Join Us For The Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles 2025!

Schedule Of Events:

1:30 Pm - Panel: Bringing “Life Of Pi” To Life: From Page To Stage

This Panel Will Explore The Journey Of Bringing Life Of Pi To The Stage, From The Novel’s Global Resonance To The Groundbreaking Puppetry, Staging, And Storytelling That Have Redefined What’s Possible In Live Theater. Join Special Guests For A Conversation About Representation, Adaptation And The Cultural Significance Of Seeing A South Asian-Led Narrative Take Center Stage On Broadway And Beyond.

Panelists Include:

Savidu Geevaratne  (Ensemble, U/S Pi, U/S Ravi) Is Excited To Make His National Tour Debut With Life Of Pi! Asri Lankan American Actor, Singer, And Musician Based In Nyc, He Trained At Nyu Tisch. Off-Broadway: Yourown Personal Exegesis, Monsoon Wedding. Grateful To His Teachers, Family, And Arc+Julia

Sharayu Mahale (Rani/U/S Pi) Is Excited To Make Her Broadway Tour Debut With Life Of Pi. She Holds A Bs Inbusiness From Nyu And Studied Acting At Yale, Beverlyhills Playhouse, And Stella Adler. Her Credits Includemonsoon Wedding, Cobra Kai, And Footnotes. Follow Her At @Sharayu.Mahale.

Sorab Wadia (Father) Hails From Bombay, India. Tours:Aladdin, Oklahoma!, Kite Runner. International:Jihad!The Musical(West End),Merchant Of Venice(Venice),Bend It Like Beckham(Toronto). Off-Broadway:Babette’sfeast, The Tempest. Tv: “Blacklist: Redemption”, “Madame Secretary”, “30 Rock”

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

3:00pm - Panel: Global Vision: Specialty Studios And The Future Of International Storytelling

This Panel Brings Together Key Professionals From The Independent And Specialty Studio Space Such As Neon, Focus Features, And Orion Pictures, To Discuss How Their Companies Are Navigating The Evolving Challenges Of Today’s Film Industry. As The Us Market Undergoes Significant Shifts, The Conversation Will Explore The Growing Importance Of International Stories And Voices In Shaping The Future Of Cinema.

What Strategies Are These Studios Using To Adapt And Be Forward-Thinking In A Changing Landscape? How Are They Approaching The Global Market, And What Qualities Do They Seek In International Filmmakers And Stories? This Discussion Will Provide Valuable Insights Into How Indie And Specialty Studios Are Building Bridges Between Hollywood And The Rest Of The World, And Why Doing So May Be More Essential Than Ever.

Panelists:

Kate Gondwe, Manager, Acquisitions, Development & Production, Neon

Kate Gondwe Is The Manager Of Acquisitions, Development, And Production At The Award-Winning Independent Studio Neon. In 2021, Kate Was Named One Of The “25 New Faces Of Independent Film” By Filmmaker Magazine. She Has Been Part Of The Sundance Catalyst Program, Locarno Industry Academy, Tribeca Through Her Lens, Ifp Week, And Berlinale Talents.

Priyanka Kapoor, Creative Executive, Orion Pictures

Priyanka Kapoor Is A Creative Executive At Orion Pictures, The Specialty Division Of Amazon Mgm Studios Focused On Telling Stories By Underrepresented Voices. She Joined The Company With President Alana Mayo In 2020 And Has Since Assisted On A Number Of Projects Across Orion’s Slate, Including Women Talking, Directed By Sarah Polley, Till, Directed By Chinonye Chukwu, And Bottoms, Directed By Emma Seligman. As An Executive, Priyanka Also Worked On Cord Jefferson’s Oscar-Winning Film American Fiction And Ramell Ross’s Oscar-Nominated Film Nickel Boys. She Is Currently Working On Bing Liu’s Forthcoming Film Preparation For The Next Life With Plan B And Pastel, And Aleshea Harris’ Forthcoming Adaption Of Is God Is, With Viva Maude, Linden Entertainment, And Janicza Bravo. Previously, Priyanka Worked At Picturestart, Alloy Entertainment, Harpo Films, Paper Kite Productions, And Has Worked In Podcasting At Crooked Media And Unscripted Development At Cnn Films.

