GUWAHATI: 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), adding another major achievement to its festival run.
ALSO READ: Heroin Worth ₹80 Crore Seized in Assam, Drug Dealer Arrested
The award comes months after the film received a Crystal Bear Special Mention from the Children’s Jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.
‘Not a Hero’ marked Das’ third film to be screened at the Berlinale after ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ (2018) and ‘Village Rockstars 2’ (2024). It also became her second film to receive a special mention at the festival, after ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ received a Special Mention in the Generation 14plus section in 2019.
The IFFM honour is particularly significant for Das as she has now won the Best Indie Film Award for the second time. She previously received the award in 2019 for ‘Bulbul Can Sing’.
‘Not a Hero’ 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 film explores childhood freedom, imagination and the relationship between children and nature.
Featuring Sukanya Boruah, Bhuman Bhargav Das and Mrinmoy Das in key roles, the film has been shot in Assamese, Hindi and English.
Produced by Flying River Films in association with Akanga Film Asia and TrainTripper Films, ‘Not a Hero’ is represented for worldwide sales by Paris-based MMM Sales.