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NORTH AMERIcAN Newsline MARCH 25, 2022 | The Indian Eye 24

Indie Meme Film Festival Returns to Austin with

a Lineup Boasting Diversity and Inclusiveness

Austin’s Premier South Asian Film Festival hosts its first in-person festival since

the start of the pandemic, with films showcased in a hybrid format

SEEMA GOVIL as at Austin that was awarded grant
from Austin Film Society. The film
AUSTIN, TX
tells the story of a student dealing
he Indie Meme Film Festival, with disaster after being accept-
Austin’s leading cinema event ed into the boarding school of her
Tcurating South Asian indepen- dreams.
dent cinema, returns to movie the- Making its North American pre-
aters for the first time in two years. miere is A Coup, an 8-minute short
The festival, which was presented from Pakistan. Areeba Naveed’s film
virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the narrates the story of a young girl who
Covid-19 pandemic, comes back in a comes out, and a psychiatrist’s at-
hybrid format. tempt to intervene.
The festival will showcase nearly Also coming to IMFF 2022 is the
three dozen films from South Asian German-Afghan production Bambi-
filmmakers, covering a variety of poi- rak, winner of the Best International
gnant topics. Each film tells a unique Fiction Award at 2021’s Sundance
and diverse story of South Asian Film Festival. Bambirak is the sto-
lives: a child’s struggle in remote In- story of a filmmaker struggling to scends into chaos after she witnesses ry of a single dad and his daughter
dia, an Iranian family seeking asylum complete his latest creative endeav- an incident involving one of her stu- trying to establish their life in a new
in Europe, domestic abuse, alcohol- or. It stars veteran Indian actor-di- dents. country.
ism, mental health, patriarchy and rector Rajat Kapoor, who gained Cinematographer Sunny Lahiri Indie Meme was founded in
colonialism. international acclaim as an abusive will headline a Q&A session after the 2013 and is Austin’s dedicated cine-
Many of the films in this year’s uncle in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wed- screening of Barah x Barah, which matic organization for South Asian
festival focus on issues important to ding. Kapoor will attend IMFF 2022 chronicles the life of a photographer films. The festival, which returns this
women, including sexuality, educa- from India and participate in a Q&A who captures images of the dead in year for its seventh annual event,
tion and the family unit. after the film screening. Varanasi, one of India’s oldest cities. was co-founded by two South Asian
Through it all, this year’s lineup Other feature films at IMFF The festival’s diverse Shorts women, Alka Bhanot and Tripti
is a testament to the importance of 2022 include Barah x Barah Reha- Program features 16 films: Bambi- Bhatnagar. The organization, in ad-
accepting people for who they are, na, Bangla, Hit The Road, A Night rak, Blind Date, Baahar, Mono No dition to hosting an annual film festi-
and each story is told so that audi- of Knowing Nothing, Midwives, Last Aware, Sheer Qorma, Miniaturist of val, puts on screenings in Austin and
ences of all backgrounds can relate. Film Show, I Am Belmaya, Any Day Junagadh, My Mother’s Girlfriend, Dallas throughout the year.
In-person screenings will take place Now, Moshari, Lunana, Receiver Kanya, U For Usha, Testimony of Tickets are $65 for Indie Meme
April 14-17 at Austin Film Society. and Biriyaani. Ana, Not Today, Wade, Chai, An members and $85 for non-members.
Those wishing to watch the festival The Bengali action thriller Re- Early Spring, A Coup, An Early The price is the same for in-person
virtually will be able to stream films hana makes its U.S. premiere at Spring, Turning Point and Cycle. or virtual screenings. Sponsors for
online April 22-24. IMFF 2022. Abdullah Mohammed Bahaar, a 14-minute short di- this year’s event include H-E-B, Wa-
RK/RKAY is IMFF 2022’s cen- Saad directs this film about a med- rected by Prakshi Malik, is a local terloo Greenway, The Austin Chron-
terpiece feature. The film tells the ical college professor whose life de- project out of The University of Tex- icle and Austin Film Society.

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