECOME A MEMBER BUY A BADGE BUY A BADGE PLAN YOUR VISIT MEMBERSHIP FILMS SCHEDULE ATTEND AWARDS IMFF 2025 JURY

Our past screenings of independent films, documentaties and short films from Southeast Asia. Want a screening in your city? Our Films Browse our collection of internationally acclaimed narrative & documentary films and shorts from South Asia. Filter by Screening Series Select Screening Series Filter by Type Select Type Filter by Languages Select Languages Search

AFS Cinema Texas Premiere Victoria India | Narrative Feature 2024 | 85 mins | Malayalam TICKETS TICKETS FIPRESCI Award for the Best Debut Director -29th International Film Festival of Kerala IFFK 2024 Excellence Award-Discovery Competition- 27th Seoul Women’s Film Festival, South Korea 2025 Best Film- NETPAC Asian Select- Kolkata International Film Festival 2025 Best Debut film- Jaffna International Film Festival 2025 Victoria, a young beautician in a suburban beauty parlour, decides to elope with her Hindu boyfriend after a fierce clash with her conservative Catholic parents. Amidst the turmoil, a neighbor asks her to temporarily house an offering rooster destined for a festival at St. George church inside the parlour. Juggling the rooster's antics, unexpected clients, and her boyfriend's uncertainty, Victoria grapples with conflicting emotions leading to a day of intense personal and spiritual revelations. Victoria, a young beautician in a suburban beauty parlour, decides to elope with her Hindu boyfriend after a fierce clash with her conservative Catholic parents. Amidst the turmoil, a neighbor asks her to temporarily house an offering rooster destined for a festival at St. George church inside the parlour. Juggling the rooster's antics, unexpected clients, and her boyfriend's uncertainty, Victoria grapples with conflicting emotions leading to a day of intense personal and spiritual revelations Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Sivaranjini is an independent filmmaker and research scholar based in India. An alumna of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, she often returns there as visiting faculty. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Communication Design at the IDC School of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Her short films have been screened at regional and international film festivals. Victoria (2024) is her debut feature. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Sivaranjini Writer: Sivaranjini Producer(s): Kerala State Film Development Corporation Ltd Film Editor: Sivaranjini Featured Cast: Meenakshi Jayan Sreeshma Chandran Darsana Vikas Steeja Mary Jolly Chirayath Jeena Rajeev Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

The 10th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 9-13, 2025 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema Festival Schedule The 10th Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 9 - 13, 2025 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema. Join us for our closing party as the Jury announces the winners and gives the awards as well as the audience choice winners announced. See if your favorites win!! The virtual fest ival , streaming May 2 - 4 , 2025 will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs. Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Wednesday April 9 AFS Lobby Member Mixer 5:15 PM - 6:15 PM Start out the film festival right with a member mixer! Celebrate the tenth year of Austin's premier South Asian film festival with us with light bites and happy hour specials! Members only ! AFS Cinema Manthan (The Churning) 11:30 PM undefined | Hindi | 134 mins "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. Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Virtual Q&A with actor Naseeruddin Shah Thursday April 10 Food Vendor AFS Cinema 5:00 - 6:30 PM - 5:00 - 6:30 PM Soundra Chai AFS Cinema 11:30 PM Texas Shorts Program USA | Telugu, Marathi, English | 103 mins Six independent short films: Fragments of Us , Nirmalya , Lost. , Smoke Cheyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro), Cowboys and Hindus , and Lost in Concrete Woods . A carefully curated selection of thought-provoking shorts that explore (1) The fragile landscape of love and self-discovery, (2) The moral dilemmas faced by an immigrant family, (3) The struggle with loneliness as time slips away, (4) An unpredictable encounter, (5) A journey into the heart of Texas ranch life, and (6) An unfamiliar reality for a night. In-Person Q&A with Filmmakers Friday A pril 11 AFS Cinema 4:00 - 5:00 PM Food Vendors Soundra Chai & Kuchi Sabishi Mystery Downtown Location Opening Night Celebration 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM Attend our opening night red carpet with attending filmmakers, cast, and fellow members! Celebrate the tenth year of Austin's premier South Asian film festival with us with complimentary food & drinks! Platinum Badge holders only ! AFS Cinema 10:00 PM Kennedy undefined | Hindi | 144 mins Kennedy is an insomniac ex-cop, long though to be dead... still operating for the corrupt system, while looking for redemption. Live Q&A with writer-director Anurag Kashyap Saturday A pril 12 AFS Cinema 3:30 PM Shorts Program India | Tamil, Hindi, English | 105 mins Seven independent short films: Virundhu (The Feast) Aloo Poori , A Lazy Noon , Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know , Hema , Pyaar Andaaz (Love Undoes) , and Blue . A carefully curated selection of incredible shorts that feature (1) A fisherwoman’s bold act of defiance, (2) A farewell meal, (3) A confrontation to emotional abuse, (4) A fulfilled prophecy, (5) The complexities of immigrating, (6) A metaphysical enquiry into human existence, and (7) A trip out to sea. Recorded Q&A with Filmmakers AFS Cinema 5:45 PM The Glassworker undefined | English,Urdu | 98 mins The life of a young glassblower in training and his relationships over the years, as his land goes through war and strife. Preceded by the short films Da'Lit Kids and Ouroboros . Recorded Q&A with writer-director Usman Riaz AFS Cinema 1:00 - 6:00 PM Food Vendor Dhaba Cafe And, Towards Happy Alleys AFS Cinema 8:15 PM And, Towards Happy Alleys undefined | Persian,English | 75 mins Inspired by Iranian cinema and the poetry of Forough Farrokhzad, a young director from India journeys to Tehran to witness how resistance becomes a daily act of survival in Iranian society. Preceded by the short film The First Film . Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Live Q&A with director Sreemoyee Singh and lead actress Aida Mohammadkhani Pooja, Sir AFS Cinema 10:45 PM Pooja, Sir undefined | Nepali | 108 mins When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Live Q&A with director Deepak Rauniyar and lead actress Asha Magrati BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay AFS Cinema 1:30 AM BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay undefined | English | 57 mins Metal, electronic, and rap are not associated with Mumbai because it’s hidden in Bollywood’s shadow, but found in every suburb. The misfits who conspire to pervert the course of pop culture are our protagonists in the nostalgia trip called Back Then. Preceded by a 10-minute music set by Specific Thing. Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Recorded Q&A with directors Anindita Dutta Roy and Abhishek Chandran Sunday A pril 13 Agent of Happiness AFS Cinema 3:30 PM VIEW ALL undefined | Dzongkha,Nepali,English | 94 mins Amber, a happiness agent, travels the Bhutanese Himalayas surveying people's happiness. On his remote mountain journey, he searches for fulfillment. Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Recorded Q&A with Director Arun Bhattarai AFS Cinema Little Jaffna AFS Cinema 5:45 PM VIEW ALL undefined | French,Tamil | 100 mins Michael is a young police officer assigned to infiltrate a Tamil separatist organization in order to bring down one of its top financiers, but as he delves into this community, he gradually begins to identify with those he is supposed to destroy. Admission notes (i.e., free for members, badge holders only) Recorded Q&A with writer-director Lawrence Valin AFS Cinema AFS Cinema 1:00 - 6:00 PM Guppys Food Vendor Puratawn (The Ancient) VIEW ALL AFS Cinema 8:00 PM undefined | Bengali | 100 mins The lives of three characters change when they unexpectedly have to confront and come to terms with their past. Recorded Q&A with writer-director Suman Ghosh Limited tickets available on site. Boong VIEW ALL AFS Cinema 10:30 PM undefined | Manipuri | 93 mins A schoolboy, Boong, navigates racial tensions and border challenges in Manipur, driven by resilience and determination to reunite his divided family. Preceded by the short film Chashma . Virtual Q&A with writer-director Lakshmipriya Devi Limited tickets available on site. Mystery Central Austin Location 8:15 PM - 10:00 PM Closing Night Party Help us close out the tenth Indie Meme Film Festival! Join us as the Jury announces the winners and gives the awards as well as the audience choice winners announced. See if your favorites win while enjoying complimentary food & drinks! Platinum Badge holders only! Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

