ABOUT
Marking its 23rd anniversary, IFFLA 2025 will take place May 6-10 in Los Angeles.
IFFLA brings to Los Angeles audiences the most innovative films coming out of South Asia and its diasporas, in a vibrant program comprising features and shorts, including narrative, documentary and animated works.
IFFLA was founded in 2002 as a non-profit organization with the aim to offer the Los Angeles community a unique opportunity to learn about India’s multifaceted culture and long history of filmmaking. Since then, IFFLA has grown into the premier US venue for discovering the best of South Asian cinema, as well as a vital hub in the center of the entertainment industry in the US for an important dialogue among the most original storytellers from South Asia and its diasporas, and the international film industry at large.
In addition to film screenings, galas and networking events, the festival offers stimulating discussions between filmmakers and audiences, as well as panel conversations and industry sessions. The five-day event also hosts special programs, such as retrospectives, spotlights and masterclasses, social gatherings and lively industry-facing events, all aimed at fostering a greater appreciation of South Asian cinema and culture and promoting the diverse perspectives of the South Asian diaspora.
IFFLA INDUSTRY DAYS AND LAUNCHPAD: PITCH COMPETITION
In 2024 IFFLA inaugurated IFFLA Industry Day, a first-of-its-kind forum designed to bring together established executives from the Hollywood industry and South Asian filmmakers to exchange inspiring stories and ideas, gain mentorship, and build collaborations. Participating companies and organizations at IFFLA’s inaugural event included Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, SagIndie, Netflix, Roadside Attractions, Sundance Institute, Film Independent, Macro, The Salon, ColorCreative, CAPE and more. In 2025 IFFLA Industry Days is expanded and is integrated with the festival that takes place concurrently. The event includes masterclasses, panels, roundtable discussions, and a plethora of exciting educational and networking events. An important program of IFFLA Industry Days is Launch Pad: A Pitch Competition offering the winner a $10,000 development grant. The event attracts a highly curated pool of selected projects to be presented to industry executives.
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The IFFLA 2025 lineup will include competition sections for both features and shorts, comprising narrative, documentary and animation works.
FEATURES
This competitive category presents the most exciting new feature-length films from India, the greater South Asian subcontinent and the South Asian diasporas. Please note that we are not opening the call for feature submissions this year. Selections for this category will be curated by invitation only.
SHORTS
This category presents in competition an eclectic lineup of new short-length films that represent the most singular work coming out of India and the greater South Asian subcontinent, and its diasporas. This category is now open for submissions.
ONE-ON-ONE - Industry Program
ALL selected features and shorts filmmakers are invited to participate in the festival’s renowned One-on-One event, a pioneering industry program that connects emerging storytellers to industry professionals and executives from major and independent production and distribution companies based in Hollywood. Through a series of one-on-one 15-minute meetings, the program offers a new generation of talented filmmakers a unique opportunity to get guidance about their careers, as well as lay the foundation for possible future collaborations.
IFFLA INDUSTRY DAYS
All selected filmmakers are invited to attend our IFFLA Industry Days events. Those interested in also participating in Launch Pad: A Pitch Competition with a project-in-development must submit a separate entry for that program, and follow the corresponding application guidelines and deadlines.
Grand Jury Award for Best Feature
Grand Jury Award for Best Short
Honorable Mention for Features
Honorable Mention for Shorts
Audience Choice Award for Best Feature
Audience Choice Award for Best Short