Indie Meme

15 Austin South Asian | February 2022 BANGLA SURF GIRLS Presented By INDIE MEME

By Alka Bhanot

Documentary - Bengali w/ English subtitles TEXAS PREMIER FEB 18-20, 2022

Shobe, Aisha and Suma turn to the waves as often as they can, finding confidence, companionship, and esteem in their growing skills - even as they face familial disapproval for their athletic pursuits.

Bangla Surf Girls is their story, wherein they are poised to make history as some of Bangladesh’s first women surfers.

However, when changes inside and outside the club threaten to derail their journey - from the prospect of underage marriage to taking on more work to support their families- the girls must consider how to take hold of their future. An immersive documentary that takes us into the heart of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where a group of young girls is participating in an unlikely social experiment - a co-ed surfing club - Bangla Surf Girls isn’t to be missed!

Lovingly shot by debut director Elizabeth D. Costa, the film is a moving, often joyous testament to the transformative power of community support - and the influence of friends and mentors in carrying one another through unstable times.

GET AN ANNUAL INDIE MEME MEMBERSHIP ($35) & WATCH THE FILM FREE (along with many others through the year)

OR

Buy a non-member ticket for $10.

MORE DETAILS - https://www. indiememe.org/bangla-surf-girls

The team behind the film Elizabeth D. Costa is a refreshing new talent from Bangladesh whose skills in documenting intimate images are evident in her first feature documentary, BANGLA SURF GIRLS.

The film premiered at HOT DOCS and has gone on to garner acclaim at dozens of world festivals, including ‘Best Film’ & ‘Best Director’ at Vancouver Asian Film Festival, ‘Fearless Filmmaker’ & ‘Best Documentary’ at Coronado Island Festival, and ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at Bushwick Film Festival.

For over 20 years, Lalita Krishna has been producing and directing documentaries that have screened on all major networks in Canada and at film festivals around the world.

She was recently awarded the prestigious ‘Don Haig Award’ by HOT DOCS, presented annually to an outstanding independent Canadian producer.

Indie Meme is a registered 501(c) (3) bringing you the Best of South Asian Cinema in Texas and producing the south Asians film festival imff@Austin

Announcing Early Badge Sales IMFF2022@Austin

By Alka Bhanot

Started in 2016, IMFF@austin is Indie Meme’s signature event. The

7th Annual South Asian Film Festival innAustin is scheduled over 2 weekends April 14-17, 2022 & April 22-24, 2022.

Awarded the “Best International Passport -2016” by The Austin Chronicle, the Indie Meme Film Festival continues to grow as the ‘go to’ destination for unique, powerful stories from South Asia. Cinema enthusiasts come to watch the carefully curated programming to experience slices of life from countries like India, Nepal,

Pakistan,Srilanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Iran & more and to mingle with the filmmakers in attendance & be a part of the Indie Meme community.

IMFF aims to entertain and engage the community by showcasing different perspectives and provide a platform for post screening audience & filmmaker discussions. The Indie Meme Community is the driving force behind the festival that encouraged the IMFF team to keep the festival alive through the pandemic!

The Meme-ers are always ready to engage with artful & ambitious independent films from South Asia - asking sharp questions at filmmaker Q&As, volunteering at inperson screenings, bringing friends into the loop, sharing samosas at parties and mixers, and making our mission of supporting independent South Asian artists possible!

We’ve gathered in-person and online over the years and are grateful to our audiences for following us in both worlds.

From going virtual within a month of the scheduled in-person festival (canceled last minute) in 2020, to moving to an exciting new interactive customized platform and virtual festival experience in 2021; IMFF has actually managed to thrive under the hardest of circumstances. 2 weekend festival! And now bring to you a HYBRID IMFF2022@ Austin!!

This year, the festival will once again be buzzing with film premiers, red carpet events, filmmakers in person, member mixers, audience discussions, networking events and parties - all over the first in person weekend April 14-17.

And extending our reach beyond Texas we will welcome our virtual audience across the country April 22-24 and meet online to enjoy films, discussions and Q&As

Indie Meme has been screening new age cinema with unique and fresh themes, bringing to light remarkable issues. Indie Meme events have over the years gained quite the reputation for the audience interaction and participation from various local non profits.

Since its inception, IMFF@Austin has been funded in part by a grant from the City of Austin. This year Indie Meme is supported by an ARP Grant.

IMFF is so proud to add to the diverse cultural landscape of Austin! Join us for another exciting film festival & get your badges today before they sell out :-)

More info: indiememe.org