Assam filmmaker Rima Das’s ‘Not a Hero’ bags Best Indie Film Award at IFFM 2026

Assam filmmaker Rima Das latest feature film Not a Hero has won the Best Indie Film Award at the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), where the film had its Australian premiere.

The award marks the second time Das has received the honour, following her win in 2019 for Bulbul Can Sing. All five of her feature films have been screened at IFFM, while she also directed one of the stories in the My Melbourne anthology.

Not a Hero had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026, where it was selected for the Generation Kplus Competition and received a Crystal Bear Special Mention from the Children’s Jury.

The film follows an 11-year-old boy who is sent from the city to his ancestral village, where he meets a distant aunt, befriends a horse and joins a group of village children on a series of adventures. The story explores childhood freedom, imagination and the relationship between children and nature.

Reacting to the award, Das said winning the same honour again after Bulbul Can Sing in 2019 was “extremely special” and noted that IFFM has been an important part of her filmmaking journey.

Produced by Flying River Films in association with Akanga Film Asia and TrainTripper Films, the film's worldwide sales are being handled by Paris-based MMM Sales.

A two-time National Award-winning filmmaker, Das is known for films exploring childhood, identity, coming of age and the relationship between people and nature. She became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2024.