The 18th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Announces Lineup and Gala Screenings
By: Abigail Charpentier Feb. 20, 2020
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) today announced its 2020 lineup of narrative and documentary features, shorts, and opening night gala event. The festival will be held from April 1st - 5th 2020.
The festival will open with An Evening with Imtiaz Ali, one of Hindi cinema's most respected and charismatic writer-directors. Imtiaz Ali will be joined onstage by celebrated Indian filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap to discuss the scope and influence of Imtiaz Ali's career. Imtiaz Ali has captivated global audiences with his distinctive love stories that are relatable and original. In 2005 he made his directorial debut with the charming Socha Na Tha, quickly followed by Jab We Met, which brought him instant acclaim. His 2009 film Love Aaj Kal was a massive critical success and box office smash, which he followed up with the stylistically rich Rockstar in 2011.
Imtiaz Ali's conversation with Anurag Kashyap will be followed by the screening of one of his most lauded films, 2014's Highway, an enthralling road movie that thrust into the limelight Alia Bhatt (Dear Zindagi) one of the most formidable actors working in Hindi cinema today.
"We are thrilled to open this year's festival with an insightful and unfiltered conversation with Imtiaz Ali, moderated by longtime friend of IFFLA Anurag Kashyap," said Christina Marouda, IFFLA's Executive Director. "Imtiaz's intuitive work with actors and independent spirit are a natural fit for IFFLA."
IFFLA's Closing Night on April 5th will see the Los Angeles premiere of The MisEducation of Bindu, a delightful coming-of-age tale set in the American suburbs about a bright young Indian girl who resolves to test out of her high school, but must turn to the students who constantly torment her to raise the money for the test fee. Directed by Prarthana Mohan (Turn Around) and starring Megan Suri (How To Get Away With Murder), Priyanka Bose (Lion), and David Arquette (Scream 3), the film was produced by Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Jay Duplass (Transparent) after it won their campaign in partnership with crowdfunding platform Seed&Spark to find America's Next Generation of Indie Filmmakers. The cast and Mark Duplass are expected to attend.
The lineup includes narrative and documentary features, and shorts for the festival's 18th edition, which boasts 5 World, 1 North American, 4 U.S. and 10 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 12 languages, with 50% of all films premiering directed by women.
IFFLA's feature lineup includes a vast array of highlights from the past year's international festival circuit, including IFFLA alum Bhaskar Hazarika's Tribeca 2019 selection, the romance-thriller Aamis (Ravening); SXSW 2020 sci-fi fantasy title Cargo, starring IFFLA favorites Vikrant Massey (A Death in the Gunj) and Shweta Tripathi (Masaan) as otherworldly astronauts charged with processing the recently deceased into reincarnation; Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars starring Konkana Sen Sharma (Omkara) and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava whose controversial previous film Lipstick Under My Burkha opened IFFLA 2017; Gitanjali Rao's animated opus Bombay Rose, whose handpainted images took six years to complete before its debut in the 2019 Venice Film Festival; and Geetu Mohandas, who helmed India's 2014 Oscar entry, Liar's Dice, brings the Malayalam-language Moothon (The Elder One), a Toronto 2019 premiere which blends high-paced action with beautifully rendered queer themes.
This year's selection highlights both filmmakers working in India and in the diaspora community, the latter notable especially in the festival's diverse and exciting short film selection, whose highlights include the comedy COFFEE SHOP Names starring Danny Pudi (Community), Karan Soni (Deadpool 1 & 2), Kausar Mohammed (Silicon Valley); the world premiere of Uncle, starring Ajay Naidu (Office Space), Omar Maskati (Netflix's Unbelievable), and Rizwan Manji (Schitt's Creek); and the U.S. premiere of The Loyal Man, a riveting thriller set in France among the Tamil-speaking community.