The 10th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 9-13, 2025 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema. IMFF 2025 FILMS The 10th Indie Meme Film Festival comes to Austin in-person from April 9 - 13, 2025 and is held at the Austin Film Society Cinema. The virtual festival, streaming May 2 - May 4 , 2025 will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs. Narrative Features Narrative Features Boong Texas Premiere India | 2024 | Manipuri 93 mins | Lakshmipriya Devi The story centers on a young schoolboy named Boong, portrayed by Gugun Kipgen, who embarks on a journey to reunite his divided family amidst the backdrop of Manipur's socio-political unrest. Facing challenges such as racial tensions and border issues, Boong's resilience and determination drive him forward. The film delves into themes of childhood innocence, family bonds, and the impact of geopolitical divisions on personal lives. Read More Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Virtual Q&A with writer-director Lakshmipriya Devi In Theater Only Little Jaffna United States Premiere France | 2024 | French, Tamil 100 mins | Lawrence Valin The district of 'Little Jaffna' in Paris is the heart of a vibrant Tamil community, where Michael, a young police officer, is assigned to infiltrate a criminal group known for extortion and money laundering for the benefit of separatist rebels in Sri-Lanka. But as he works his way deeper into the heart of the organization, his loyalty will be tested, in a relentless pursuit against one of Paris' most hidden and powerful gangs. Read More Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Recorded Q&A with writer-director Lawrence Valin In Theater Only Puratawn (The Ancient) Austin Premiere India | 2024 | Bengali 100 mins | Suman Ghosh Rittika returns to her ancestral house with her husband Rajeev to celebrate her mother’s 80th birthday. After reaching her house she finds that her mother is not the same as she had always believed her to be. Initially jolted with this realization, she slowly comes to terms with her condition and its irreversibility. Through her mother she comes to change her perspective on life and being. What seemed like an ostensibly routine and ritualistic event turns to a larger metaphysical enquiry into human existence and how the past dictates our current state. The film deftly braids in questions of failing memory, cherishing the past, a fear of obsolescence and reconciliation into a haunting, moving story that is at its heart about burying the ghosts of the past in order to make peace with what has happened so that one can move on. Read More Best Feature film- Washington DC South Asian Film Festival Best Actress (Sharmila Tagore)- Washington DC South Asian Film Festival Best Feature Film- Indian Film Festival at Houston Recorded Q&A with writer-director Suman Ghosh In Theater Only Kennedy Special Screening India | 2023 | Hindi 144 mins | Anurag Kashyap Kennedy is an insomniac ex-cop, long though to be dead... still operating for the corrupt system, while looking for redemption. Read More 1. Festival de Cannes - France 2. Sydney Film Festival - Australia 3. Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival - South Korea (Republic of Korea) Live Q&A with writer-director Anurag Kashyap In Theater Only Manthan (The Churning) India | 1976 | Hindi 134 mins | Shyam Benegal 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. Read More Cannes Classics 2024 Virtual Q&A with actor Naseeruddin Shah In Theater Only Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman North America Premiere India | 2023 | Hindi 79 mins | Nidhi Saxena Nidhi (43) and her mother Meera (70) exist in a decaying ancestral house, a physical manifestation of their stagnant lives. Nidhi's childhood was marred by a traumatic event involving her father that left her emotionally isolated and perpetually melancholic. She grapples with her past by writing haunting letters to her younger self, lamenting what could have been and warning her of what awaits. Meera harbors deep regrets over an unrequited love affair that never came to fruition, a wistful yearning that compounds her sense of failure as a mother witnessing Nidhi's profound despair. Yet, a flicker of hope remains – the possibility of Nidhi finding solace. When Nidhi discovers an ancient mystical ritual that promises oblivion through vanishing, the idea takes root. Meera, in a last act of love, decides to join Nidhi on this metaphysical journey into nothingness. As mother and daughter perform the rites, the barriers between past and present dissolve. Memories bleed into the present, echoing their anguished cries long suppressed by society's expectations.On one transcendent night, enveloped in darkness, they disappear - two flightless birds finally freed from their corporeal and emotional prisons. An experimental meditation on the complex struggles women endure. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual Kherwal United States Premiere India | 2023 | Santhali, Bengali, English 122 mins | Uttam Kamati Norwegian academic Samuel passed away in an Indian tribal village, leaving behind a final wish to be buried there. Bidu, a Santhali man, is determined to honour Samuel’s last request. Meanwhile, Bidu's young son struggles with the painful realisation that his cherished dream of visiting Norway, a promise made by Samuel, may never come true. However, hope flickers anew with the arrival of Samuel’s daughter, Lauren, in the village, rekindling the boy’s aspirations and bringing new possibilities to light. Read More 29th Kolkata International Film Festival 28th International Film Festival of Kerala 2023-Best Debut Director Indian Cinema Now 16th Jaipur International Film Festival -Awarded for Best Original Script, Best Released Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actor Lead Virtual Only, Virtual Pooja, Sir Special Screening Nepal, USA, Norway | 2024 | Nepali 108 mins | Deepak Rauniyar When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case, forcing her to leave her wife and her ailing father behind. But when she arrives to investigate, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic racial and homophobic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case—but at what personal cost? Inspired by real events which took place in Southern Nepal during the 2015 race protests. Read More Live Q&A with director Deepak Rauniyar and lead actress Asha Magrati In Theater Only The Glassworker Texas Premiere Pakistan, Spain, USA | 2024 | English, Urdu 98 mins | Usman Riaz A young, gifted Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an approaching war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young aspiring violinist daughter, Alliz,shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son. As the love develops between Vincent and Alliz, they will need to gather up their courage to confront their fathers. Read More International South Asian Film Festival of Canada Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival Hong Kong Kids International Film Festival Recorded Q&A with writer-director Usman Riaz In Theater Only Documentary Features Documentary Features Agent of Happiness Bhutan, Hungary, USA, Czech Republic | 2024 | Dzongkha, Nepali, English 94 mins | Arun Bhattarai & Dorottya Zurbó How can you measure happiness? The country of Bhutan invented Gross National Happiness to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who travels door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. He is still living with his elderly mother at the age of 40, but is nevertheless a hopeless romantic who dreams of finding love: a happiness agent who is in search of his own happiness. We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live. Read More Jury and Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Sundance Film Festival 2024 71st Sydney Film Festival 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 Recorded Q&A with Director Arun Bhattarai In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Land of Dreams Texas Premiere USA, India | 2025 | Punjabi, Hindi, English 40 mins | Ambarien Alqadar Filmed for nearly a decade, Land of Dreams is an intimate portrait of Virender Rana, a taxi driver from India, chasing his dream of telling his story in America. While he points the camera at his own life and films a Bollywood style movie, the film follows his journey of coming to America, finding joy as part of a larger Sikh community and that of taxi drivers and laying roots as an immigrant. As he joins the elite Uber Black fleet hoping for his dreams to come true, he faces challenges of being a brown immigrant on the streets of post 9/11 America. Land of Dreams is a letter of solidarity and hope to anyone who has searched for a home and a land for their dreams in a place where they were not born. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual And, Towards Happy Alleys United States Premiere India, Iran | 2023 | Persian, English 75 mins | Sreemoyee Singh Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetic works of the feminist poet Forough Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani, and human rights activist Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being banned from practicing their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country. And, Towards Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties. Read More Best Film in the International Competition at BAFICI, Argentina, April 2023 Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari award for Best Debut Director at Mumbai International Film Festival, June, 2024 Best Documentary in World Cinema Festival, Calcutta, 2024 Live Q&A with director Sreemoyee Singh and lead actress Aida Mohammadkhani In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay Texas Premiere India | 2024 | English 57 mins | Anindita Dutta Roy, Abhishek Chandran 'BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay' is a documentary film that takes the viewer back 30 years in time to explore the sounds of the city's musical counterculture as it was. It puts you into the shoes of its mercurial artists, passionate folks behind the scenes, and misfits who went to gigs through the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. The film puts a spotlight on what happened in the shadowy world of underground live music and answers questions like what it meant to watch an artist live in 1994, what it’s like today, and what kind of underground music was played in 2006. Over the span of 53 minutes, it cruises through real and rare DIY stories all the way