IFFLA
2024
Lineup
Update:
The
22nd
annual
edition
of
the
Indian
Film
Festival
of
Los
Angeles
(IFFLA),
scheduled
for
2024,
unveiled
its
lineup,
showcasing
a
diverse
array
of
internationally
acclaimed
films.
The
festival
is
moving
back
to
Hollywood
at
Landmark
Theatres
Sunset
and
runs
June
27-30.
Passes
are
now
available
at
www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Tickets
to
galas
and
individual
programs
go
on
sale
on
Monday,
May
20.
IFFLA
will
showcase
twenty
films,
including
seven
narrative
features,
twelve
shorts,
and
one
docu-series
with
a
diverse
lineup
of
films
from
India,
Bangladesh,
Sri
Lanka,
Nepal,
Pakistan
and
the
United
States,
bringing
together
South
Asian
stories
and
perspectives
from
around
the
globe.
The
festival
will
open
with
the
Los
Angeles
premiere
of
Tarsem
Singh's
forbidden
romance
Dear
Jassi
and
close
with
Nithilan
Saminathan's
Tamil
film
Maharaja,
a
twisted
revenge
saga
starring
phenomenal
actor
Vijay
Sethupathi
and
maverick
filmmaker
Anurag
Kashyap
playing
the
villain.
Features
include
the
special
presentation
of
stylized
violence
in
Kill,
written
and
directed
by
Nikhil
Nagesh
Bhat
and
produced
by
Karan
Johar
and
Guneet
Monga;
the
coming-of-age
story
Sundance
winner
Girls
Will
Be
Girls,
written
and
directed
by
Shuchi
Talati;
the
award-winning
filmmaker
Christo
Tomy's
film
Undercurrent,
which
explores
the
powerful
themes
of
female
solidarity;
a
tender
love
story
Ben
and
Suzanne,
A
Reunion
in
4
Parts,
written
and
directed
by
Shaun
Seneviratne,
and
the
touching
tale
A
House
Named
Shahana,
by
Leesa
Gazi
and
co-written
by
Aanon
Siddiqui.
On
June
28th
the
festival
is
launching
IFFLA
Industry
Day,
the
first-of-its-kind,
day-long
forum
for
South
Asian
film
and
TV
executives
and
creatives
sharing
their
stories
within
this
underrepresented
community.
During
Industry
Day,
attendees
will
have
the
chance
to
explore
vibrant
South
Asian
perspectives
and
gain
valuable
insights
from
industry
experts
through
educational
sessions.
The
pinnacle
event
of
Industry
Day
is
Launch
Pad:
A
Pitch
Competition
the
winner
of
which
will
receive
a
$10,000
development
grant.
The
full
Industry
Day
lineup
will
be
announced
in
early
June.
IFFLA
will
kick
off
the
festival
with
visionary
director
Tarsem
Singh's
film
Dear
Jassi.
This
tragic
love
story
inspired
by
true
events,
bookends
with
the
Punjabi
folklore
verses.
The
movie
centers
on
Jassi,
a
Canadian-born
Indian
woman
who
finds
herself
drawn
to
Mithu,
a
rickshaw
driver
from
a
lower
social
stratum.
As
they
navigate
their
budding
romance,
they
grapple
with
the
societal
pressures
imposed
by
Jassi's
family.
The
cast
includes
Pavia
Sidhu
(known
for
roles
in
The
Flash
and
Vellai
Pookal)
alongside
Yugam
Sood,
making
his
acting
debut
in
a
feature
film.
This
year's
closing
night
selection
is
one
of
India's
highly
anticipated
films,
starring
popular
actor
Vijay
Sethupath
in
his
milestone
50th
outing,
Maharaja.
The
Tamil
film,
written
and
directed
by
Nithilan
Saminathan,
is
an
action-packed
thriller
about
a
group
of
men
seeking
revenge
with
twisted
turns
along
the
way.