"This year's lineup exemplifies the boundless creativity on display in the Indian independent film community and its diaspora" said Mike Dougherty, IFFLA's Director of Programming. "Visitors to IFFLA this year have their choice of animation, sci-fi/fantasy, romance, documentary, comedy, thriller and more, in films that in typical IFFLA fashion deal with hard-hitting political themes, and that challenge as well as entertain. I couldn't be more proud of the films we're presenting."
An exciting highlight of this year's IFFLA will be back-to-back Master Classes with two of India's top filmmakers Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap. Imtiaz Ali will discuss how he works with actors to create the vast world his characters inhabit within his films. Anurag Kashyap will discuss the arc of his career aided by various clips of his work to demonstrate how directing skills can develop over time, and lessons he's learned on set over the course of his impressive filmography.. These exciting programs will run on Saturday, April 4 and are open to all audiences and passholders.
The renowned premiere global showcase for groundbreaking Indian cinema, IFFLA will take place this year April 1-5 at Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center in Los Angeles. The Opening Night Gala presentation will take place at ArcLight Hollywood, with an after-party to follow hosted by Spice Affair in Beverly Hills. Passes and Gala tickets go on sale today, February 19. Individual tickets will go on sale on February 25 at www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Now in its 18th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
The five-day festival is the premiere platform for the latest in cutting-edge global Indian cinema and bridges the gap between the two largest entertainment industries in the world - Hollywood and India.Opening Night Gala
An Evening with Imtiaz Ali, followed by a screening of Highway
Join us for a special evening as we celebrate Imtiaz Ali, one of Hindi cinema's most respected and charismatic writer-directors. The program will feature an on-stage conversation between Ali and Anurag Kashyap, acclaimed IFFLA alum and a veteran of Indian independent cinema, leading into a screening of Ali's enthralling 2014 romantic road thriller, Highway. The red carpet event will take place at ArcLight Hollywood, followed by a dinner reception and after party hosted by Spice Affair.
Ever since his disarming debut in 2005's Socha Na Tha, Imtiaz Ali has been felicitated for his distinctive viewpoint on love and romance, vulnerable male characters, and layered female characters. If in his 2007 commercial hit Jab We Met, Ali delighted audiences with the chemistry between a plucky Kareena Kapoor and a reticent Shahid Kapoor, in his 2011 Rockstar, he sculpted a monument of Ranbir Kapoor's formidable acting talent while setting to story one of the memorable soundtracks of the decade.
What makes Ali so popular with both cinephiles and everyday moviegoers is his enviable ability to marry utterly relatable characters with their unusually developed conflicts. Highway is a stellar example of all of Imtiaz's virtues as a storyteller.
Highway
India/2014/133mins/Hindi
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Imtiaz Ali
Screenwriter: Imtiaz Ali
Cinematographer: Anil Mehta
Editor: Aarti Bajaj
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda, Durgesh Kumar, Saharsh Kumar Shukla
The film that overnight made Alia Bhatt one of the most formidable actors of her generation, Highway is the tale of the spoilt daughter of a powerful Delhi industrialist who on the eve of her wedding is abducted by a hard-hearted truck driver (an exceptional Randeep Hooda). Their escape from the authorities leads them through some starkly beautiful landscapes of Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab, as well as towards the confrontation of a deep common pain in their pasts. As an audience we become wayfarers along their endearing journey that spins the wheels of the rich girl--poor boy trope. Expertly reining in melodrama with an authentic sense of place, Imtiaz Ali guides his characters towards realizations about freedom and bondage, and most impactful of all, how their feelings for each other might not simply be a matter of circumstance. Highway is ultimately an empowering film about the courageous choices women make in a world dictated by men.