from the 1990s, right up to 2023. Read More Yellowstone International Film Festival Best Documentary Film Winner Recorded Q&A with directors Anindita Dutta Roy and Abhishek Chandran In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Shorts Program Short Films A Lazy Noon United States Premiere Bangladesh | 2025 | Bangla 15 mins | Monon Muntaka Nira, a highly educated 38-year-old woman who comes from an upper-middle-class family. Her husband is a senior executive at a corporate company, and she is a homemaker. She married with the intention of enjoying a modest and peaceful life. She was going about her regular activities. But, as time passes, she becomes increasingly aware of the emotional abuse she is subjected to. She made the decision to stand up and protect her dignity and self-worth. Read More 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival - Best Short Film Fipresci Award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Blue North America Premiere India | 2024 | Tamil 12 mins | Praveen Kumar Nagendran A young boy persuades a fisherman to take him out to sea. Once there, he reveals his true intentions, sparking the fisherman’s anger. The film leaves us wondering whether the boy ultimately succeeds in his plan. Read More Special prize from Arctic Open International Film Festival 2024, Russia In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Da'Lit Kids International Premiere India | 2024 | Malayalam 6 mins | Appu Soman 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. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Fragments of Us World Premiere USA | 2024 | Telugu, English 24 mins | Sushanth Nallapareddy Fragments of Us follows Drithi and Arjun, a south asian couple navigating the intricate challenges of love, marriage, and self-discovery. As cultural expectations and personal ambitions collide, they confront the fragile nature of their bond through a non-linear narrative that reveals defining moments from their past, present, and possible future. Each fragment of their journey invites reflection on whether there is ever a "right" time to address issues within a relationship, or if it ultimately comes down to resilience and choice. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Lost. Texas Premiere USA | 2024 | N/A 9 mins | Rohit Battepati Life Lost is not the same as Life Taken. Lost is a story that explores the themes of loneliness, inner battles, and helplessness. The protagonist has no “name” in the film and is seen going through a series of emotions that feel both rushed and deliberate, each serving a purpose within the narrative. In the opening two minutes, the film symbolizes the struggle and mental turmoil that one experiences in intense situations at a thought level, particularly when grappling with the desire to escape from the reality. As the story progresses, the character becomes both expressive and reactive, engaging in a series of mundane activities that seem to provide some comfort to him. A timer, counting down an hour, heightens the tension as the character grows increasingly anxious as time passes. The film ends with a moment of revelation, where the character's journey becomes clear, tying together the events shown and offering clarity to the emotions and experiences portrayed. Read More Hyperreal Film Club Official Selection, Reale Film Festival - Best Super Short, Tamizhagam International Film Festival - Best Actor In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Pyaar Andaaz (Love Undoes) International Premiere India | 2024 | English, Hindi 6 mins | Laksh Banthia A man tries to keep himself together as he waits in a university canteen for his beloved from yesteryear. "Pyaar Andaaz" is a short experience attempting to capture the ephemeral nature of love and human connection in a single continuous take. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Taak North America Premiere India | 2024 | Hindi 40 mins | Udit Khurana When a security breach shakes the foundations of a Delhi nightclub, the management enforces a new policy: mandatory tracking smartwatches for all staff members. Senior among the staff is Shalini, a bouncer who is a single mother. They are told that the smartwatches are tools for safety and efficiency. However, the watches soon reveal a darker purpose—constant surveillance. As the smartwatches begin to intrude on personal lives, harvesting data and controlling movements, the nightclub faces opposition from Komal - a young recruit from Shalini’s village who is extremely resistant to wearing the smartwatch. Berated for her team’s incompetence, Shalini must ensure that her colleagues wear the smartwatch or face severe consequences. In a world where every move is tracked, Shalini and Komal’s fight becomes one of autonomy, dignity, and the right to be unseen. Read More Film Critics Guild's Critic's Choice Award for Best Actress MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Dharamshala International Film Festival, FILMKUNSTFEST MV (Germany) Virtual Only, Virtual Waterman United States Premiere India | 2023 | Marathi, Kannada 24 mins | Vishwas K In a low-income neighborhood in Pune, 'Kitty', an eight-year-old boy, lives with his mother 'Saroja' amidst severe water shortages. During Kitty's summer vacation, Kitty fills his days playing with his imaginary friend while Saroja struggles to manage household tasks and water collection alone, due to her husband's absence. Their neighbor Gullamma suggests Kitty should grow-up quickly to help his mother. Meantime Kitty becomes intrigued after encountering a stiltwalker and playing with Gullamma's son, Dasthgir. He convinces Dasthgir to get him a pair of stilts. Later, Kitty discovers that whenever he walks on stilts, all the taps around him start running with water. When he shares this news with other people, he gets laughed at. His own mother gives him a scolding. Angered, Kitty runs away but is found and brought back home by Dasthgir. Saroja reassures Kitty that they will use his ability to bring water to the neighborhood. Soon after, in the middle of the night, stilts emerge from Saroja's house, and wherever Kitty's shadow passes, taps and containers start running with water, flooding the lanes and roads. Kitty continues to walk as his stilts echoes through the neighborhood. Read More 16th IDSFFK - Best Film Award in Short Fiction Category 14th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2024 - 1st Runner Up in Kannada category Virtual Only, Virtual Aloo Poori Texas Premiere USA | 2025 | English, Hindi 13 mins | Aditi Sridhar Aloo Poori follows the story of a mother and daughter during their last day of living together in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Sejal is on the cusp of leaving her home and mother behind, unsure if she’s scared to go, or scared to stay. Her mother Madhuri is avoiding a recent mental health diagnosis and her daughter's departure by throwing her heart into her cooking. The two have never had to function without each other, and on the eve of Sejal’s departure, they realize they might not know how to-- grappling with what forgiveness and farewell truly mean to them. Read More Chicago South Asian Film Festival Red Rose International Film Festival Planet Female Global StoryFest (Best Student Film) In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Chashma International Premiere India | 2024 | Hindi 20 mins | Nitin Baid An 11-year-old boy with poor vision must confront more than his physical limitations when a school conflict forces him to make a difficult decision. Set against the backdrop of 1992 amidst India's rising sociopolitical tensions, Supriyo's journey boldly explores the emotional and societal blind spots around him. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Dadresi (The Claimant) Texas Premiere Iran | 2024 | Persian 20 mins | Nadereh Sadatserki “Claimant" is about a father who discovers that his teenage daughter was assaulted and raped, so he decides to confront and punish the rapist, but since the culprit is a very proficient lawyer he uses laws in a way that he not only escapes from justice but also legally make the father the criminal. Read More Fajr International Film Festival, Iran - Winner Best Short Film Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran - Winner Best Direction Accolade Global Film Competition, United States - Winner Best Woman Filmmaker Virtual Only, Virtual Hema Texas Premiere USA, India | 2024 | Hindi, English 16 mins | Ritvik Dhavale After immigrating to Los Angeles from India with her husband and son, Hema finds herself navigating the daunting task of settling into American life while grappling with a deep yearning for her homeland. The complexities of cultural adjustment weigh heavily on her, and she seeks comfort and familiarity in maintaining connections to her roots. However, her delicate balance is unexpectedly disrupted when she crosses paths with a young Marathi man. This encounter stirs a mix of emotions within her, from nostalgia to uncertainty, threatening to unravel the fragile stability she has managed to establish in a foreign land. As she confronts this unexpected challenge, Hema is forced to reevaluate her identity and aspirations, torn between the pull of her past and the realities of her present life in America. Read More San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (SFFFF) PROOF Film Festival - Gold Jury Award Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) - Audience Choice Award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Nirmalya Texas Premiere USA | 2024 | Marathi, English 18 mins | Aniket Chandrakant Dhavale An Indian family in the USA is confronted with a difficult decision regarding the future of their newborn child. What choice will they make, and what factors will influence their decision? Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Smoke Cheyyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro) Austin Premiere USA | 2024 | Telugu 13 mins | Prithvi Raj Karredula 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. Read More Audience Choice Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Oakcliff International Film Festival, Dallas Dallas International Film Festival Shorts, Dallas In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual The First Film Texas Premiere India | 2023 | Hindi 19 mins | Piyush Thakur 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. Read More 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 Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual An Orphanage of Memories Austin Premiere India | 2024 | Kashmiri 21 mins | Rayit Hashmat Qazi 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. Read More Tasveer Film Festival Jakarta Film Week - Winner (Global Short Award) Izmit International Short Film Festival (Finalist) Virtual Only, Virtual Cowboys and Hindus World Premiere USA | 2025 | English 16 mins | Tejal Desai A depressed, affluent, middle aged Hindu woman, ASHA, accompanies her domineering husband to a Texas cattle ranch. While there, she befriends a cattle woman who takes the Hindu woman under her wing and teaches her all about cowboy culture. Asha soon finds purpose on the ranch and in her life. She discovers the meaning of true American grit. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Flowering Man North America Premiere India | 2023 | Hindi 24 mins | Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar 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. Read More "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 Virtual Only, Virtual Lost in Concrete Woods World Premiere USA | 2025 | Telugu 24 mins | Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Ram, an ambitious man consumed by his routine, oblivious to the world around him. When he gets locked out of his home on a freezing night, he is forced to navigate an unfamiliar reality—one without comfort, technology, or control. As the long night unfolds, every passing hour presents new challenges—physical, emotional, and existential. Unexpected encounters and moments of isolation begin to shift his perspective, nudging him toward a realization that had always been waiting in the shadows. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Ouroboros International Premiere India | 2024 | N/A 6 mins | Anuj Choudhary The film is about the propagation of evil curses in the form of a beautiful ring that invokes greed. The story revolves around a simple man who stumbles upon the ring and steals it. Read More Birsa Munda international film awards- best horror short film 13th Mumbai shorts international film festival - best student animated film 17th jaipur international film festival - best upcoming film award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know India | 2023 | Kannada 15 mins | Chidananda S Naik 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. Read More 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 In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Virundhu (The Feast) Texas Premiere India | 2024 | Tamil 25 mins | Rishi Chandna A fisherwoman takes on a powerful local politician by hosting a feast for him using an unforgettable secret dish that could save her dying lake. Read More Jury Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, February 2024, World Premiere - Special Jury Prize Winner, International Competition Sydney Film Festival, June 2024 In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Retrospective Showcase In honor of Indie Meme Film Festival's 10th anniversary, we are bringing back audience favorites for our virtual festival May 2 - 4, 2025! Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha India | 2019 | Hindi 49 mins | Tanuja Chandra Three hours outside India's capital is a village called Lahra. This film follows two widowed sisters, aged 86 and 93, who have retired to this village, and whose days are spent with their adopted family of domestic help. Pulling along with their walkers (because of bad knees that turned inoperative a decade ago) the sisters do as they please, pay heed to no one and don’t bother with unsolicited advice. They don’t let their ailments unsettle them much and remain largely unfearful of death. With a rare acceptance of old age and all that it brings, they spend their time gossiping, watching T.V., soaking in the sun and bonding with the help of a hearty sharing of community life. With the filmmaker being their niece who visits their home for the first time, the film resolutely assumes the tone of this oddball group of people – a facile easy-going manner, that gazes lightly at the passing of days. And yet, from this light-heartedness, emerge lessons. Of courage and perseverance, of camaraderie and care-giving, of destiny and faith, and the most significant one: when we engage in conversations of death, we improve the quality of life. Read More Madrid International Film Festival – Spain JIO MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival New York Indian Film Festival – NY Virtual Only, Virtual In Flames Pakistan,Canada | 2023 | Urdu 98 mins | Zarrar Kahn Mariam lives with her younger brother and their mother, Fariha, in a tiny apartment in Karachi. When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate them into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile. Mariam’s mother, grieving and isolated, is easy to influence. Mariam, distraught by her mother’s foolishness, finds solace in a secret romance with a fellow student, Asad. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Mariam becomes consumed by nightmares. Meanwhile, her mother, caught between her coercive Uncle and a murky legal system, is oblivious to her daughter’s deteriorating mental state. Mariam’s nightmares begin to bleed into reality. Mother and daughter must come together if they hope to overcome the real and phantasmal forces that threaten to engulf them. Read More Golden Yusr at Red Sea FF, TIFF, Cannes Virtual Only, Virtual Pebbles India | 2021 | Tamil 75 mins | Vinothraj P S A hot-tempered alcoholic father drags his reticent son to a distant village to fetch back his wife whom he had chased away. But when the encounter turns ugly, the journey home through unforgiving Tamil Nadu barrens is fraught with the sweat and smudge of the deserted terrain where the land and human emotions lay brazenly palpable in the scorching heat. Read More Winner of the 'Tiger Award' at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021, Netherlands, held in February 2021 Winner of the PREMIO SNCCI “Best Feature Film” adjudged by the National Syndicate of Italian Film Critics at ShorTS International Film Festival 2021, Italy held in July 2021 Winner of the 'Audience Award' at Burgas International Film Festival 2021, Bulgaria held in July 2021 Virtual Only, Virtual Turup India | 2017 | Hindi 72 mins | Ektara Collective In the neighbourhood, chess is a popular pass time with roadside games bringing together men from different strata. Their pawns include morality and religion, causing social and political tensions to erupt when a tournament gets underway. But the men are only the most visible players. Against this simmering backdrop, a domestic worker with a secret hobby, a young woman in love and a former journalist struggling with married life must make their moves with care. When caste, class, religion and gender come into play, there are boundaries to be negotiated, and the very rules of the game stand challenged. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual Barah x Barah (12x12) India | 2021 | Hindi 118 mins | Gaurav Madan Sooraj is the last remaining death photographer at the burning banks of Manikarnika in Banaras. Kashi, one of the most ancient towns in the world, is undergoing a cosmetic facelift. Old heritage is being demolished to build beautified modern structures. The death photographer is going through the same ordeal as the town. People aren’t availing his services thanks to the advent of fancy smartphones with exquisite cameras. Sooraj has an ailing father, a beautiful caring wife and a young son whom he wants to keep away from the burning banks. He is struggling to make ends meet but still isn’t giving up on dummies. There are many who capture the living but only a few who click the departed. Unable to sight a future for his family in Banaras Sooraj is forced to look for greener pastures beyond the singed banks of Manikarnika. He knows he is a migrant amidst a great many migrants in this ancient town stuck in time bubble.Life will soon give him a chance to experience death and yet another shot at life as well! Read More IFFK, Kerala 2021 Shanghai International Film Festival 2021 IFF Stuttgart 2021 Virtual Only, Virtual Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom Bhutan | 2019 | Dzongkha 109 mins | Pawo Choyning Dorji A reluctant young teacher, Ugyen, finds himself assigned to the world’s most remote village school. Situated in Northern Bhutan, Lunana is an 8-day trek into the Himalayas - an alienating experience for the city-dwelling Ugyen, who plans to move to Australia to pursue music as soon as possible. He arrives to find a welcoming community amid the beautiful but forbidding surroundings - and an especially eager student body, whose access to teachers and materials from outside has been inconsistent. Filmed using cameras operating on solar-powered batteries, and starring primarily villagers from the real Lunana in child & adult roles, this charming drama transports us to a rarely seen part of the globe. Read More 2022 Academy Award Nominee for 'Best International Feature' Virtual Only, Virtual Sthal (A Match) India | 2023 | Marathi 104 mins | Jayant Somalkar 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. Read More 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) Virtual Only, Virtual Eikhoigi Yum (Our Home) India | 