Mumbai: The latest edition of Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is set to take place between 28 April and 1 May with an impressive lineup of selections for the 20th annual edition of the acclaimed film festival, which will mark a return to in-person screenings and events this year.

Speaking about the event, IFFLA executive director Christina Marouda said, “Reflecting on IFFLA’s 20 years, we find ourselves overjoyed by the range of incredible talent we have discovered and celebrated, introducing numerous emerging and established voices to Los Angeles.”

IFFLA is devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, supporting emerging filmmakers and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora. “We are also incredibly proud of the sense of family and community we have accomplished over the last 20 years. The theme of this year’s festival is “Bringing the community back together,” stated Marouda, after being held virtually due to Covid-19.

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IFFLA’s Gala selection, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” is the filmmaker’s celebration of the love of cinema through the story of a boy who stumbles upon a rundown film theater and then charms his way into a daily seat in the projection room. However, when the theater upgrades from film to digital, his new wondrous world is in danger. The crowd-pleasing, Last Film Show by IFFLA’s beloved alum Pan Nalin, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Three feature film directorial debuts will have major premiere screenings at IFFLA. Making its world premiere, Anmol Sidhu’s “Jaggi” follows a schoolboy and his family’s dark secrets in the rural Punjab’s famous fertile farmlands. Making its North American premiere is Faraz Ali’s “Shoebox.” The film tells a coming-of-age story, which centers on a young woman who watches her father struggle to keep the family’s single screen movie theater operating while everything changes around them. Also making its North American premiere is Natesh Hegde’s “Pedro.” This film focuses on a taciturn electrician who becomes a social outcast in his small Karnataka town after becoming involved in a drunken incident.

In an exciting addition, IFFLA will inaugurate a Spotlight on South Asia. Co-director of programming Ritesh Mehta stated, “The last few years have seen a dynamite rise in South Asian voices getting global acclaim. This 20th year, we’re beyond thrilled to have corralled some of these groundbreaking visions, and in turn offer some inspiring discoveries back to the culture. Our work is a total privilege, and we can’t wait to screen it with our communities in LA and beyond.”

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The Spotlight on South Asia section, which will showcase some of the most groundbreaking new works coming out of the greater South Asian subcontinent and its diasporas, is Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s psychological thriller “Rehana” (Rehana Maryam Noor) about a professor and single mother, who puts her family and life on the line to bring justice to a male colleague accused of sexually assaulting a student. The film made history for being the first film from Bangladesh to compete at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. The spotlight includes the shorts 1978 (Pakistan) by award-winning director Hamza Bangash, Salar Pashtoonyar’s 2021 Student Academy Award winner Bad Omen (Afghanistan/Canada), Sunil Pandey’s Rotterdam 2022 selection “Baghthan” (Nepal), Nuhash Humayun’s 2022 SXSW Midnight Shorts Grand Jury Prize winner “Moshari” (Bangladesh), and Seemab Gul’s “Sandstorm” (Pakistan), which premiered at the 2021 Biennale’s Orizzonti.

Of the 11 short films presented in IFFLA’s main competition lineup, eight are helmed by women directors. This section boasts four world premieres sure to make waves, including: Megha Ramaswamy’s provocative psychological horror “Lalanna’s Song,” co-produced by Guneet Monga; Ambiecka Pandit’s “Under the Waters,” a raw coming of age drama produced by Vikramaditya Motwane; the deadpan debut, “Adventures of Faisal Rehman” by Mir Ijlal Shaani; and Varun Chopra’s politically charged documentary “Holy Cowboys” that infiltrates the terrifying world of youth proselytisation and right-wing extremism. The section also includes Student Academy Award winner, “Close Ties to Home Country” by Akanksha Cruczynski.
IFFLA has a history of establishing game-changing and evolving initiatives to support Indian Filmmakers including the “One-on-One” programme, a newly established mentorship program and the filmmaker house – a home for filmmakers visiting Los Angeles during the festival. “IFFLA has discovered a lot of young talent and has given them an international platform to showcase their work,” stated Marouda. Each year, IFFLA accepts feature film and short film submissions for consideration into the festival from Indian filmmakers from around the world.

More information can be found on their website: https://www.indianfilmfestival.org Additional IFFLA highlights among the feature film lineup include Irfana Majumdar’s Shankar’s “Fairies,” a delicate tapestry of a tale set in 1960s Lucknow about the touching bond that develops between the young daughter of a police chief and the family’s head servant, through his fantastical stories. Aditya Sengupta’s sumptuous Bengali drama “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” follows an aging actress in games of power with five different men through the dark secrets of a disintegrating city. Nithin Lukose’s critically acclaimed directorial debut “Paka” (River of Blood), produced by Anurag Kashyap, is a revenge thriller that pits two rival families against each other over a Romeo and Juliet-type forbidden romance. Rahul Jain’s documentary “Invisible Demons,” which premiered in Cannes’ Cinema for the Climate section, explores the detrimental effects of India’s growing economy on the environment, in the sprawling city of Delhi.

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