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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                  APRIL 01, 2022  |   The Indian Eye 30


        Indie meme Film Festival returns to austin this april




                        Event brings 35+ acclaimed international films from South Asian artists.


        PARIMAL ROHIIT
        Austin, TX
            022 marks the 7th Edition for
            Indie Meme, Austin’s Premiere
        2South Asian Film Festival, which
        is known for bringing sharp, critically
        lauded  works  from  South  Asia.  The
        hybrid  IMFF2022  showcases  films
        representing over 9 countries includ-
        ing India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhu-
        tan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Iran,
        and  Afghanistan  and  15  languages
        and dialects including Hindi, Malay-
        alam, Gujarati, Farsi (Persian), Finn-
        ish, Tamil, English, Bengali, Marathi,
        Urdu, Dari, Burmese, Pahari, Nepali,
        Oriya, and Dzhongka.
            For their long-awaited in-person
        return, Indie Meme has curated a re-
        markable line-up of world premieres,
        Oscar entries, and multi-award win-
        ning  titles,  nearly  80%  of  which  are
        screening in Texas theaters for the
        first  time.  With  U.S  and  Southwest
        Premieres of highly anticipated fes-
        tival favorites from across the globe,
        the 7th Indie Meme Film Festival is
        an unmissable event for fans of world
        cinema.  “The  2022  line-up  is  excep-
        tional and we are overjoyed to return   Gujarat, India is an engaging, heart   layas. The heartwarming feature com-  LGBTQ+ narratives. Highlights here
        to the theater after two years! At the   expanding story of a child discovering   bines the winning trope of a fish out   include SXSW ‘22 selections Moshari
        same time, we’re committed to pro-  his own creative capacities. It follows a   of water teacher with a gentle, but in-  and Local Middle Schooler, two
        viding online options to accommodate   9-year-old boy who falls for the magic   sistent, radical message of sustainable   high-energy genre shorts making an
        audience preference, accessibility, and   of cinema after striking a deal to learn   living and seeking fulfillment in com-  encore appearance with Indie Meme
        safety.  With  both  options  available,   from  a  welcoming  projectionist.  He   munity, rather than in conventional   which co-director of programming Kai
        there is no excuse to miss!” adds Tripti   moves heaven and earth in pursuit of   markers of success.   Andrews describes as “multi-layered,
        Bhatnagar, Festival Co-Founder and   his 35mm dreams, unaware that winds   IMFF2022  also  brings  the  U.S   supernatural cultural critiques  that
        Programming Chair.                are  shifting  for  his  beloved  art form   Premiere of Cannes Debut and Asia   are also so, so fun to watch”. Moshari
            Keeping in line with their mis-  and he may lose the movie palace that   Pacific  Screen  Awards  Grand  Jury   features a vampiric threat in near-fu-
        sion of highlighting socially relevant   changed everything.        Prize Winner, Rehana. The film, a taut   ture Bangladesh  while Local Middle
        cinema, the festival this year draws at-  Indie Meme is also providing an   feminist  drama,  follows  an  assistant   Schooler see a child’s magic eyelashes
        tention to topics of childhood oppor-  appealing  opportunity  to see  under-  professor who witnesses an incident   becoming a government commodity in
        tunity,  access  to  arts,  science  &  film   dog Oscar nominee, Lunana: A Yak   between a professor and female stu-  the fight against aliens.
        education, women’s empowerment,   in  the  Classroom  on  the  big  screen.   dent. Her pursuit of justice leads her   The Festival’s Founders, Tripti
        cultural traditions and shifts, human   Lunana unexpectedly broke into the   into a maelstrom of controversy, as the   Bhatnagar and Alka Bhanot, as well as
        rights, disability, caste and racial ten-  competitive ‘Best International Film’   medical college would rather close the   the organizers and volunteers, aim to
        sions, climate change, class, immigra-  category at this year’s Oscars, becom-  case quietly than pursue action. Lead   generate conversation and increase the
        tion, mental health, abusive & loving   ing  Bhutan’s  first  nominee.  Director   performer, Azmeri Haque Badhon, is   footprint of independent, South Asian
        relationships, LGBTQ + experiences   Pawo Choyning Dorji and crew shot   marvelous in the principled, confron-  Cinema in Texas and beyond. We will
        and more. A third of the festival titles   the  film  on  location  in  the  world’s   tational role of Rehana and earned the   make festival screeners available to lo-
        are directed by women, while 18% of   most remote village school, using so-  ‘New Talent Award’ at the Hong Kong   cal critics and reporters upon request.
        the line-up features LGBTQ+ char-  lar-powered equipment and collabo-  Asian Film Festival as well as ‘Best   The Indie Meme Film Festival
        acters and stories.               ration with the local villagers in-front   Actress’  at  the  Asia  Pacific  Screen   promises a varied and rewarding selec-
            Festival highlights include the   of and behind the camera to sustain   Awards.  The  film  became  Bangla-  tion  of  acclaimed  international  films,
        Last Film Show, a grand tribute to   the  production.  The  story  follows  a   desh’s official 2021 Oscar Submission.   with titles that appeal to casual movie-
        the love of movie-making from Angry   reluctant young teacher, Ugyen, who’s   The festival’s short program also   goers, committed festival regulars, stu-
        Indian Goddesses & Samsara direc-  on the cusp of moving to Australia to   delivers an incredible range in genre   dents, art house enthusiasts, families,
        tor Pan Nalin, which took 2nd Place   pursue  music  when  he  finds  himself   and tone, with animated satire, futur-  diasporic communities, and film lovers
        in the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival’s   assigned to Lunana, a town which   istic horror, gentle ecological fables,   of all ages and dispositions. IMFF is
        Audience  Award  Competition.  This   boasts few to no modern utilities and   stark explorations of social issues, and   proud to add to the diverse cultural and
        partly autobiographical drama, set in   requires an 8 day trek into the Hima-  an abundance of coming of age and   cinematic  landscape  of  Austin,  TX.


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