Maharaja
will
have
its
LA
premiere
at
IFFLA
with
the
director,
producers,
and
cast
in
attendance.
IFFLA
is
excited
to
collaborate
with
American
Cinematheque
and
Beyond
Fest
with
a
screening
of
the
martial
arts
thriller
Kill
at
The
Egyptian
Theatre
Hollywood.
The
film,
which
premiered
at
the
2023
Toronto
Film
Festival
and
won
the
Midnight
Madness
First
Runner-Up
Award,
is
directed
by
Nikhil
Nagesh
Bhat
and
produced
by
Karan
Johar
and
Guneet
Monga.
Kill
is
set
to
hit
U.S.
theaters
on
July
4th
through
Lionsgate
Films
and
Roadside
Attractions,
followed
by
its
release
in
India
on
July
5th.
In
its
U.S.
premiere,
IFFLA
will
host
a
special
screening
of
two
episodes
of
the
powerful
documentary
series
Defiance:
Fighting
the
Far
Right,
which
shines
a
light
on
an
extraordinary
protest
movement
led
by
young
British
Asians
in
the
late
'70s
and
early
'80s
to
oppose
anti-immigrant
rhetoric
and
assaults.
Produced
by
the
Academy
Award-winning
actor
and
producer
Riz
Ahmed
and
Rogan
Productions,
the
series
is
directed
by
the
Primetime
Emmy
Award-winner
Satiyesh
Manoharajah,
with
Rajesh
Thind
directing
the
3rd
episode.
This
year's
shorts
competition
includes
a
diverse
range
of
female-centric
stories,
featuring
the
work
of
6
talented
female
directors.
The
lineup
presents
an
impressive
selection
of
stories
with
diaspora
and
coming-of-age
themes,
told
in
ten
different
languages.
It
boasts
two
world
premieres,
including
Hema
directed
by
Ritvik
Dhavale
and
starring
Rajshri
Deshpande
(Angry
Indian
Goddesses,
Sacred
Games),
about
an
Indian
woman's
journey
to
rediscover
her
new
purpose
in
life
after
moving
to
Los
Angeles
for
her
husband's
job,
and
debut
director
Shashwat
Dwivedi's
comedic
coming-of-age
Bobby
Beauty
Parlour,
directed
by
Shashwat
Dwivedi
and
produced
by
Anurag
Kashyap.
Additional
notable
short
premieres
include
Wire
&
Cloth,
written
and
directed
by
IFFLA
alum
Swetha
Regunathan,
about
a
mother
and
daughter
struggling
to
connect.
IFFLA
alum
Theja
Rio
returns
to
the
festival
with
Ade
(On
A
Sunday),
the
touching
short
that
premiered
at
the
International
Film
Festival
of
Rotterdam
earlier
this
year.
Also
making
her
directorial
debut
in
film,
actress
and
theater
director
Yuki
Ellias
comes
to
IFFLA
with
the
North
American
premiere
of
her
subversive
political
comedy
Lovely
&
Tip
Top.
Other
short
premieres
include
the
Cannes
award-winning
Nepali
film
Lori,
written
and
directed
by
Abinash
Bikram
Shah;
Last
Days
Of
Summer,
written
and
directed
by
Stenzin
Tankong,
and
This
is
TMI,
co-written
and
co-directed
by
Subarna
Dash
and
Vidushi
Gupta.
Opening
and
Closing
Galas
will
take
place
at
Writers
Guild
Theater
in
Beverly
Hills
(135
S
Doheny
Drive),
and
all
other
screenings
will
be
at
Landmark
Theatres
Sunset
(8000
Sunset
Blvd).
IFFLA
receives
support
from
various
sponsors,
including
NBCUniversal,
the
Joy
of
Sharing
Foundation,
the
Los
Angeles
County
Arts
Commission,
and
the
City
of
Los
Angeles,
Department
of
Cultural
Affairs.