LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — The 14th annual Indian Film Festival starts Wednesday, October 11th. For the first time, this summer right of passage has re-scheduled for an early fall fête this year. Offering a bevy of South Asian cinema from all over the Indian subcontinent, to the diaspora, a Masterclass with IFFLA alum Vishal Bhardwaj, an industry panel of social media content creators and an exciting shorts program, Christina Marouda and her incredible team are ready to wow us again this year.
To catch a preview of IFFLA 2023 watch Diya TV’s Kari Lane talk to festival producer, Noopur Sinha, Co-Directors of Programming Thouly Dosios & Ritesh Mehta:
First, the opening night film Khufiya, starring the Uber-talented Tabu. The film is already getting a huge buzz on social media, with critics raving about Tabu’s performance in this fierce, female-drive, espionage drama. And even though it’s out on Netflix, there is nothing quite like waiting to watch this opening night film in a theatre full of cinephiles ready to opine over wine & samosas shortly after at the Opening Night Gala to be held at the Harmony Gold.
Another one, along the spy theme is Berlin. As India awaits the historic visit of Boris Yeltsin in 1993, a deaf and mute waiter is arrested on suspicions of assassinating the Russian president. The Indian Intelligence Bureau recruits an unassuming school teacher & sign language interpreter to interrogate the suspect. What ensues is exactly the type of cinema one would expect to watch at a festival that seeks to enthrall and amaze.
A few other notable mentions are Attam, a theatre set drama around sexual assault.
Set in the north eastern state of India, Meghalaya, Rapture lends you the perspective of a young child as he navigates a very challenging time of unexplained disappearances as the imperious local pastor prophesies the apocalypse while selling salvation for a hefty price.
Aside from films, events such as the Masterclass by the IFFLA Alum & legendary Vishal Bhardwaj are what make IFFLA so pivotal to world of cinema. These conversations from veterans captured with the new crop of filmmakers against the backdrop of current events and technology advancements are the catalysts to brining the untold voices to modern cinema.
The multi-talented, Bhardwaj promises to take you through his filmmaking journey, his creative process, his unique vision and his all-round approach to filmmaking, that involves writing, directing, composing and, at times, playback singing.
For more information on the festival or purchase your passes.tickets, please head to www.indianfilmfestival.org
Diya TV is a proud media sponsor of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
