IFFLA 2023 preview: An Indian film festival in the heart of Hollywood

Filmmakers Anurag Kashyap (left) and Pan Nalin with IFFLA founder and executive director Christina Marouda (centre). (Photo courtesy Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles)

Christina Marouda grew up in Crete, Greece, on a regular dose of Indian cinema. Her sister's friends from India would send her VHS tapes of Mani Ratnam's films, watching those became her Sunday ritual. When she moved to the US in 2001, she found no platform for Indian cinema there. She worked at the American Film Institute festival, which showcases over 150 global films annually, yet Indian cinema was always overlooked. The 2001-02 year was an interesting time for Indian cinema, with the successes of Monsoon Wedding, Bend It Like Beckham, and as Lagaan bounced out of the subcontinent and landed in the run for the Oscars. And, thus, she started a fledgling Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Today, there are a plethora of film festivals dotting North America that caters to and/or incorporates Indian cinema as part of their curation.

Since last year, after the pandemic lockdown was lifted, IFFLA went back to being an in-person festival. And the organisers expect over 3,500 attendees this year, the festival takes place this week, October 11-15, in LA. Marouda, the festival founder and executive director, says, “less than 10 per cent of 350-plus films got selected, by a team of seven, this year; and 25 films are premiering.”

Marouda, and Ritesh Mehta, co-director of programming along with Thouly Dosios, told Moneycontrol about the festival, its unique selling proposition, and the Indian-ness in the IFFLA. Edited excerpts:

In its 20-plus years, how has the IFFLA evolved as a festival different from other American film festivals with a focus on India and South Asia?

What makes IFFLA unique is: a) its location, in the heart of Hollywood and the American film industry. The access this gives us and our filmmakers is one of the main reasons why we started IFFLA and why we did not travel with it in other cities and countries, even though we received this request numerous times; b) The second element that we take great pride in is our handpicked curatorial approach. We want to offer our audiences a tight number of films that require their attention, and given how many distractions people have nowadays, especially those living in Los Angeles, this approach makes our curation extremely selective; and c) Since Day 1, we have been 100 per cent filmmaker-oriented. We plan the entire festival thinking of the filmmakers and their experience when they come to Los Angeles. Other elements such as parties and sponsors are important, but not our first priority.

What is the scope and range of the Indian in the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles? Between Bollywood studio productions, regional studio films (like Telugu film RRR, which became a big hit across America last year), and independent films from India, how does IFFLA ensure a balance?

Great question. We do cover all the above categories and more. Diversity in programming is an intentional priority in our curatorial process: in the languages spoken, parts of South Asia and its diasporas represented in the stories we showcase, subject matters being explored, genres, storytelling sensibilities, filmmaker background, and more. We try to achieve diversity in two ways: by prioritising extensive research and outreach efforts as we try to source film submissions from a variety of regions and backgrounds, and second, by ensuring diversity within our programming team itself, so that multiple voices can be heard within the selection process.

If you could talk about this year’s curation. 

This year’s line-up comprises 25 films (9 features and 16 shorts) representing 15 different languages and 13 countries. Genres range from the dark supernatural tale, Rapture, to a delightful coming-of-age comedy, All India Rank (the closing night film). We’re also thrilled to have such a wide range of generations of South Asian storytellers presenting work this year; from maestros, such as Vishal Bhardwaj who comes to IFFLA with the theatrical world premiere of his riveting espionage thriller Khufiya (the opening night film) starring Tabu; to visionary emerging directors who continue to evolve in brilliant ways, such as Devashish Makhija who returns to the festival with his action and star-packed Joram, starring Manoj Bajpayee.

And Atul Sabharwal, another IFFLA alum, who brings us the world premiere of the haunting period mystery Berlin; to some absolute gems of newcomers, such as Anand Ekarshi, whose remarkable directorial debut, the ensemble Malayalam feature Aattam (The Play).

Some other incredibly exciting highlights this year are two not-to-miss documentary features, The World is Family by legendary Anand Patwardhan and the exquisite The Golden Thread by Nishtha Jain; and a fantastic and very eclectic selection of 16 short films that bring together South Asian stories from all over the world, with one of the many highlight being the world premiere of alum Sushma Khadepaun’s Places I’ve Called My Own, the story of a queer young woman who returns to India from the US to attend her estranged father’s funeral and must still confront the shadow of the paterfamilias.

What’s new or different in this year’s edition?

We are entering the world of social media with a unique panel: “Crafting Careers: From Likes to Livelihoods in Social Media Content Creation”. This dynamic panel brings together influential content creators who share their personal journeys of using social media to shape their careers. Panelists will reveal how they leveraged these platforms to amplify their voices and reach audiences. The panel will highlight the importance of diversity and inclusivity in crafting compelling stories that resonate. This panel promises to offer invaluable perspectives on navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital content creation.

Who are some of the IFFLA alumni and festival regulars who are returning with their films this year?

Vishal Bhardwaj with his film Khufiya. We have screened Maqbool (IFFLA 2004) and Kaminey (IFFLA 2010) in the past. Atul Sabharwal with Berlin. He was with us in 2008 with his short film Midnight Lost and Found and won the Best Short Award.

Who are the new exciting voices to look out for?

Ritesh Mehta, co-director of programming: Among features, Meghalayan filmmaker Dominic Sangma has crafted a visually spellbinding supernatural thriller in the Garo language, Rapture, which premiered at Locarno in August and IFFLA is hosting its North American Premiere. Next, Kerala-based filmmaker Anand Ekarshi has devised a meticulous and suspenseful Malayalam chamber drama, Aattam, starring Vinay Forrt and Zarin Shihab, and we are thrilled to host its World Premiere. Among shorts, hard to pick just one, but Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda’s Men in Blue, about Indian labourers’ horrific experience on a Texas shipyard post Hurricane Katrina, shows the emergence of a truly skilled storytelling voice.

Is the Indian diaspora your prime audience?

Ritesh Mehta: The South Asian diaspora, not just Indian, is a major part of our audience, and it consists of immigrants, as well as first and second generation South Asian Americans. In addition to these, being in LA, we see a large audience of South Asian writers, directors, actors and producers working across film and TV, who come to see the latest work, often that of their peers. Rounding out our audience are cinephiles, industry executives and students interested in South Asian cinema.

In the recent time, a girl was killed by a Seattle cop, a family was shot at in Baltimore County, another died in Maryland, a man was shot at in a grocery store in LA, among others. Can a film festival play a role in building harmony in a racist society?

Arts play a significant role in opening up people’s perspectives, expanding their horizons and, therefore, increasing their tolerance.