Marisa Messina, Creative Executive Of Production And Development, Focus Features

Marisa Messina Is A Creative Executive Of Production And Development At Focus Features, Part Of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Which She Joined In 2021. In Her Role, She Oversees Projects From Development Through Post-Production, Including Notable Films Such As Black Bag (Directed By Steven Soderbergh), Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Directed By Simon Curtis), Hamnet (Directed By Chloé Zhao), Song Sung Blue (Directed By Craig Brewer), And Midwinter Break (Directorial Debut By Polly Findlay), Among Others. Messina Initially Supported The Current Chairman Upon Joining Focus Features. She Earned Her Bachelor Of Fine Arts In Creative Producing From Chapman University And Currently Resides In Los Angeles.

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

4:00pm - Humans In The Loop + Panel

Aranya Sahay’s Captivating Debut Humans In The Loop Portrays Nehma, A Tribal Woman Who Returns To Her Jharkhand Village Post-Divorce With Her Children. To Sustain Her Family, She Becomes A Data Annotator, A Role Reflecting The Real-Life Involvement Of Many Adivasi Women In India’s Burgeoning Ai Industry.

Supported By Goa-Based Storiculture’s Museum Of Imagined Futures, This Uniquely Whimsical Film, Drawing Inspiration From Karishma Mehrotra’s Article “Human Touch,” Weaves A Story About The Significant Yet Often Unrecognized Contributions Of Women From Rural And Semi-Rural Backgrounds In India Undertaking Meticulous Data Labeling Tasks Foundational To The Development Of Ai, And Emphasizing The Critical Yet Overlooked Role These Communities Play In Shaping Technological Futures.

Sahay Offers A Nuanced Exploration Of Identity, Technology, And Empowerment Through Nehma’s Journey By Empathetically Exploring How The Lived Experiences Of Data Annotators Can Influence Ai Biases, Prompting Viewers To Reconsider Ai’s Ethical Dimensions And Its Impact On Marginalized Communities.

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

4:30pm - Panel: The Human Loop: Storytelling And Responsibility In The Age Of Ai

Immediately Following The Screening Of Aranya Sahay’s Humans In The Loop, Join Us For A Conversation Around The Responsible Use Of Technology In Storytelling. This Panel, Moderated By Senain Kheshgi (Iffla Senior Programmer), And With The Participation Of Filmmaker Aranya Sahay, Manjula Nadkarni, And Other Participant, Will Discuss Areas Like Ethics, Automation, And The Invisible Labour Behind Artificial Intelligence, Featuring Voices From The Film And Ai Industries.

Panelists:

Manjulika Nandkarni, Co-Founder And Ceo Of Yuni

Based Out Of San Francisco, Manjula Nadkarni Is The Co-Founder And Ceo Of Yuni, A Startup Unlocking The World’s Creative Potential With Personal Ai. She Is An Award-Winning, Strategic Leader With 20 Years Of Building Brands, Products, And Platforms That Have Moved The World. Born In India, Raised In The Middle East, And Forged In The Us, She Thrives At The Intersection Of Culture, Media, Entertainment, And Technology. Previously, She Led Strategy And Creative At Twitter, And Consulted With Airbnb To Launch Experiences. She Has Also Worked In Agencies Such As Mccann Erickson, And For The Bbc In London, And Has Received Awards From Cannes, The One Show, Clio, Webby’s, Tribeca, And More. She Is Committed To Raising All Her Communities Through Positive Action.

