Indie Meme, a non-profit organization supporting independent cinema and filmmakers from South Asia and Iran, is excited to announce the return of the Indie Meme Film Festival 2024 (IMFF2024). The ‘live’ festival, scheduled from April 17 to April 21, will be held at the Austin Film Society theater, providing the
perfect backdrop for independent cinema, dialogue, debate and discussion.
With more than 35 films covering over 15 different languages from 12 different countries, the 9th Indie
Meme Film Festival is set to be one of the most exciting events of the year!
This annual festival based in Austin is known globally for fostering conversations through socially relevant, independent cinema from South Asia & Iran, as well as forums designed for exchange of perspectives. Award-winning actors and filmmakers from the global cinema fraternity attend IMFF every year.
From short films, feature films and documentaries, this film festival aims to showcase a spectrum of diverse stories from the most talented filmmakers from South Asia. Film Awards Nominations, Debut films, International & US Premiers, Celebrities and Controversies are all a part of this year’s programming!
Also, a unique aspect of this festival is that audience members get to candidly engage with the filmmakers after each screening, to exchange different perspectives, and explore the premise further!
Sneak Peek at 3 Film highlights:
Footprints on Water - Mega Opening Night This film is a poignant illegal immigrant story that’s sure to pull one’s heartstrings as it will open up meaningful discussion around the immigrants and immigration.
While the story itself is set in Birmingham, UK about an illegal immigrant father’s quest to find his missing daughter it looks to highlight the overall plight of this very touchy and personal subject affecting many globally! Award-winning actorAdil Hussain (Life of Pi, The Reluctant Fundamentalist) who playsRaghu is brilliant as an anguished father.
Both Adil Hussain and Director will be in attendance during the film screening. Supporting actor Nimisha Sajayan who plays the role of Meera, his daughter in the film, is known for her roles in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Great Indian Kitchen, Nayattu A tale of a convenient Visa-marriage with promises of riches in a foreign land gone wrong, a small business owner, his wife and daughter are caught up in a financial scam that threatens their very existence.
Raghu sets on a mission to find his missing daughter all by himself without coming under the police radar.
His search for Meera unveils a different side of her life that he never knew existed, eventually realizing that in his race behind the materialistic riches, he has lost everything and everyone that mattered to him the most. Now, the only priority in his life is to see his daughter safe. But is he too late?
Direction: Nathalia Syam
Cast: Adil Hussain (Raghu), Nimisha Sajayan (Meera), Antonio Aakeel (Rehan) **Opening Night Party Star Adil Hussain and Director Nathalia Syam in attendance.
IMFF’s Opening Night Parties are legendary. This year will be no different with Adil Hussain himself in
attendance.
An actor who is known for his work in several Indian independent and mainstream film productions, as well as international cinema, in films such as The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Life of Pi, he is the recipient of many film awards including the 2017 National Film Awards (Special Jury) for Hotel Salvation and Mai Rati Keteki.
He is a multi linguist starrer in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Tamil. Marathi, Malayalam, Norwegian and French Film.
Like a Fish on the Moon
This award winning Iranian film explores the emotional bomb faced by two parents Haleh and Amir, when their little son suddenly stops talking altogether!
Initially a conundrum faced by the parents who had spoiled their son with everything he wanted including protecting him from everything they can, the solutions and experts they consult to cure this selective mutism only seem to make matters worse.
Exploring complex human themes through this film, we peel layer after layer about the human spirit, the
need for freedom of thought and space regardless of age.
Story and Direction: Dornaz Hajiha
Cast: Sepidar Tara (Haleh), Shahdiyar Shakiba (Amir), Ali Ahmadi (Ilya)
Against the Tide
The role of technology, the inevitable change that it brings the good, the bad and the ugly all examined through unique storytelling here. Bombay fishermen Rakesh and Ganesh are inheritors of the great Koli knowledge system—a way to harvest the sea by following the moon and the tides.
Rakesh has kept faith in the traditional fishing methods while Ganesh has strayed away from them, embracing technology.
Against the Tide is a tale of deep friendship and rising resentment between the two men, as close as brothers, against the backdrop of an adoring sea, which is increasingly turning hostile because of climate change.
This documentary is a winner at the Sundance Film Festival for Special Jury write Filmmaking.
Director & Producer: Sarvnik Kaur
Indie Meme’s Focus From its inception in 2013, Indie Meme has addressed global issues through shorts, feature films and documentaries, showcasing a spectrum of diverse stories from the most talented filmmakers from South Asia and Iran, addressing topics that need to be dissected but often aren’t.
Films covering climate change, access to clean water and basic nutrition, the impact of poverty, and access to education, reproductive rights, democracy, internal displacement, extremism, migrant laborers, child marriages, caste-based discrimination, poverty, indigenous rights, LGBTQ rights and many more.
Indie Meme is particularly honored to continue to bring these meaningful productions making Austin THE destination for debate, discussions, dialogue, and change!
Badges for the Indie Meme Film Festival, IMFF2024, are available at https://www.indiememe.org/attend-the-festival.
IMFF 2024 is also supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin, Economic
Development Department, and its Sponsors.
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