LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (“IFFLA”) and The India Center Foundation (“ICF”) have officially merged their assets to embark on collaborative projects focused on visual storytelling within the South Asian community. In tandem with this announcement, IFFLA revealed that its 22nd edition is scheduled to take place from June 27-30, 2024, with Anu Rangachar joining as the newly appointed Artistic Director.
Long-time collaborators, IFFLA and ICF are set to closely collaborate on various initiatives, including the incubation and launch of an industry development program aimed at showcasing emerging South Asian talent to studios, funders, and media executives.
Priya Giri Desai, co-founder of ICF, expressed enthusiasm about the merger, stating, “We saw an opportunity to scale our work nationally as one of the leading supporters of emerging creative talent in the diaspora. By joining forces with IFFLA, we can bring much-needed resources to support the stories that need to be told in the media. Our stories.”
Christina Marouda, IFFLA Board Chair, echoed the sentiment, saying, “We are thrilled to officially team up with ICF. I have personally worked with the organization since its inception on multiple film festivals and media projects, and I have such respect for the way they have thoughtfully and strategically developed the organization and selflessly supported diverse creative output. I have no doubt that we can bring even greater impact together.”
Raoul Bhavnani, President and co-founder of ICF, expressed happiness about the alignment between the two organizations, emphasizing their shared commitment to supporting serious artistry. He looks forward to witnessing the collaborative impact of ICF and IFFLA.
As part of the merger, Priya Giri Desai has joined the IFFLA Board of Directors. In this role, she will oversee the funding that ICF contributes to the joint venture over several years. Her expertise in creating documentary and scripted South Asian content, coupled with an extensive network, will contribute to the success of the IFFLA industry development program.
Adding to the excitement, Anu Rangachar has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of IFFLA. With a rich background heading the International Program at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival for the past 15 years, Rangachar brings valuable experience and international collaborations to the team.
Christina Marouda expressed the festival’s honor in welcoming Anu Rangachar, stating, “We are honored to be welcoming Anu to our team and cannot wait to work with her in developing exciting programs and meaningful partnerships in the future.” The collaboration signifies a significant step forward for both organizations in promoting and nurturing South Asian talent in the realm of visual storytelling.
Diya TV has been a proud partner of IFFLA for more than a decade. Watch some of our coverage of their previous festivals here:
