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What does it mean to tell stories that have long been excluded from the historical record?
Film can preserve memory, unsettle history and imagine different futures. For Indigenous filmmakers working in Northeast India and Australia, cinema offers a way to reclaim stories while resisting the narratives imposed by states, institutions and the mainstream screen.
As part of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026, Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung artist, academic and filmmaker Tiriki Onus joins Naga filmmaker Theja Rio for an expansive conversation about filmmaking as an act of cultural practice and political expression. Drawing on their work in Australia and Northeast India respectively, they will explore the relationship between storytelling and sovereignty and consider how Indigenous cinema reshapes our understanding of history, power and place.
Join Onus and Rio in conversation with curator and host Meenakshi Shedde as they consider what it means to make films from the margins, and how Indigenous storytellers are transforming contemporary cinema.
Presented in partnership with Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Saturday 22 August
2.00 - 3.00pm
Tickets
$23.00
Full
$18.00
Concession
Groups 6+ and Members get standard 10% discount across all ticket reserves.
For more information on Memberships, click here.
Location
Accessibility
Accessible toilets available
Assistive Listening
Auslan interpreting available by-request
Companion tickets available
Registered Assistance Animals welcome
Wheelchair accessible
For information regarding accessibility at The Wheeler Centre, click here.
Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
Additional Notes
Melbourne was designated the world’s second UNESCO City of Literature in 2008. As part of this global network, we strive to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals designed to promote fairness, health and environmental sustainability worldwide. 
This event addresses Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Featuring
Tiriki Onus
Tiriki Onus is a proud Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung artist, filmmaker, opera singer and academic. He serves as Head of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the University ...
Theja Rio
Theja Rio is an Indigenous Naga filmmaker from Nagaland, India. His work is rooted in the oral histories, landscapes and cultural memory of Northeast India, exploring themes of identity, faith, belonging and ...
Meenakshi Shedde
Meenakshi Shedde is an independent film curator based in Mumbai. She is Senior Programme Advisor, South Asia for Toronto International Film Festival, and curated programs for Berlin Film Festival from 1998–2025 ...