Closing Night Gala
The MisEducation of Bindu
India/2019/92mins/English
Director: Prarthana Mohan
Producer: Edward Timpe
Screenwriters: Kay Tuxford, Prarthana Mohan
Cinematographer: Dani Sanchez-Lopez
Editor: Mike Villasuso
Cast: Megan Suri, David Arquette, Priyanka Bose, Philip Labes, Gordan Winarick, Jake Morrissy
Her homeschooling days behind her, Bindu is an Indian teen fed up with high school and determined to test out early. When a small fee is ALL THAT stands in the way of her freedom, she'll have to confront her bullies and pool her resources before the day is up.
Narrative Features:
Aamis (Ravening)
India/2019/107mins/Assamese
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Bhaskar Hazarika
Producer: Shyam Bora
Screenwriter: Bhaskar Hazarika
Cinematographer: Riju Das
Editor: Shweta Rai Chamling
Cast: Lima Das, Arghadeep Baruah, Neetali Das
Forbidden by society from consummating their desires, a PhD student and a married pediatrician sublimate their feelings for one another into a sensual obsession with exotic meats that drives them to break the ultimate taboo.
Bombay Rose
UK/France/India/Qatar/2019/93mins/Hindi
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Gitanjali Rao
Producers: Rohit Khattar, Anand Mahindra
Screenwriter: Gitanjali Rao
Cinematographer: Paperboat Design Studios
Editor: Gitanjali Rao
Cast: Cyli Khare, Amit Deondi, Gargi sole, Makrand Deshpande
Several tales of love are connected by a single red rose in Gitanjali Rao's animated feature debut.
Cargo
India/2019/113mins/English
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Arati Kadav
Producers: Navin Shetty, Shlok Sharma, Arati Kadav
Screenwriter: Arati Kadav
Cinematographer: Kaushal Shah
Editor: Paramita Ghosh
Cast: Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi, Nandu Madhav
Prahastha, a demon who works in solitude aboard a spaceship transitioning the recently deceased into their next life, has his predictable routine thrown into chaos when a popular new demon is assigned to work alongside him.
Children of the Sun (Gaadi)
Sri Lanka/2019/103mins/Sinhalese
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Prasanna Vithanage
Producers: Sandya Salgado, Alan McAlex, Ajay Rai, H.D. Premasiri, Prasanna Vithanage
Screenwriter: Prasanna Vithanage
Cinematographer: Rajeev Ravi
Editor: A. Sreekar Prasad
Cast: Sajitha Anuththara, Dinara Punchihewa
In early 1800s Ceylon during the advent of British colonialism, a forbidden love story unfolds when a Buddhist noblewoman is exiled to marry a man from the outcast community after the noblemen's covert deal to oust the island's Tamil king goes awry.
Dolly Kitty And Those Twinkling Stars
India/2019/130mins/Hindi
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Alankrita Shrivastava
Producer: Ekta Kapoor
Screenwriter: Alankrita Shrivastava
Cinematographer: John Jacob Payyapalli
Editor: Charushree Roy
Cast: Konkona Sen Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Aamir Bashir, Amol Parashar
Two cousins-one a dreamer in a call center for a romance app, the other a government employee faking romance IRL-find themselves desperately entangled in the trappings of love and desire in the materialistic enclaves of Noida.
The sisters' search for genuine intimacy initially drives them apart, even as the men in their lives prove gutless romeos. Anchored by committed performances by Konkana Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar, IFFLA alum Alankrita Shrivastava's (Lipstick Under My Burkha) surprisingly tender melodrama cruises the bombastic urban cultures of northern India where souls desperate for connection abandon themselves behind shocking pink facades, unable to extract the boys from the toys or the caresses from the carnival rides.
Eeb Allay Ooo!
India/2019/97mins/Hindi
US Premiere
Director: Prateek Vats
Producer: Shwetaabh Singh
Screenwriter: Shubham
Cinematographer: Saumyananda Sahi
Editor: Tanushree Das
Cast: Shardul Bhardwaj, Mahender Nath, Shashi Bhushan, Nutan Sinha, Naina Sareen, Nitin Goel
Hired as a "monkey repeller" to scare away primates from Delhi's government buildings, Anjani unexpectedly connects with his animal aggression as he struggles against his exploitative boss and the pressures of social conformity.