Shrikanth (Shri) Narayanan, Vice President For Presidential Initiatives And University Professor

Shrikanth (Shri) Narayanan Is Vice President For Presidential Initiatives, Research Director Of The Information Sciences Institute, And University Professor And Niki & C. L. Max Nikias Chair In Engineering At The University Of Southern California, Where He Holds Appointments As Professor Of Electrical And Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Linguistics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Pediatrics, And Otolaryngology (Head And Neck Surgery). Prior To Usc, He Was With At&T Bell Labs And At&T Research. Narayanan’s Interdisciplinary Research Focuses On Developing Engineering Approaches To Understand The Human Condition And Creating Human-Centered Computing Technologies To Support And Enhance Human Experiences Across Applications With Direct Societal Relevance, Including Defense/Intelligence, Health, Education, Media, And The Arts. He Is A Guggenheim And Association For Computing Machinery Fellow, And A Member Of The European Academy Of Sciences And Arts, Among Other Prestigious Organizations. He Received His Doctorate And Master’s Degree In Electrical Engineering From The University Of California, Los Angeles. His Bachelor’s Degree Is In Electrical And Electronics Engineering From Anna University In Madras, India.

Aranya Sahay, Director Humans In The Loop

Aranya Sahay Is An Indian Filmmaker Based Out Of Mumbai. He Attended St. Stephen’s College And Pursued Directing Studies At The Film And Television Institute Of India, In Pune. This Was Soon Followed By Assisting Stints With Imtiaz Ali And Patrick Graham As An Associate Director And Director’s Assistant. Aranya Has Directed Five Short Films, Of Which Songs For Babasaheb And Chait Have Screened At Mumbai International Film Festival, Signs Films Festival, And Jaffna Film Festival. In 2021, His Film Saaya Was Selected As A “Film Bazaar Recommends” Project. He Was A Participant And Grant Winner In The Museum Of Imagined Futures’ 2023 Impact Fellowship Programme.

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

9:30pm - Cactus Pears

The Sundance Grand Jury Winner, A Modern-Day Love Story Set In A Traditional Maharashtrian Village, Follows Anand, A City Dweller Who, During A 10-Day Mourning Period For His Father, Rekindles A Tender Bond With His Childhood Friend.

By Casting Local Actors And Filming In His Ancestral Village, Kanawade’s Semi-Autobiographical Film Takes A Refreshing Approach To A Story About Queer Love And Hope, Filled With Genuine Emotion That Transcends All Conventions.

The Film Distinguishes Itself By Challenging The Misconception That Queerness Is Exclusive To Urban Or Western Contexts And Expands The Landscape Of Queer Representation In Indian And Global Cinema With Its Authentic Portrayal Of Queer Relationships Within Rural India, A Perspective Often Overlooked, Making It A Quietly Revolutionary Work.

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

7:00pm - Shorts Program 2

As Dusk Falls

The Promise Of A Bigger And Better Life In Canada Where His Older Brother Has Already Settled Has Long Inundated The Dreams Of Navraj, A Young Punjabi Man In Chandigarh. But When His Long-Awaited Visa Finally Gets Approved, He Realizes The Cost Of Leaving Home May Be Far Greater Than He Ever Anticipated. More Than Leaving Behind His Friends, He Cannot Bear To Break The News To His Beloved Grandmother Who Adoringly Depends On Him.

In His Impressive Directorial Debut, Jaskirat Singh Explores The Perennial Dilemma Of Leaving Home With Beautiful Simplicity And An Emotional Clarity That Makes The Story At Once Feel Intimately Relatable And Deeply Profound. Speaking Of The Pain Harbored Both By Those Who Set Sail And The Ones Who Stay Behind, The Film Pulsates With A Deeply Moving Performance By Shahbaz Bajwa, Who Embodies Navraj With Tenderness And Raw Emotion.

Landscapes Of Longing

An Exquisitely Shot Experimental Film By Alisha Tejpal, Mireya Martinez, And Artist Anoushka Mirchandani, Landscapes Of Longing Weaves Together An Intricate Tapestry Of Intergenerational Identity And Belonging, Focusing On Three Generations Of Women Within Mirchandani’s Family: Her Grandmother, Mother, And Herself. Through A Mix Of Archival Photographs, Playful Music, And Literary Texts, The Film Employs An Autofictional Approach To Explore Themes Of Migration And Memory. The Seemingly Disjointed Clips Serve To Evoke The Fragmented Nature Of Memory And The Complex Layers Of Identity Within Diasporic Experiences Through Evocative Storytelling, Inviting Viewers To Engage With The Fluidity Of Time And The Connections And Distinctions Passed Down Through Generations That Shape Our Understanding Of Self And Belonging.

