Guwahati: Assam filmmaker Rima Das has won the Best Indie Film Award at the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) for her latest feature ‘Not a Hero’.
The Melbourne award is Das’ second in the category. She had earlier won the same honour in 2019 for ‘Bulbul Can Sing’. All five of her feature films have featured at IFFM, while she also directed a segment for the anthology ‘My Melbourne’.
Before its Melbourne screening, ‘Not a Hero’ premiered internationally at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026. The film competed in the Generation Kplus section and received a Crystal Bear Special Mention from the Children’s Jury.
Das said the latest recognition was particularly meaningful because of her earlier IFFM win and described the festival as an important part of her filmmaking journey.
The story centres on an 11-year-old boy who is taken from the city to his ancestral village. His stay there brings him closer to a distant aunt, a horse and a group of village children with whom he goes on several adventures.
The filmmaker said the film examines childhood freedom and imagination, along with the connection children share with nature.
Flying River Films made ‘Not a Hero’ with Akanga Film Asia and TrainTripper Films. International sales are being handled by Paris-based MMM Sales.
Das, who has won the National Award twice, has made films dealing with childhood, identity, coming of age and people’s relationship with nature. She joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2024.
Her films ‘Village Rockstars’, ‘Bulbul Can Sing’, ‘Tora’s Husband’ and ‘Village Rockstars 2’ have appeared at more than 150 film festivals globally and together have won over 75 awards.