Just Like That
India/2019/120mins/Hindi
US Premiere
Director: Kislay
Producer: Shwetaabh Singh
Screenwriter: Kislay
Cinematographer: Saumyananda Sahi
Editor: Tanushree Das
Cast: Mohini Sharma, Harish Khanna, Sadhna Singh, Trimala Adhikari, Saumya Jakhmola, Shivam Sharma
After her husband of 52 years dies, Mrs. Sharma defies the expectations of her family and refuses to move in with them, choosing instead to forge her own path and strike up new friendships that make her THE TALK of her small town.
Moothon (The Elder One)
India/2019/119mins/Malayalam, Hindi
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producer: Vinod Kumar
Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas
Cinematographer: Rajeev Ravi
Editors: Ajith Kumar, Kiran Das
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Shashank Arora, Roshan Mathew, Sanjana Dipu, Sobhita Dhulipala
14-year-old Mulla leaves home behind to find his long-lost brother in the dangerous streets of Mumbai, falling under the sway of a local crime boss with secrets of his own.
Documentary Features:
Because We Are Girls
Canada/2019/85mins/English, Punjabi
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Baljit Sangra
Producers: Selwyn Jacob, Shirley Vercruysse
Screenwriter: Baljit Sangra
Cinematographer: Grant Baldwin
Editors: Carmen Pollard, Jessica Dymond
Cast: Jeeti Pooni, Kira Pooni, Salakshana Pooni, Narinder Pooni, Gurdev Pooni
The dark underbelly of a Punjabi Canadian family in Williams Lake, British Columbia lies exposed when three sisters break more than two decades of silence by taking legal action against their sexually abusive cousin and confronting the members of their immediate family who enabled him.
Pariah Dog
USA/2019/77mins/Bengali, English
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Jesse Alk
Producer: Jesse Alk
Screenwriters: Jesse Alk, Koustav Sinha
Cinematographer: Jesse Alk
Editor: Jesse Alk
Cast: Subrata Das, Malika Sarkar, Kajal Halder, Pinaki Dasgupta
Four marginalized, deeply compassionate individuals battle with personal pain, poverty and social discrimination to do the thing they love above all: take care of the pariah stray dogs that roam the streets of Kolkata.
Shorts:
Bittu
India/USA/2020/17mins/Hindi
World Premiere
Director: Karishma Dev Dube
Producer: Mary Evangelista
Screenwriter: Karishma Dube
Cinematographer: Shreya Dube
Editors: Colin Elliott, Karishma Dube
Cast: Rani Kumari, Renu Kumari, Saurabh Saraswat
When adversity strikes, the future may depend on Bittu, a defiant young girl with a brilliantly foul tongue.
Coffee Shop Names
USA/2020/8mins/English
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Deepak Sethi
Producer: Valerie Steinberg
Screenwriter: Deepak Sethi
Cinematographer: Jack McDonald
Editor: Stephanie Kaznocha
Cast: Danny Pudi, Karan Soni, Kausar Mohammed, Anders Holm
As they wait for the barista to call out their coffee drinks, three Indian colleagues fantasize about their alternate personas that inspired their fake Americanized names.
Custody
India/2019/23mins/Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi
US Premiere
Director: Ambiecka Pandit
Producer: Ambiecka Pandit
Screenwriters: Ambiecka Pandit, Karan Pandit
Cinematographer: Satya Rai Nagpaul
Editor: Atanu Mukherjee
Cast: Karan Pandit, Trimala Adhikari, Geetika Vidya, Swaroopa Ghosh, Tanaji Dasgupta, Sanghmitra Hitaishi
When carelessness results in tragedy, a group of friends celebrating New Year's Eve in Mumbai turn on each other.
