By Kulsoom Abid
In a world where stories cross borders before passports do, there’s a place where South Asian cinema takes center stage not just as culture, but as future. The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is back—bigger, braver, and more beautifully interconnected than ever before.
2025 marks a cosmic expansion for IFFLA Industry Days, unfolding on May 8 and 9 at the Landmark Theatres Sunset, where narratives from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the South Asian diaspora meet the very core of Hollywood. And it isn’t just a festival—it’s a movement.
This year’s heartbeat? IFFLA Connect—a cinematic constellation born in collaboration with Cinévesture. It’s more than a program—it’s a bridge. A handpicked bouquet of emerging and established storytellers are set to bloom on global soil. From Radhika Apte’s directorial debut Koyta to Nuhash Humayun’s bold Moving Bangladesh, the lineup whispers revolution, reels resilience, and roars representation.
“Our focus is access,” says Noopur Sinha, Festival Producer. “These ten powerful South Asian-led projects deserve the chance to not just survive, but soar in global cinema.” And with champions like Netflix, Orion Pictures, Film Independent, Neon, and Temple Hill watching closely, the world might just listen a little more intently.
But this festival doesn’t stop at showcasing. It dares to sculpt the future. The Launchpad: Pitch Competition returns, offering five dreamers the stage, a listening industry, and a chance at $10,000 in development funding. In a room full of believers, sometimes that’s all a story needs.
Panels that Matter, Questions that Echo
The Industry Days are rich with brain and soul food:
The Human Loop panel asks: “Can storytelling stay human in the age of AI?”
Global Vision challenges studios to look beyond Western borders, diving deep into how international voices are redefining cinematic futures.
And in a heartfelt nod to literature and theatre, a panel on the Life of Pi stage adaptation explores how a tale from Pondicherry now moves hearts from Broadway to LA.
Magic has a Masterclass too.
One of the most anticipated events is “From Dhaka to Hollywood”, where South Asia’s horror whisperer Nuhash Humayun dissects how local stories can scream on global stages. From his breakout Moshari to hauntingly poetic cinema, it’s a classroom where the future listens.
The Jury that Breathes Stories
This year’s juries—both for features and shorts—are a soulful blend of insight and artistic fire:
Rajshri Deshpande, known for Sacred Games and Sexy Durga
Carla Renata, a.k.a. The Curvy Critic, whose words have shaped Variety, RogerEbert.com, and beyond
And Maureen Bharoocha, whose lens bridges genres and hearts alike.
With names like Priyanka Mattoo, Kausar Mohammed, and Sudeep Sharma in the mix, it’s clear: these are not gatekeepers—they’re gate-openers.
For the Dreamers, the Believers, and the Storytellers
IFFLA 2025 isn’t just a festival. It’s an invitation to the world to sit down, lean in, and feel the pulse of South Asia—loud, luminous, and unapologetically original. From bustling Mumbai sets to quiet Bangladeshi scripts scribbled at midnight, this is where those dreams take their first Hollywood breath.
Passes are now live at indianfilmfestival.org.
And for the readers of Kulsoomified: if you’ve ever believed in the poetry of film, this is your call to witness a new chapter in the language of cinema.
Kulsoomified 