2022 | Manipuri 86 mins | Romi Meitei Belonging to an isolated fishing community of the Loktak lake, Chaoren makes the best use of his exclusive existence by excelling in school. When the canoe he uses every day to attend school has to be sold off because of his father’s illness, his spirit is not dampened. He beats the long distance from his shanty floating hut to his school by swimming his way through. But when the Government issues an eviction notice demanding Chaoren’s family to leave their home, his dreams are left with an angst of a displaced person. Read More IMFF2023 - Audience Choice Award for the Best Narrative Feature at IMFF, Austin, USA 69th National Film Awards, Best Manipuri Film, India Best Director at Kazan International Muslim Festival, Russia FIPRESCI Award for the Best International Film at 27IFFK, Kerala/India Virtual Only, Virtual Lyari Notes India,Pakistan | 2015 | Urdu 70 mins | Miriam Chandy Menacherry & Maheen Zia In Pakistan a rock star teaches a group of girls to express themselves through music in Karachi’s most volatile district. Hamza Jafri travels in an armed vehicle. He is a musician famous for his hard hitting political lyrics since the 1990s. Since then religious fundamentalism has been on the rise with shops selling music torched, concerts bombed and musicians threatened with death. Seeing the shrinking space for music and artists Hamza opens a music school. Captured over 3 years Lyari Notes is the narrative of four young girls who attend Hamza’s music school and learn what it takes to express oneself despite the cycles of violence. Read More World Premiere and nominated by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists – EDA Award at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam – Nov 2015 Winner of the Golden Boddhisattva Award (Patna) at the Bodhisattva International Film Festival – Feb 2017 Winner of excellence in best documentary feature (red category) at the ARY Film Festival (Karachi) – May 2017 Virtual Only, Virtual The Threshold India | 2015 | Hindi,English 87 mins | Pushan Kriplani The Threshold details one day in the life of a couple who have been married over two decades. On this day, the day after their newly married son, and the guests from his wedding party, have left, the wife informs her husband that she is leaving him. For good. Presented with this fait accompli, two people on the verge of an idyllic retirement are forced to confront the truth of their marriage, without the masks. Even as the couple tries to get to the heart of the matter, they find the big questions of their lives beyond their grasp. They are two people, isolated in a house in the hills, preparing for the harsh Himalayan winter, trying to find themselves one last time. This film was an opportunity to explore a corner of our world that never makes it onto screen. The people we don’t normally notice. The people who are always at the edges of the family photograph. Except we know these people. They are our aunts and uncles. They are our parents. They are our grandparents. We will become them. It was an opportunity to examine an existential crisis: The unraveling of the idea of the ideal Indian marriage all of us are familiar with. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual Shorts Program Narrative Features Documentary Features Retrospective Showcase

Victoria, a young beautician working in a small town ladies beauty parlour, treads an overwhelming day into a decisive conviction, while an unruly offering-rooster serves as an unexpected spiritual witness. AFS Cinema Texas Premiere Victoria India | Narrative Feature 2024 | 85 mins | Malayalam TICKETS TICKETS FIPRESCI Award for the Best Debut Director -29th International Film Festival of Kerala IFFK 2024 Excellence Award-Discovery Competition- 27th Seoul Women’s Film Festival, South Korea 2025 Best Film- NETPAC Asian Select- Kolkata International Film Festival 2025 Best Debut film- Jaffna International Film Festival 2025 Victoria, a young beautician in a suburban beauty parlour, decides to elope with her Hindu boyfriend after a fierce clash with her conservative Catholic parents. Amidst the turmoil, a neighbor asks her to temporarily house an offering rooster destined for a festival at St. George church inside the parlour. Juggling the rooster's antics, unexpected clients, and her boyfriend's uncertainty, Victoria grapples with conflicting emotions leading to a day of intense personal and spiritual revelations. Victoria, a young beautician in a suburban beauty parlour, decides to elope with her Hindu boyfriend after a fierce clash with her conservative Catholic parents. Amidst the turmoil, a neighbor asks her to temporarily house an offering rooster destined for a festival at St. George church inside the parlour. Juggling the rooster's antics, unexpected clients, and her boyfriend's uncertainty, Victoria grapples with conflicting emotions leading to a day of intense personal and spiritual revelations Restoration Process About the Artist Sivaranjini is an independent filmmaker and research scholar based in India. An alumna of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, she often returns there as visiting faculty. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Communication Design at the IDC School of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Her short films have been screened at regional and international film festivals. Victoria (2024) is her debut feature. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Sivaranjini Writer: Sivaranjini Producer(s): Kerala State Film Development Corporation Ltd Film Editor: Sivaranjini Featured Cast: Meenakshi Jayan Sreeshma Chandran Darsana Vikas Steeja Mary Jolly Chirayath Jeena Rajeev 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 UNQUIET MIND follows the stories of Natasha and Vinay, two individuals who struggle with Harm OCD, Post-Partum OCD, and Pedophilia OCD. AFS Cinema Texas Premiere An Unquiet Mind USA | Documentary 2025 | 76 mins | English TICKETS TICKETS New York Women in Film and Television and ReelAbilities Film Festival: Excellence in Directing Award 2025 DC South Asian Film Festival: Best Documentary 2025 Tasveer Film Festival 2025 For a long time, mainstream media has portrayed obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD) as a quirky and funny personality trait associated with hand-washing or flipping light switches. In reality, OCD can look very different. There is a whole world of less visible, yet common forms of OCD that many sufferers are afraid to speak about. AN UNQUIET MIND follows the stories of Natasha and Vinay, two individuals who struggle with Harm OCD, Post-Partum OCD, and Pedophilia OCD. The misunderstandings around these “taboo” types of OCD have created a culture of shame. Through this film, we aim to build a movement of greater understanding and support for those living with this illness. Restoration Process About the Artist Rachel Immaraj is a filmmaker from Austin, Texas who works in set decoration for film, television, and commercials. Her recent work includes shows such as A24’s Mo on Netflix and 1923 on Paramount +. Movies she collaborated on have premiered at Sundance and SXSW, and commercial clients she designed for include Hugo Boss, ESPN, Shiner, & Instagram. Rachel’s interest in documentaries began when she was in high school during her family’s summer visits to India. She began documenting stories first through 35mm street photography, and then moved on to creating short documentaries for various organizations. AN UNQUIET MIND is Rachel’s directorial debut. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Rachel Immaraj Writer: Producer(s): Kovid Gupta Natasha Paradeshi Film Editor: Travis Lee Ratcliff Lee Rothenflue Featured Cast: Vinay Krishnan Natasha Peters 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.

AFS Cinema Texas Premiere An Unquiet Mind USA | Documentary 2025 | 76 mins | English TICKETS TICKETS New York Women in Film and Television and ReelAbilities Film Festival: Excellence in Directing Award 2025 DC South Asian Film Festival: Best Documentary 2025 Tasveer Film Festival 2025 For a long time, mainstream media has portrayed obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD) as a quirky and funny personality trait associated with hand-washing or flipping light switches. In reality, OCD can look very different. There is a whole world of less visible, yet common forms of OCD that many sufferers are afraid to speak about. AN UNQUIET MIND follows the stories of Natasha and Vinay, two individuals who struggle with Harm OCD, Post-Partum OCD, and Pedophilia OCD. The misunderstandings around these “taboo” types of OCD have created a culture of shame. Through this film, we aim to build a movement of greater understanding and support for those living with this illness. Restoration Process Film restoration process Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation About the Artist Rachel Immaraj is a filmmaker from Austin, Texas who works in set decoration for film, television, and commercials. Her recent work includes shows such as A24’s Mo on Netflix and 1923 on Paramount +. Movies she collaborated on have premiered at Sundance and SXSW, and commercial clients she designed for include Hugo Boss, ESPN, Shiner, & Instagram. Rachel’s interest in documentaries began when she was in high school during her family’s summer visits to India. She began documenting stories first through 35mm street photography, and then moved on to creating short documentaries for various organizations. AN UNQUIET MIND is Rachel’s directorial debut. Trailer For English subtitles, make sure to turn on the YouTube closed captions. Credits Crew: Director: Rachel Immaraj Writer: Producer(s): Kovid Gupta Natasha Paradeshi Film Editor: Travis Lee Ratcliff Lee Rothenflue Featured Cast: Vinay Krishnan Natasha Peters Thank you to our community partners for this screening!

