IIFFLA 2026 Announces Third Annual Industry Days Connecting Leading South Asian Creatives

National, April 7, 2026 - The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) proudly announces the return of IFFLA Industry Days, a dynamic two-day forum taking place April 24-25, 2026, at Landmark Sunset in Hollywood. Passes for IFFLA Industry Days are now available at indianfilmfestival.org.

IFFLA also announced that, following a shift in the worldwide release date of Patriot, the festival will now open with Breaking The Code, directed by Ben Rekhi and Swetlana. A moving portrait of family, migration, and memory, Breaking The Code traces the extraordinary life of Kanwal Rekhi, from a modest childhood in newly independent India to his remarkable rise in Silicon Valley. Blending archival footage with intimate glimpses of present-day life, the film reveals the journey of an immigrant shaped by perseverance, risk, and an unwavering belief in himself. A pioneer of the early internet era, a devoted husband, a loving grandfather, and a mentor to generations of innovators, Kanwal Rekhi emerges as a figure seen through the deeply personal lens of his son, Ben Rekhi, Warm, reflective, and deeply intimate, Breaking The Code is both a portrait of a father and a meditation on the immigrant experience in America.

Now in its third year, IFFLA Industry Days serves as a bridge between South Asian film and television creatives and influential players across Hollywood. Executives and creatives from across studios, production companies, and independent platforms will participate in a robust lineup of programming, including IFFLA Connect, Launchpad: Pitch Competition, One-on-One Program, panels, and a special masterclass.

IFFLA Industry Days producer Megha Kadakia, said, "There's an incredible depth of storytelling coming out of South Asian and diasporic creatives right now. IFFLA Industry Days is about creating the space for those stories to connect with the right partners, so they can travel, scale, and reach the audiences they're meant to."

A centerpiece of this year's program is the return of IFFLA Connect. Now in its second year, the initiative presents a curated slate of South Asian and diasporic projects spanning film and television, bringing together emerging voices and established filmmakers. Designed as a platform for collaboration and discovery, IFFLA Connect pairs selected projects with Hollywood executives, offering support across financing, production, casting, and distribution.

IFFLA Connect Line-Up:

- The Lie (Keshni Kashyap, Director)
- ⁠Mayapuri (Aranya Sahay, Director)
- ⁠Nisa (Ambarien Alqadar, Director)
- ⁠Producers: Neeraj Churi, Sharib Khan, Vikas Kumar, and Eugene Sun Park
- ⁠The Reagan Doctrine (Abhish Raghavan, Director)
- ⁠Producer: Steven Snyder Remember Ivy Court (Soham Mehta, Director)
- Writers: Jonathan John & Soham Mehta
- Producers: Rajiv Maikhuri & Craig Stovel
- ⁠Saund vs Cochran (Mridu Chandra, Director)

The highly anticipated Launchpad: Pitch Competition also returns, offering six finalists the opportunity to present their in-development projects to a panel of industry experts and a live audience. Participating teams will receive real-time feedback, and one project will be awarded a $10,000 development grant.

Finalists:

1. Blind Tiger (盲虎) - TV Series by Amarik Singh Khosa
2. Dead Serious with Maya and Momo - TV Series by Neha Dutta
3. The Fiddler - Feature Film Project by Monisha Dadlani
4. Sapna - Feature Film Project by Maryam Mir
5. Silverfish - Feature Film Project by Raj Krishna and Sudhanshu Saria
6. Thottal Poo Malarum (Flowers Bloom When Touched) - Feature Film Project by Priyanka Krishnan and Raman Nimmala

Mentors:

1. Tanuj Chopra, Showrunner/Director/Executive Producer, Delhi Crime Season 2 & 3
2. ⁠Agam Darshi, Actor/Writer/Director, Donkeyhead
3. ⁠Shruti Ganguly, Producer/Director/Writer
4. ⁠Ravi Kapoor, Writer/Director, Patel, Four Samosas
5. ⁠Meera Menon, Writer/Director, Didn't Die
6. ⁠Sanjay Shah - Showrunner/Executive Producer, Everybody Still Hates Chris

The One-on-One Program returns with an impressive lineup of entertainment executives in attendance. A cornerstone of IFFLA Industry Days, the One-on-One program connects festival filmmakers with leading film industry professionals in Hollywood. This program, which has been running since 2004, features a series of focused 15-minute meetings between participating filmmakers and executives from studios, production companies, distribution companies, and talent agencies. This year's Industry Days will also feature a series of conversations and creative exchanges, including panels such as:

1. "Animating the Future: South Asians in Visual Arts", moderated by Megha Davalath, Pre-Production Technology at Netflix Animation Studios
2. "Interactive Worlds: Gaming as the Next Frontier for South Asian Storytelling"
3. "The Hybrid Release: Combining Alternative & Traditional Distribution in 2026", presented by Kinema.
4. Special Masterclass, "From Pitch to Premiere: Positioning Your Project for the Market," presented by South Stack Studios.

Passes to access IFFLA Industry Days are now available at indianfilmfestival.org. The general public can purchase the Industry All-Access Pass ($180) for admission to all festival screenings and Industry Days programming. For those only interested in Industry Days programming, the Industry Days Pass ($45) provides access to the masterclass, panels, the pitch competition final, networking mixers, and any screenings associated with the panels or masterclass.

MASTERCLASS

From Pitch to Premiere: Positioning Your Project for the Market
This workshop focuses on storytelling as positioning. How to distill the project to its essence, define a strong creative identity, and articulate it across the materials that matter, from loglines and decks to pitches and conversations with buyers, partners, and audiences. Filmmakers will explore how to align their creative vision with how the project is presented in the market.

Presented by South Stack Studios

ANIMATION PANEL

Animating the Future: South Asians in Visual Arts
Animation has become one of the most globally scalable storytelling formats in entertainment. From international blockbusters to prestige anime-inspired fantasy worlds, animated content travels across borders with unprecedented reach. This panel explores the pathways for South Asian IP to expand across streaming, gaming, publishing, and merchandising.

Moderator: Led by Megha Davalath, Pre-Production Technology at Netflix Animation Studios

GAMING PANEL

Interactive Worlds: Gaming as the Next Frontier for South Asian Storytelling

This panel brings together game developers, narrative designers, and producers to explore how storytelling translates into interactive environments, what publishers are looking for, and how creators can move from film or television into game development. For South Asian creators, gaming presents a unique opportunity to build immersive worlds rooted in culture, mythology, and diaspora experiences - while reaching global audiences across platforms.

DISTRIBUTION PANEL

The Hybrid Release: Combining Alternative & Traditional Distribution in 2026

In today's market, distribution is no longer a single-path decision. While traditional sales agents, streamer deals, and territory-based distribution remain viable for some films, many independent filmmakers are combining these approaches with direct-to-audience and event-based releases. This panel explores how filmmakers are strategically blending self-distribution and traditional models to maximize revenue, audience ownership, and long-term career growth.