IFFLA 2024 Unveils Inaugural Industry Day In Los Angeles - Details Inside

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has unveiled its inaugural IFFLA Industry Day lineup and partners. This event will occur on Friday, June 28, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm at Landmark Theatres Sunset, Los Angeles, CA.

Industry Day passes are now available at indianfilmfestival.org. This event aims to connect filmmakers from South Asia and its diasporas with experts from Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Sundance Institute, and more.

The program includes a pitch competition with a $10,000 award, panels, roundtable discussions, and a keynote address by Moira Shourie, Executive Director of Zócalo Public Square. The day will end with a screening of Lucy Walker's film, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa.

Since its inception 22 years ago, IFFLA has become a key hub for the South Asian film community in Hollywood. The festival continues to discover South Asian talent and provide them opportunities to interact with industry leaders.

"We are thrilled to launch the inaugural edition of our Industry Day," said Christina Marouda, Executive Director of IFFLA. "This will not only be a first for IFFLA as an organization but for the entire film community."

India Center Foundation, which recently merged with IFFLA, provided crucial funding for this event. Warner Bros. Discovery has joined as a major sponsor. Additional sponsors include SAGindie, Disney, Joy of Sharing, and Tarsadia Foundation.

The highlight of IFFLA Industry Day is Launch Pad: A Pitch Competition. Projects in development will be presented to a panel of executives and a live audience. One project will receive a $10,000 development grant from Joy of Sharing and Tarsadia Foundation.

"The Launchpad: Pitch Competition attracted over 200 South Asian writers from all corners of the US. We were overwhelmed by the quality of the applications," said Noopur Sinha, Festival Producer.

Panel themes include South Asian Success Stories and the current state of the industry. Warner Bros. Discovery will host a discussion about real-world journeys of South Asian writers, directors, producers, and actors.

IFFLA Industry Day will conclude with a special screening of Lucy Walker's new Netflix documentary, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa. Walker, Lhakpa Sherpa, and Sunny Dijmarescu will be present for a post-screening discussion.

Passes to experience IFFLA Industry Day are now available. The Industry All-Access Pass ($180) provides admission to all festival screenings, galas, and industry day programming. The Industry Day Pass ($40) offers access to the keynote address, two panels, pitch competition, and the evening reception.