The 2024 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) today announced the lineup for its upcoming 22nd annual edition. The festival will be held between June 27-30 at Landmark Theatres Sunset, and will showcase 20 films, including 7 narrative features, 12 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 Dear Jassi, a forbidden romance directed by Tarsem Singh. The film tells a tragic love story inspired by true events, bookended with Punjabi folklore verses. It follows Jassi, a Canadian-born Indian girl who falls in love with Mithu, a rickshaw driver from a lower social class. Through their instant attraction, they must confront the reality of societal expectations imposed by Jassi’s family. The film stars Pavia Sidhu (The Flash, Vellai Pookal) and Yugam Sood in his acting feature debut.
The festival will close with Maharaja, a Tamil film directed by Nithilan Saminathan, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap. Maharaja is a twisted revenge saga, one of India’s highly anticipated films, and an action-packed thriller about a group of men seeking revenge with twisted turns along the way. The film will have its LA premiere at IFFLA with the director, producers, and cast in attendance.
The festival will also screen Kill, written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga; and the Sundance winner Girls Will Be Girls, produced by actor-couple Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha.
The line-up also includes 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 A House Named Shahana, a touching tale by Leesa Gazi and co-written by Aanon Siddiqui.
IFFLA will also host a special screening of two episodes of the 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. The documentary is produced by Riz Ahmed and Rogan Productions.
On June 28, the festival is also launching IFFLA Industry Day, a day-long forum for South Asian film and TV executives and creatives sharing their stories within this underrepresented community.
IFFLA is supported by NBCUniversal, Joy of Sharing Foundation, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, among other sponsors.
