Indie Meme Festival Postponed

Bombay Rose, one of the titles already confirmed for Indie Meme Film Festival. The annual event, which was scheduled for April 2-3, has been postponed in response to the caronavirus.

In light of coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns and with SXSW now officially cancelled, the futures of other, smaller Austin events are now in question. The first major cinematic gathering scheduled after SXSW, Indie Meme Film Festival, is now postponed.

Originally planned for April 2-3 at AFS Cinema, the rescheduled dates are still undecided. In an email sent out yesterday addressed to its sponsors and supporters, Indie Meme president Animon Jose wrote that, as with other Austin events, the decision has been made “more so out of an abundance of caution and not so much with concerns of risk of exposure to the coronavirus."

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deemed the health risk of coronavirus for the American public to be low as of now, precautionary measures are still being taken. Explaining the decision, Jose continued, “We at Indie Meme want to be sure that we do not add to the panic and be supportive of what is in the best interest of the community we serve.”

Indie Meme, a 501c(3) non-profit organization founded in 2015, is dedicated to promoting socially relevant independent cinema from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Iran), often offering screenings of independent cinema including features, documentaries and short films. The film festival, which began in 2016, is an annual outlet for celebrating such cinema, featuring filmmaker interactions, panels, parties and networking.

“Unfortunately these activities are associated with a high risk of exposure to virally transmitted infections,” Jose continued, adding that attendees should stay tuned for rescheduled dates.