Indie Meme's virtual film festival, streaming May 2 - 4,  will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs, and a retrospective showcase featuring your past favorites. IMFF 2025 Virtual Festival Join us this year on Eventive to watch over 30 amazing films spanning 10+ countries. The virtual festival, streaming May 2 - 4, 2025, will bring second screenings of many of our in-person favorites, as well as fresh virtual-exclusive feature and short programs. Narrative Features Narrative Features Kherwal United States Premiere undefined | 2023 | Santhali,Bengali,English 122 mins | Uttam Kamati Norwegian academic Samuel passed away in an Indian tribal village, leaving behind a final wish to be buried there. Bidu, a Santhali man, is determined to honour Samuel’s last request. Meanwhile, Bidu's young son struggles with the painful realisation that his cherished dream of visiting Norway, a promise made by Samuel, may never come true. However, hope flickers anew with the arrival of Samuel’s daughter, Lauren, in the village, rekindling the boy’s aspirations and bringing new possibilities to light. Read More 29th Kolkata International Film Festival 28th International Film Festival of Kerala 2023-Best Debut Director Indian Cinema Now 16th Jaipur International Film Festival -Awarded for Best Original Script, Best Released Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actor Lead Virtual Only, Virtual Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman North America Premiere undefined | 2023 | Hindi 79 mins | Nidhi Saxena Nidhi (43) and her mother Meera (70) exist in a decaying ancestral house, a physical manifestation of their stagnant lives. Nidhi's childhood was marred by a traumatic event involving her father that left her emotionally isolated and perpetually melancholic. She grapples with her past by writing haunting letters to her younger self, lamenting what could have been and warning her of what awaits. Meera harbors deep regrets over an unrequited love affair that never came to fruition, a wistful yearning that compounds her sense of failure as a mother witnessing Nidhi's profound despair. Yet, a flicker of hope remains – the possibility of Nidhi finding solace. When Nidhi discovers an ancient mystical ritual that promises oblivion through vanishing, the idea takes root. Meera, in a last act of love, decides to join Nidhi on this metaphysical journey into nothingness. As mother and daughter perform the rites, the barriers between past and present dissolve. Memories bleed into the present, echoing their anguished cries long suppressed by society's expectations.On one transcendent night, enveloped in darkness, they disappear - two flightless birds finally freed from their corporeal and emotional prisons. An experimental meditation on the complex struggles women endure. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual Documentary Features Documentary Features Agent of Happiness undefined | 2024 | Dzongkha,Nepali,English 94 mins | Arun Bhattarai & Dorottya Zurbó How can you measure happiness? The country of Bhutan invented Gross National Happiness to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who travels door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. He is still living with his elderly mother at the age of 40, but is nevertheless a hopeless romantic who dreams of finding love: a happiness agent who is in search of his own happiness. We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live. Read More Jury and Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Sundance Film Festival 2024 71st Sydney Film Festival 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 Recorded Q&A with Director Arun Bhattarai In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Land of Dreams Texas Premiere undefined | 2025 | Punjabi,Hindi,English 40 mins | Ambarien Alqadar Filmed for nearly a decade, Land of Dreams is an intimate portrait of Virender Rana, a taxi driver from India, chasing his dream of telling his story in America. While he points the camera at his own life and films a Bollywood style movie, the film follows his journey of coming to America, finding joy as part of a larger Sikh community and that of taxi drivers and laying roots as an immigrant. As he joins the elite Uber Black fleet hoping for his dreams to come true, he faces challenges of being a brown immigrant on the streets of post 9/11 America. Land of Dreams is a letter of solidarity and hope to anyone who has searched for a home and a land for their dreams in a place where they were not born. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual And, Towards Happy Alleys United States Premiere undefined | 2023 | Persian,English 75 mins | Sreemoyee Singh Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetic works of the feminist poet Forough Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani, and human rights activist Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being banned from practicing their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country. And, Towards Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties. Read More Best Film in the International Competition at BAFICI, Argentina, April 2023 Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari award for Best Debut Director at Mumbai International Film Festival, June, 2024 Best Documentary in World Cinema Festival, Calcutta, 2024 Live Q&A with director Sreemoyee Singh and lead actress Aida Mohammadkhani In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | English 57 mins | Anindita Dutta Roy, Abhishek Chandran 'BACK THEN - The Story of Live Music in Bombay' is a documentary film that takes the viewer back 30 years in time to explore the sounds of the city's musical counterculture as it was. It puts you into the shoes of its mercurial artists, passionate folks behind the scenes, and misfits who went to gigs through the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. The film puts a spotlight on what happened in the shadowy world of underground live music and answers questions like what it meant to watch an artist live in 1994, what it’s like today, and what kind of underground music was played in 2006. Over the span of 53 minutes, it cruises through real and rare DIY stories all the way from the 1990s, right up to 2023. Read More Yellowstone International Film Festival Best Documentary Film Winner Recorded Q&A with directors Anindita Dutta Roy and Abhishek Chandran In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Shorts Program Short Film Block I Texas Shorts Cowboys and Hindus World Premiere undefined | 2025 | English 16 mins | Tejal Desai A depressed, affluent, middle aged Hindu woman, ASHA, accompanies her domineering husband to a Texas cattle ranch. While there, she befriends a cattle woman who takes the Hindu woman under her wing and teaches her all about cowboy culture. Asha soon finds purpose on the ranch and in her life. She discovers the meaning of true American grit. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Lost. Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | N/A 9 mins | Rohit Battepati Life Lost is not the same as Life Taken. Lost is a story that explores the themes of loneliness, inner battles, and helplessness. The protagonist has no “name” in the film and is seen going through a series of emotions that feel both rushed and deliberate, each serving a purpose within the narrative. In the opening two minutes, the film symbolizes the struggle and mental turmoil that one experiences in intense situations at a thought level, particularly when grappling with the desire to escape from the reality. As the story progresses, the character becomes both expressive and reactive, engaging in a series of mundane activities that seem to provide some comfort to him. A timer, counting down an hour, heightens the tension as the character grows increasingly anxious as time passes. The film ends with a moment of revelation, where the character's journey becomes clear, tying together the events shown and offering clarity to the emotions and experiences portrayed. Read More Hyperreal Film Club Official Selection, Reale Film Festival - Best Super Short, Tamizhagam International Film Festival - Best Actor In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Fragments of Us World Premiere undefined | 2024 | Telugu,English 24 mins | Sushanth Nallapareddy Fragments of Us follows Drithi and Arjun, a south asian couple navigating the intricate challenges of love, marriage, and self-discovery. As cultural expectations and personal ambitions collide, they confront the fragile nature of their bond through a non-linear narrative that reveals defining moments from their past, present, and possible future. Each fragment of their journey invites reflection on whether there is ever a "right" time to address issues within a relationship, or if it ultimately comes down to resilience and choice. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Nirmalya Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | Marathi,English 18 mins | Aniket Chandrakant Dhavale An Indian family in the USA is confronted with a difficult decision regarding the future of their newborn child. What choice will they make, and what factors will influence their decision? Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Lost in Concrete Woods World Premiere undefined | 2025 | Telugu 24 mins | Pruthvi Teja Anumandla Ram, an ambitious man consumed by his routine, oblivious to the world around him. When he gets locked out of his home on a freezing night, he is forced to navigate an unfamiliar reality—one without comfort, technology, or control. As the long night unfolds, every passing hour presents new challenges—physical, emotional, and existential. Unexpected encounters and moments of isolation begin to shift his perspective, nudging him toward a realization that had always been waiting in the shadows. