Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles highlights Indian cinema’s global rise

LOS ANGELES — The recent Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, or IFFLA, celebrated South Asian talent and highlighted the momentum Indian Film has been having. 

“It’s the most exciting time. You know, the wave has been building and I think we’re at a crucial moment in history where we’re not just making some of the best stories, but we’re being recognized by international platforms,” said Noopur Sinha, IFFLA’s Fesitval Producer.

The festival awarded a grant to filmmaker Shuchi Dwivedi for her pitch for her film “Friends and Facism,” which Dwivedi says will go a long way towards getting her film moved forward. 

She too is happy for the attention Indian films are getting internationally. 

“The world is now recognizing that these specific Indian voices have something interesting to say, and know how to do it in a nuanced, interesting very sort of uplifted manner,” Dwivedi said. 

The festival featured films such as Shuchi Talati’s “Girls Will be Girls,” which won two awards at Sundance this year.