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The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) opens its doors to movie buffs across North America with its 20th edition scheduled between April 28 and May 1, 2022. Boasting an impressive and diverse line-up of movies, film enthusiasts can look forward to the big screen experience after two years of the virtual festival movie-watching experience.
Every year, IFFLA brings to Los Angeles the most innovative independent films coming from the South Asian diaspora in a vibrant program comprised of features, shorts, documentaries, and animated works.
“This year’s festival is a celebration of the 20-year journey of IFFLA and all the films, people, and community of supporters who made this one of the premier film festivals in the world. We are beyond excited to be coming together back in person and back in theaters at Regal LA Live.”, said Noopur Sinha, festival producer. “The focus is on discovering new voices, TOGETHER, as a group. Not just in our 5 World Premieres, 16 North American Premieres, and brand new Spotlight on South Asia Section. Importantly, we are also showcasing up-and-coming South Asian film and TV projects through live table reads and exclusive previews. IFFLA has always been a supporter of powerful stories from the community, and is now taking a stand at the forefront of the rising tide of South Asian talent emerging in the last few years,” she added.
There are several movies that make this edition special like Bangladeshi writer-director Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s Rehana. The riveting drama-thriller deals with the uncomfortable topic of gender abuse in an educational institution and how deep-rooted it remains. Rehana has the distinction of being the first film from Bangladesh to compete in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
There is also debutant Faraz Ali’s stirring portrayal of a father-daughter relationship in Shoebox. The movie stars the impressive Amrita Bagchi as the daughter returning home to see her sick father, the owner of an illustrious movie theater. Through its characters, the movie touches upon several emotional, social, and political aspects of life including a constantly evolving parent-child relationship. The wonderfully-compiled wordless trailer, aptly set to the sounds of a clock ticking is sure to excite the audience and stoke their expectations.
Also in the line-up is Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Once Upon a Time in Calcutta which has an intriguing premise of a woman trying to reclaim her life after her daughter’s demise and has a dark setting of corruption. The movie premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.
IFFLA also boasts of an impressive array of short films. Of particular mention is refugee-turned-director Salar Pashtoonyar’s Bad Omen. The 19-min short provides a poignant account of women in war-torn Afghanistan and its patriarchal setup.
For a complete list of movies being screened from Apr 28-May 1, please visit: https://www.indianfilmfestival.org/film-guide-events/film-guide-2022/
For tickets and passes, please visit: https://www.indianfilmfestival.org/festival-info/passes-tickets/ or contact boxoffice@indianfilmfestival.org.