Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2025: A Spectacle of South Asian Storytelling and Valiant New Voices

In a city that thrives on storytelling, the 23rd Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) stood out as a cinematic beacon—illuminating the daring, the intimate, and the transformative voices of South Asian filmmakers from around the world. Held from May 6–10, 2025, across the Writers Guild Theater and Landmark Theatres Sunset, IFFLA From electric debuts to seasoned auteurs, this year’s festival wasn’t just a showcase; it was a triumph of artistic vision, igniting conversations and emotional truth.

From fearless directorial debuts to returning masters of their craft, the festival was an emotional and artistic triumph. A dynamic program of 27 films from over 10 countries, including seven features, one documentary, and 18 shorts, offered a kaleidoscope of stories that spanned continents, cultures, and cinematic form.

Spotlight on the Winners

At the heart of this year’s awards was Aranya Sahay, who took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature for “Humans in the Loop.” A hauntingly relevant narrative about an Adivasi single mother navigating invisible tech labor as an AI data annotator, the film stunned audiences with its ethical complexity and emotional weight. The jury panel lead by Rajshri Deshpande – Actress (Angry Indian Goddesses, Sexy Durga, Sacred Games) and activist.  Priyanka Mattoo – Author (Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones), writer, and director. Carla Renata – Film critic, journalist, and host (a.k.a. The Curvy Critic). praised it as “timely, imaginative, beautifully written and emotionally affecting,” cementing Sahay’s place as a bold and essential new cinematic voice.

Short Film Winners

  Snigdha Kapoor’s short “Holy Curse” received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short, with the jury panel lead by  Maureen Bharoocha – Film and TV director (The Prank, Golden Arm, Grand Crew, Saved by the Bell).  Kausar Mohammed – Actress and writer (Sisters, Appendage, The Flash, 4400), Sudeep Sharma  (Sundance Film Festival Programmer)calling it “a bold, nuanced, and unforgettable take on gender identity.” Through unexpected humor and tender humanity, Kapoor delivered one of the year’s most resonant portraits of selfhood and social defiance.

Honorable Mentions

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s “Cactus Pears” emerged as both an Audience Favorite and a Jury Honorable Mention for Performance, celebrating the layered, deeply human portrayals by Bhushaan Manoj and Suraaj Suman. The film’s honest depiction of queer love in small-town India was described as “a beautiful tribute to relationships, regardless of the package it arrives in.”

Returning IFFLA alum Rima Das received a Jury Honorable Mention for Direction for “Village Rockstars 2,” continuing her raw and intimate chronicle of Dhunu’s coming-of-age journey. Das’s naturalistic lens captured the spirit of youth with authenticity so palpable it felt documentary.

Among shorts, Sunita Prasad’s “Sleep Training” captured the Audience Choice Award for Best Short, while Rishi Chandna’s “The Feast” earned a Jury Honorable Mention for Cinematic Storytelling, praised for its immersive visuals and sensory richness.

Additional jury nods included:

• “Extinction Story Origin Story” by Terrie Samundra, awarded for Artistic Direction, for its handcrafted, film-shot depiction of innocence and adolescence.
• “An Orphanage of Memories” by Rayit Hashmat Qazi, honored for Emotional Storytelling, portraying grief and healing in post-conflict Kashmir with delicate grace.

All Award Winners

At the heart of IFFLA Industry Days, a now-expanded two-day forum for South Asian creatives and Hollywood decision-makers, rising filmmaker Kiana Rawji took home the Launchpad Pitch Competition Grant of $10,000 for her project Adult Children. Judges described her pitch as “intimate and compelling,” applauding her narrative clarity and potential for industry impact.

In a landscape hungry for fresh voices, Rawji’s win is a powerful affirmation of the diasporic storytellers reshaping the cultural conversation—both in Hollywood and beyond.

Bold Beginnings and Bittersweet Closures

Opening with Varsha Bharath’s “Bad Girl,” a sharp Tamil drama produced by Vetrimaaran and presented by Anurag Kashyap, IFFLA set the tone with a fearless portrayal of feminine defiance and self-discovery. Closing with Lawrence Valin’s “Little Jaffna,” a moving meditation on diaspora and identity in Paris’s Tamil community, the festival left viewers with a resonant reminder of the global reach of South Asian stories.

IFFLA 2025 wasn’t just a showcase—it was a movement. Through its thoughtful curation and commitment to connection, the festival highlighted a generation of filmmakers who aren’t afraid to challenge norms, expand perspectives, and lay bare the deepest corners of human experience.

As Artistic Director Anu Rangachar said, “Every story told here was a courageous act—and every frame, a step toward deeper connection.”

From stories of queer intimacy and rural resistance to tech laborers in the shadows of AI, this year’s selections revealed one undeniable truth: cinema is still the most powerful way to tell the hardest stories—and IFFLA is the stage where those stories shine brightest.

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Geetika Budhiraja is an entertainment writer, screenwriter, and actress. A distinguished alumna of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in Los Angeles, Geetika has carved a niche for herself in the industry.