Overview
The 24th IFFLA edition spotlights women filmmakers, Silicon Valley pioneers, and a historic onscreen reunion of Malayalam cinema legends.
The 2026 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced the film and events lineup for its 24th edition, scheduled to take place from April 23-26, 2026. According to a press release from the festival organizers, the event will be hosted at Landmark Sunset Hollywood and Harmony Gold in Los Angeles.
Recognized as a prominent platform for South Asian cinema in the United States, IFFLA aims to celebrate established works while highlighting new voices within the film industry. The festival provides a space for artists to connect with industry professionals to further their careers.
Opening and Closing Galas
The festival is set to open with the U.S. Premiere of Patriot, a Malayalam espionage thriller directed by Mahesh Narayanan. The film marks a significant moment for the South Asian diaspora and cinema enthusiasts as it reunites Malayalam cinema legends Mohanlal and Mammootty on screen for the first time in 18 years.
Closing the festivities is the North American Premiere of The Great Shamsuddin Family, directed by Anusha Rizvi. A social satire set in a Delhi apartment, the film serves as the long-awaited follow-up to her previous work, Peepli Live. The story follows a writer named Bani as she navigates family turmoil and a looming deadline, offering a look at modern Indian urban life and female resilience.
A Diverse Global Selection
This year’s program features 27 films, including seven narrative features, two documentary features, and 18 short films. The selection represents a wide array of countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the USA.
“Apart from our impressive galas, the program travels across South Asia, from Bangladesh’s meditative Sand City to Pakistan’s emerging new wave with the haunting Ghost School and the visually arresting Lali,” stated Anu Rangachar, IFFLA’s Artistic Director. Rangachar noted that the lineup reflects a surge of women filmmakers from both the subcontinent and the global diaspora.
The narrative feature lineup includes:
- Ghost School by Seemab Gul: A story of a young girl in a broken system.
- Sand City by Mahde Hasan: A debut set in Dhaka involving an indigenous minority woman and a factory worker.
- Shape of Momo by Tribeny Rai: A North American premiere detailing a woman’s return to a remote Himalayan village from Delhi.
- Lali by Sarmad Khoosat: A darkly comic portrait of a newlywed couple in Pakistan.
- Songs of Forgotten Trees by Anuparna Roy: A Venice Film Festival award-winner following two migrant women in Mumbai.
Focus on the Diaspora and Industry Connections
The press release highlights several documentary features with strong ties to the Indian diaspora in America. Karla Murthy’s The Gas Station Attendant provides an intimate look at an immigrant father’s journey from India to working nightshifts at a U.S. gas station. Additionally, Ben Rekhi and Swetlana’s Breaking the Code explores the life of a tech pioneer in Silicon Valley, tracing his path from independent India to the American tech sector.
The festival will also host IFFLA Industry Days, a forum for South Asian creatives to engage with industry leaders through panels, masterclasses, and a $10,000 Pitch Competition Development Grant. The IFFLA Connect program will specifically link projects from South Asia and the diaspora with professionals in production, financing, and casting.
“Each year IFFLA puts the spotlight on the brilliant breadth and scope of South Asian storytelling,” said Anjay Nagpal, IFFLA’s Executive Director. “This curated connection is what makes IFFLA such a vital and unmissable event.”
Short Film Program and Local Perspectives
The short film selection includes 13 female directors and several world premieres. Notable entries include Nihaarika Negi’s Tenfa, set in the Himalayan Kinnauri community, and Fatima Liaqat’s Plain Folks, a comedy-horror about a Pakistani student in Utah.
The festival also features a robust selection of films by California-based filmmakers, highlighting local South Asian stories:
- Harvest Party At Camp Two by Rajan Gill and Reaa Pur: A documentary on Punjabi farmworkers in 1980s America.
- Peanut by Sheila Sawhny: A story regarding second chances.
- Skin by Urvashi Pathania: A horror tale centered on beauty standards.
- Unfriend (Katti) by Kanishka Aggarwal: A look at gender bias through the eyes of an eight-year-old.
- Sūnna by Radha Mehta: A mother-daughter story set in the world of classical Indian music.
Passes and tickets for the festival go on sale March 19 at the festival’s official website. IFFLA 2026 is supported by the Joy of Sharing Foundation, Tarsadia Foundation, and various Los Angeles city and county arts departments.
IFFLA is set to take place April 23-26, 2026 at Landmark Sunset Hollywood (8000 Sunset Blvd.) and Harmony Gold (7655 Sunset Blvd.). Passes and Tickets go on sale on March 19 at www.indianfilmfestival.org
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.