The Flying Trunk
India/2019/13mins/Pahari
World Premiere
Director: Siddharth Chauhan
Producer: Siddharth Chauhan
Screenwriter: Siddharth Chauhan
Cinematographers: Yashwant Kumar Sharma, Siddharth Chauhan
Editors: Kartik Jaryal, Ish Sharma & Siddharth Chauhan
Cast: Arush Thakur, Divya Tegta Saagar, Zunchi Devi, Sheetal Mehta
In a remote Himalayan village, a young orphan boy's imagination is fueled by his eccentric grandmother's fantastical tales.
Ghazaal
India/2019/15mins/Persian
Director: Ragini Bhasin
Producer: Kevin Wang
Screenwriter: Ragini Bhasin
Cinematographer: Connor Vickers
Editor: Emma Wang
Cast: Ghazaal Khirandesh, Bilal Khirandesh, Farid Khirandesh
A resourceful teenager living in a refugee camp where basic personal hygiene has become a luxury is on a mission to survive the onset of her menstrual period.
The Loyal Man
France/2019/37mins/Tamil, French
US Premiere
Director: Lawrence Valin
Producers: Simon Bleuzé, Marc Bordure
Screenwriters: Marlene Poste, Lawrence Valin
Cinematographer: Maxence Lemonnier
Editor: Anais Manuelli
Cast: Lawrence Valin, Aurora Marion, Anthonythasan Jesuthasan
A devoted henchman's loyalty to Sir, the feared leader of the Parisian Tamil mafia, is shaken when he takes a young immigrant woman under his wing.
Proof (Saboot)
India/2019/20mins/Hindi
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Nishtha Jain
Producer: Ritesh Jaltare
Screenwriter: Nishtha Jain
Cinematographer: Deepti Gupta
Editor: Nishtha Jain
Cast: Ritesh Jaltare, Susmita Sur, Martin Jishil, Nidhi Mishra, Aman Jeet, Rakhi Mansha
A novice gynecologist at a government hospital in Delhi gets a lesson in callous indifference and bureaucracy when a victim of sexual assault arrives for care at his clinic.
The Shower
USA/2019/14mins/English
World Premiere
Director: Mahesh Pailoor
Producers: Adil Chamakh, Pia Shah
Screenwriter: Pia Shah
Cinematographer: Taylor Frontier
Editor: Mahesh Pailoor
Cast: Pia Shah, Emily C. Chang, Rupak Ginn
Two worlds collide when Maya's oldest friend shows up at her baby shower, single and child-free.
The Song We Sang
India/2020/20mins/English, Hindi
World Premiere
Director: Aarti Neharsh
Producers: Rahul Tejwani, Chintan Bhatt, Manan Bhatt
Screenwriters: Aarti Neharsh, Chintan Bhatt
Cinematographer: Nishant Gala
Editor: Manan Bhatt
Cast: Serena Walia, Ayushi Gupta
Roaming the streets of Ahmedabad on a festive Navaratri night, two young women may have the chance to fall for each other.
Sunday
India/2019/10mins/Hindi
North American Premiere
Director: Arun Fulara
Producer: Arun Fulara
Screenwriter: Arun Fulara
Cinematographer: Rangoli Agarwal
Editor: Kaivalya Kayande
Cast: Shrikant Yadav, Prakash Joshi
A middle aged man makes a pilgrimage to his favorite barber shop every Sunday, rain or shine. And it's not just for a shave.
Uncle
USA/2019/12mins/English
World Premiere
Director: Andrew Carter
Producers: Kahlil Maskati, Andrew Carter, Omar Maskati, Cory Yee, Amy Hartman
Screenwriter: Kahlil Maskati
Cinematographer: Patrick Ouziel
Editor: Andrew Carter
Cast: Omar Maskati, Ajay Naidu, Rizwan Manji
A father and son's daily morning commute is the perfect time for some good bickering and their chance for connection.
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