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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

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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.

Virtual Q&A with writer-director Lakshmipriya Devi

In-Theater Only

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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.

Recorded Q&A with writer-director Lawrence Valin

In-Theater Only

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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.
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

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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.
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

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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.
Cannes Classics 2024

Virtual Q&A with actor Naseeruddin Shah

In-Theater Only

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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.

Virtual Only

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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.
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

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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.

Live Q&A with director Deepak Rauniyar and lead actress Asha Magrati

In-Theater Only

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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.
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

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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.
Sundance Film Festival 2024 71st Sydney Film Festival 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024

Recorded Q&A with Director Arun Bhattarai

In-Theater Only

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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.

Virtual Only

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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.
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

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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.
Yellowstone International Film Festival Best Documentary Film Winner

Recorded Q&A with directors Anindita Dutta Roy and Abhishek Chandran

In Theater & Virtual

Shorts Program

Short Films

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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.
23rd Dhaka International Film Festival - Best Short Film Fipresci Award

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Special prize from Arctic Open International Film Festival 2024, Russia

In Theater & Virtual

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Hyperreal Film Club Official Selection, Reale Film Festival - Best Super Short, Tamizhagam International Film Festival - Best Actor

In Theater & Virtual

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Film Critics Guild's Critic's Choice Award for Best Actress MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Dharamshala International Film Festival, FILMKUNSTFEST MV (Germany)

Virtual Only

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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.
16th IDSFFK - Best Film Award in Short Fiction Category 14th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2024 - 1st Runner Up in Kannada category

Virtual Only

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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.
Chicago South Asian Film Festival Red Rose International Film Festival Planet Female Global StoryFest (Best Student Film)

In Theater & Virtual

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
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

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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.
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

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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?

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Oakcliff International Film Festival, Dallas Dallas International Film Festival Shorts, Dallas

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Festival de Cortos de Bogotá - BOGOSHORTS Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival South Asian Film Festival of Montréal – Montréal

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
Tasveer Film Festival Jakarta Film Week - Winner (Global Short Award) Izmit International Short Film Festival (Finalist)

Virtual Only

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
"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

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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.

In Theater & Virtual

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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.
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

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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.
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

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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.
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, February 2024, World Premiere - Special Jury Prize Winner, International Competition Sydney Film Festival, June 2024

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!
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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.
Madrid International Film Festival – Spain JIO MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival New York Indian Film Festival – NY

Virtual Only

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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.
Golden Yusr at Red Sea FF, TIFF, Cannes

Virtual Only

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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.
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

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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.

Virtual Only

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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!
IFFK, Kerala 2021 Shanghai International Film Festival 2021 IFF Stuttgart 2021

Virtual Only

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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.
2022 Academy Award Nominee for 'Best International Feature'

Virtual Only

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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.
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)

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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.
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

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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.
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

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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.

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