13-23 nov 2025
EN/NL
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Auto Queens
Program
Auto Queens

Auto Queens

Veera Pengal
Sraiyanti
India
2025
30 min
World Premiere
IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
Synopsis

Mohana is the president of the first trade union for women auto rickshaw drivers in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As well as maneuvering her own auto through the busy streets of Chennai, she has to navigate a sexist and patriarchal system to secure equal opportunities for women drivers. She faces constant resistance—with conflicts and humiliations every day.

Fortunately, she has an ally in her friend Leela, who is also a driver. Leela is totally unintimidated by their many colleagues in this male-dominated occupation. Mohana and Leela form a memorable duo whose eyes are set firmly on their shared goal. Despite their different approaches, they carry out groundbreaking work, and inspire a growing network of Indian women in the process.

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Credits
30 min
color
DCP
Spoken languages: Tamil
Director
    Sraiyanti
    Sraiyanti
Production
    Mathivanan Rajendran for Storiculture,
    Sruti Lodha for Storiculture,
    Sarabhi Ravichandran for Storiculture,
    Shilpa Kumar
    Mathivanan Rajendran for Storiculture,
    Sruti Lodha for Storiculture,
    Sarabhi Ravichandran for Storiculture,
    Shilpa Kumar
Co-production
    Sraiyanti for Baaki Pictures
    Sraiyanti for Baaki Pictures
Executive producer
    Deepa Tracy for Storiculture,
    Anil Arjun for Storiculture,
    Vijay Gnanaprasad
    Deepa Tracy for Storiculture,
    Anil Arjun for Storiculture,
    Vijay Gnanaprasad
Cinematography
    Prem Akkattu
    Prem Akkattu
Editing
    Sraiyanti
    Sraiyanti
Sound
    Puthira Balan
    Puthira Balan
Sound Design
    Raghav Ramesh
    Raghav Ramesh
Screening copy
    Storiculture
    Storiculture

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More from the program section IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
The IDFA Competition for Short Documentary celebrates the versatility of the form, with films that use creativity and imagination to push the boundaries of short documentary. This year’s mosaic of styles, themes, and perspectives is driven by ambitious directors with singular cinematic voices and a strong artistic vision.
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