IFFLA 2025 Set To Spotlight Bold New South Asian Voices In 23rd Edition
Photo: IFFLA at its official launch party screened the Radhika Apte starrer, ‘Sister Midnight.’
India-West Staff Reporter
LOS ANGELES – As anticipation builds for the 23rd edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), organizers have unveiled a trailblazing lineup that underscores the event’s longstanding reputation as a vital showcase for South Asian storytelling.
Running May 6–10, 2025, at the Landmark Theatres Sunset and WGA Theater, this year’s festival promises to elevate emerging voices while fostering meaningful industry connections.
IFFLA 2025 will open with Varsha Bharath’s provocative debut Bad Girl, a Tamil-language drama backed by filmmakers Vetrimaaran and Anurag Kashyap, and close with Lawrence Valin’s Little Jaffna, a Venice-lauded drama spotlighting the Tamil diaspora in Paris.
The five-day event will feature 27 films, including seven narrative features, one documentary, and 18 shorts, with selections from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and across the South Asian diaspora. Highlights include Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears), fresh off a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance; the North American premiere of Raam Reddy’s The Fable; and a tech-focused special screening of Aranya Sahay’s Humans in the Loop, followed by a panel on AI ethics.
In a major expansion, Industry Day will grow into a two-day forum, offering South Asian creatives access to top Hollywood executives and a chance to win a $10,000 Pitch Competition Grant. The initiative reflects IFFLA’s deepening commitment to nurturing South Asian talent beyond the screen.
Artistic Director Anu Rangachar emphasized that the 2025 edition “celebrates the rich diversity of South Asian cinema with a strong emphasis on female-driven narratives and timely global themes—from gender identity to climate change.”
With multiple world and North American premieres, a special television spotlight on Bangladeshi creator Nuhash Humayun’s DUI Shaw, and conversations around pressing issues, IFFLA 2025 is poised to be not just a cinematic experience but a cultural catalyst.
Passes and tickets: www.indianfilmfestival.org.