Blue Boy

Nik Dodani’s Radiant Directorial Debut Blue Boy Reimagines The Coming-Out Narrative With Rare Cultural Specificity And Joyful Possibility. Adapted From Rakesh Satyal’s Novel, The Film Follows Young Kiran’s Sublime Journey Of Self-Discovery That Begins With A Transcendent Revelation: Perhaps His Difference Isn’t Merely Earthly, But Divine. Dodani Deftly Navigates The Intersection Of Queerness And South Asian Heritage, Crafting A Narrative Where Hindu Spirituality Becomes Not An Obstacle But An Illuminating Pathway. The Film’s Visual Richness Perfectly Captures Both Childhood Wonder And Profound Awakening, Creating Moments Of Beauty, Humor, And Startling Clarity. Blue Boy Is A Queer Coming-Of-Age Story Where Cultural Identity Transforms The Journey Toward Authentic Selfhood Into Something Truly Magical.

Making Space

Nikita Parikh’s Short Documentary, Making Space, Can Well Be Called By Another Name – The Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Woman. The Lady In Focus Is Alsana, For Whom A Room Might Be A Distant Dream But A Corner Shelf Of Her Own Becomes A Space Where Her Rules Apply. Parikh’s Gentle, Free-Flowing, Conversational Exploration Is As Stream Of Consciousness As The Workings Of Alsana’s Mind. The Filmmaker Melds Animation With Live-Action And Uses Alsana’s Own Sketches And Art To Create A Unique Narrative. Art Also Becomes A Mode To Discuss Urgent Socio-Political Realities – Gender Roles, Human Rights, Communal Harmony, And The Distances People Are Forced To Travel To Find Safety And Security For Themselves And Their Families.

An Orphanage Of Memories
Short Filmsview All Films Tagged "Short Films"
Grappling With Grief After The Sudden Loss Of Her Husband, Farah Finds Comfort In Planting The Saplings That He Had Recently Brought To Their Modest Home. Just As She’s Found An Unexpected New Lease On Life, She Discovers That A Rat Has Invaded Her Garden, Threatening The Saplings. Farah Is Determined To Eliminate The Intruder At Any Cost, Including Her Sanity, As A Different Kind Of Invasion Begins To Loom Nearby That Threatens To Tear Apart Her Entire Existence.

Set In Kashmir During An Unforgiving Winter, The Film’s Mesmerizing Photography And Layered Narrative Paint A Textured Emotional Canvas, Eloquently Speaking Of Loss In All Its Dimensions, From The Passing Of A Person Or The Loss Of A Home, To The Erasure Of History. Infusing His Emotional Story With Increasing Suspense That, At Times, Rides The Line Of Horror, Rayit Hashmat Qazi Deftly Explores The Idea Of Memory As A Form Of Resistance.

Moti

In Yash Saraf’s Audacious Allegory Moti, The Everyday Abruptly Gives Way To The Impossible. A Family Pet’s Overnight Transformation Into A Human Boy Becomes A Potent Metaphor For Our Disorienting Times, Where Radical Change Arrives Without Warning Or Consent. Shot With Unmistakable Affection For Kolkata’s Textured Landscapes, The Film Follows Moti’s Journey As Scientific Rationality Crumbles Against Inexplicable Magic. Against Shifting Political And Social Landscapes, Saraf Examines How We Struggle To Preserve Our Essential Nature When Everything Familiar Dissolves. His Deft Navigation Between Absurdist Comedy And Emotional Resonance Creates A Uniquely Bengali Exploration Of What Remains Of Our Humanity When The World Transforms Beyond Recognition – And How We Might Still Find Meaning Within The Chaos.

Location: Landmark Theatres Sunset #1 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90046

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