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Smoke Cheyyaku Bro (Don't Smoke Bro) Austin Premiere undefined | 2024 | Telugu 13 mins | Prithvi Raj Karredula 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. Read More Audience Choice Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Oakcliff International Film Festival, Dallas Dallas International Film Festival Shorts, Dallas In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Short Film Block II We Are Family! Aloo Poori Texas Premiere undefined | 2025 | English,Hindi 13 mins | Aditi Sridhar Aloo Poori follows the story of a mother and daughter during their last day of living together in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Sejal is on the cusp of leaving her home and mother behind, unsure if she’s scared to go, or scared to stay. Her mother Madhuri is avoiding a recent mental health diagnosis and her daughter's departure by throwing her heart into her cooking. The two have never had to function without each other, and on the eve of Sejal’s departure, they realize they might not know how to-- grappling with what forgiveness and farewell truly mean to them. Read More Chicago South Asian Film Festival Red Rose International Film Festival Planet Female Global StoryFest (Best Student Film) In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Flowering Man North America Premiere undefined | 2023 | Hindi 24 mins | Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar 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. Read More "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 Virtual Only, Virtual Chashma International Premiere undefined | 2024 | Hindi 20 mins | Nitin Baid An 11-year-old boy with poor vision must confront more than his physical limitations when a school conflict forces him to make a difficult decision. Set against the backdrop of 1992 amidst India's rising sociopolitical tensions, Supriyo's journey boldly explores the emotional and societal blind spots around him. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Hema Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | Hindi,English 16 mins | Ritvik Dhavale After immigrating to Los Angeles from India with her husband and son, Hema finds herself navigating the daunting task of settling into American life while grappling with a deep yearning for her homeland. The complexities of cultural adjustment weigh heavily on her, and she seeks comfort and familiarity in maintaining connections to her roots. However, her delicate balance is unexpectedly disrupted when she crosses paths with a young Marathi man. This encounter stirs a mix of emotions within her, from nostalgia to uncertainty, threatening to unravel the fragile stability she has managed to establish in a foreign land. As she confronts this unexpected challenge, Hema is forced to reevaluate her identity and aspirations, torn between the pull of her past and the realities of her present life in America. Read More San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (SFFFF) PROOF Film Festival - Gold Jury Award Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) - Audience Choice Award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Da'Lit Kids International Premiere undefined | 2024 | Malayalam 6 mins | Appu Soman 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. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Short Film Block III Little Women A Lazy Noon United States Premiere undefined | 2025 | Bangla 15 mins | Monon Muntaka Nira, a highly educated 38-year-old woman who comes from an upper-middle-class family. Her husband is a senior executive at a corporate company, and she is a homemaker. She married with the intention of enjoying a modest and peaceful life. She was going about her regular activities. But, as time passes, she becomes increasingly aware of the emotional abuse she is subjected to. She made the decision to stand up and protect her dignity and self-worth. Read More 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival - Best Short Film Fipresci Award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual The First Film Texas Premiere undefined | 2023 | Hindi 19 mins | Piyush Thakur 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. Read More 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 Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual An Orphanage of Memories Austin Premiere undefined | 2024 | Kashmiri 21 mins | Rayit Hashmat Qazi 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. Read More Tasveer Film Festival Jakarta Film Week - Winner (Global Short Award) Izmit International Short Film Festival (Finalist) Virtual Only, Virtual Virundhu (The Feast) Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | Tamil 25 mins | Rishi Chandna A fisherwoman takes on a powerful local politician by hosting a feast for him using an unforgettable secret dish that could save her dying lake. Read More Jury Award for Best Short - IMFF 2025, Austin, USA Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, February 2024, World Premiere - Special Jury Prize Winner, International Competition Sydney Film Festival, June 2024 In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Taak North America Premiere undefined | 2024 | Hindi 40 mins | Udit Khurana When a security breach shakes the foundations of a Delhi nightclub, the management enforces a new policy: mandatory tracking smartwatches for all staff members. Senior among the staff is Shalini, a bouncer who is a single mother. They are told that the smartwatches are tools for safety and efficiency. However, the watches soon reveal a darker purpose—constant surveillance. As the smartwatches begin to intrude on personal lives, harvesting data and controlling movements, the nightclub faces opposition from Komal - a young recruit from Shalini’s village who is extremely resistant to wearing the smartwatch. Berated for her team’s incompetence, Shalini must ensure that her colleagues wear the smartwatch or face severe consequences. In a world where every move is tracked, Shalini and Komal’s fight becomes one of autonomy, dignity, and the right to be unseen. Read More Film Critics Guild's Critic's Choice Award for Best Actress MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Dharamshala International Film Festival, FILMKUNSTFEST MV (Germany) Virtual Only, Virtual Short Film Block IV Cryptic Stories... Blue North America Premiere undefined | 2024 | Tamil 12 mins | Praveen Kumar Nagendran A young boy persuades a fisherman to take him out to sea. Once there, he reveals his true intentions, sparking the fisherman’s anger. The film leaves us wondering whether the boy ultimately succeeds in his plan. Read More Special prize from Arctic Open International Film Festival 2024, Russia In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Pyaar Andaaz (Love Undoes) International Premiere undefined | 2024 | English,Hindi 6 mins | Laksh Banthia A man tries to keep himself together as he waits in a university canteen for his beloved from yesteryear. "Pyaar Andaaz" is a short experience attempting to capture the ephemeral nature of love and human connection in a single continuous take. Read More In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Dadresi (The Claimant) Texas Premiere undefined | 2024 | Persian 20 mins | Nadereh Sadatserki “Claimant" is about a father who discovers that his teenage daughter was assaulted and raped, so he decides to confront and punish the rapist, but since the culprit is a very proficient lawyer he uses laws in a way that he not only escapes from justice but also legally make the father the criminal. Read More Fajr International Film Festival, Iran - Winner Best Short Film Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran - Winner Best Direction Accolade Global Film Competition, United States - Winner Best Woman Filmmaker Virtual Only, Virtual Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know undefined | 2023 | Kannada 15 mins | Chidananda S Naik 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. Read More 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 In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Ouroboros International Premiere undefined | 2024 | N/A 6 mins | Anuj Choudhary The film is about the propagation of evil curses in the form of a beautiful ring that invokes greed. The story revolves around a simple man who stumbles upon the ring and steals it. Read More Birsa Munda international film awards- best horror short film 13th Mumbai shorts international film festival - best student animated film 17th jaipur international film festival - best upcoming film award In Theater & Virtual, In Theater, Virtual Waterman United States Premiere undefined | 2023 | Marathi,Kannada 24 mins | Vishwas K In a low-income neighborhood in Pune, 'Kitty', an eight-year-old boy, lives with his mother 'Saroja' amidst severe water shortages. During Kitty's summer vacation, Kitty fills his days playing with his imaginary friend while Saroja struggles to manage household tasks and water collection alone, due to her husband's absence. Their neighbor Gullamma suggests Kitty should grow-up quickly to help his mother. Meantime Kitty becomes intrigued after encountering a stiltwalker and playing with Gullamma's son, Dasthgir. He convinces Dasthgir to get him a pair of stilts. Later, Kitty discovers that whenever he walks on stilts, all the taps around him start running with water. When he shares this news with other people, he gets laughed at. His own mother gives him a scolding. Angered, Kitty runs away but is found and brought back home by Dasthgir. Saroja reassures Kitty that they will use his ability to bring water to the neighborhood. Soon after, in the middle of the night, stilts emerge from Saroja's house, and wherever Kitty's shadow passes, taps and containers start running with water, flooding the lanes and roads. Kitty continues to walk as his stilts echoes through the neighborhood. Read More 16th IDSFFK - Best Film Award in Short Fiction Category 14th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2024 - 1st Runner Up in Kannada category Virtual Only, Virtual Retrospective Showcase In honor of Indie Meme Film Festival's 10th anniversary, we are bringing back 10 audience favorites! Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha undefined | 2019 | Hindi 49 mins | Tanuja Chandra Three hours outside India's capital is a village called Lahra. This film follows two widowed sisters, aged 86 and 93, who have retired to this village, and whose days are spent with their adopted family of domestic help. Pulling along with their walkers (because of bad knees that turned inoperative a decade ago) the sisters do as they please, pay heed to no one and don’t bother with unsolicited advice. They don’t let their ailments unsettle them much and remain largely unfearful of death. With a rare acceptance of old age and all that it brings, they spend their time gossiping, watching T.V., soaking in the sun and bonding with the help of a hearty sharing of community life. With the filmmaker being their niece who visits their home for the first time, the film resolutely assumes the tone of this oddball group of people – a facile easy-going manner, that gazes lightly at the passing of days. And yet, from this light-heartedness, emerge lessons. Of courage and perseverance, of camaraderie and care-giving, of destiny and faith, and the most significant one: when we engage in conversations of death, we improve the quality of life. Read More Madrid International Film Festival – Spain JIO MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival New York Indian Film Festival – NY Virtual Only, Virtual In Flames undefined | 2023 | Urdu 98 mins | Zarrar Kahn Mariam lives with her younger brother and their mother, Fariha, in a tiny apartment in Karachi. When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate them into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile. Mariam’s mother, grieving and isolated, is easy to influence. Mariam, distraught by her mother’s foolishness, finds solace in a secret romance with a fellow student, Asad. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Mariam becomes consumed by nightmares. Meanwhile, her mother, caught between her coercive Uncle and a murky legal system, is oblivious to her daughter’s deteriorating mental state. Mariam’s nightmares begin to bleed into reality. Mother and daughter must come together if they hope to overcome the real and phantasmal forces that threaten to engulf them. Read More Golden Yusr at Red Sea FF, TIFF, Cannes Virtual Only, Virtual Pebbles undefined | 2021 | Tamil 75 mins | Vinothraj P S A hot-tempered alcoholic father drags his reticent son to a distant village to fetch back his wife whom he had chased away. But when the encounter turns ugly, the journey home through unforgiving Tamil Nadu barrens is fraught with the sweat and smudge of the deserted terrain where the land and human emotions lay brazenly palpable in the scorching heat. Read More Winner of the 'Tiger Award' at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021, Netherlands, held in February 2021 Winner of the PREMIO SNCCI “Best Feature Film” adjudged by the National Syndicate of Italian Film Critics at ShorTS International Film Festival 2021, Italy held in July 2021 Winner of the 'Audience Award' at Burgas International Film Festival 2021, Bulgaria held in July 2021 Virtual Only, Virtual Turup undefined | 2017 | Hindi 72 mins | Ektara Collective In the neighbourhood, chess is a popular pass time with roadside games bringing together men from different strata. Their pawns include morality and religion, causing social and political tensions to erupt when a tournament gets underway. But the men are only the most visible players. Against this simmering backdrop, a domestic worker with a secret hobby, a young woman in love and a former journalist struggling with married life must make their moves with care. When caste, class, religion and gender come into play, there are boundaries to be negotiated, and the very rules of the game stand challenged. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual Barah x Barah (12x12) undefined | 2021 | Hindi 118 mins | Gaurav Madan Sooraj is the last remaining death photographer at the burning banks of Manikarnika in Banaras. Kashi, one of the most ancient towns in the world, is undergoing a cosmetic facelift. Old heritage is being demolished to build beautified modern structures. The death photographer is going through the same ordeal as the town. People aren’t availing his services thanks to the advent of fancy smartphones with exquisite cameras. Sooraj has an ailing father, a beautiful caring wife and a young son whom he wants to keep away from the burning banks. He is struggling to make ends meet but still isn’t giving up on dummies. There are many who capture the living but only a few who click the departed. Unable to sight a future for his family in Banaras Sooraj is forced to look for greener pastures beyond the singed banks of Manikarnika. He knows he is a migrant amidst a great many migrants in this ancient town stuck in time bubble.Life will soon give him a chance to experience death and yet another shot at life as well! Read More IFFK, Kerala 2021 Shanghai International Film Festival 2021 IFF Stuttgart 2021 Virtual Only, Virtual Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom undefined | 2019 | Dzongkha 109 mins | Pawo Choyning Dorji A reluctant young teacher, Ugyen, finds himself assigned to the world’s most remote village school. Situated in Northern Bhutan, Lunana is an 8-day trek into the Himalayas - an alienating experience for the city-dwelling Ugyen, who plans to move to Australia to pursue music as soon as possible. He arrives to find a welcoming community amid the beautiful but forbidding surroundings - and an especially eager student body, whose access to teachers and materials from outside has been inconsistent. Filmed using cameras operating on solar-powered batteries, and starring primarily villagers from the real Lunana in child & adult roles, this charming drama transports us to a rarely seen part of the globe. Read More 2022 Academy Award Nominee for 'Best International Feature' Virtual Only, Virtual Sthal (A Match) undefined | 2023 | Marathi 104 mins | Jayant Somalkar 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. Read More 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) Virtual Only, Virtual Eikhoigi Yum (Our Home) undefined | 2022 | Manipuri 86 mins | Romi Meitei Belonging to an isolated fishing community of the Loktak lake, Chaoren makes the best use of his exclusive existence by excelling in school. When the canoe he uses every day to attend school has to be sold off because of his father’s illness, his spirit is not dampened. He beats the long distance from his shanty floating hut to his school by swimming his way through. But when the Government issues an eviction notice demanding Chaoren’s family to leave their home, his dreams are left with an angst of a displaced person. Read More IMFF2023 - Audience Choice Award for the Best Narrative Feature at IMFF, Austin, USA 69th National Film Awards, Best Manipuri Film, India Best Director at Kazan International Muslim Festival, Russia FIPRESCI Award for the Best International Film at 27IFFK, Kerala/India Virtual Only, Virtual Lyari Notes undefined | 2015 | Urdu 70 mins | Miriam Chandy Menacherry & Maheen Zia In Pakistan a rock star teaches a group of girls to express themselves through music in Karachi’s most volatile district. Hamza Jafri travels in an armed vehicle. He is a musician famous for his hard hitting political lyrics since the 1990s. Since then religious fundamentalism has been on the rise with shops selling music torched, concerts bombed and musicians threatened with death. Seeing the shrinking space for music and artists Hamza opens a music school. Captured over 3 years Lyari Notes is the narrative of four young girls who attend Hamza’s music school and learn what it takes to express oneself despite the cycles of violence. Read More World Premiere and nominated by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists – EDA Award at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam – Nov 2015 Winner of the Golden Boddhisattva Award (Patna) at the Bodhisattva International Film Festival – Feb 2017 Winner of excellence in best documentary feature (red category) at the ARY Film Festival (Karachi) – May 2017 Virtual Only, Virtual The Threshold undefined | 2015 | Hindi,English 87 mins | Pushan Kriplani The Threshold details one day in the life of a couple who have been married over two decades. On this day, the day after their newly married son, and the guests from his wedding party, have left, the wife informs her husband that she is leaving him. For good. Presented with this fait accompli, two people on the verge of an idyllic retirement are forced to confront the truth of their marriage, without the masks. Even as the couple tries to get to the heart of the matter, they find the big questions of their lives beyond their grasp. They are two people, isolated in a house in the hills, preparing for the harsh Himalayan winter, trying to find themselves one last time. This film was an opportunity to explore a corner of our world that never makes it onto screen. The people we don’t normally notice. The people who are always at the edges of the family photograph. Except we know these people. They are our aunts and uncles. They are our parents. They are our grandparents. We will become them. It was an opportunity to examine an existential crisis: The unraveling of the idea of the ideal Indian marriage all of us are familiar with. Read More Virtual Only, Virtual How to Access the Festival/FAQ Narrative Features Documentary Features Shorts Block I Shorts Block II Shorts Block III Shorts Block IV Retrospective Showcase FAQ