The 23rd edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) unveils the 2025 lineup,
reaffirming its role as the leading platform for South Asian cinema in the U.S. Over two
decades, IFFLA has championed bold storytelling and emerging talent and underscores the
same commitment in 2025 with a lineup that includes the best of South Asian cinema. The
festival will open with Varsha Bharath’s directorial debut, Bad Girl, and close with Lawrence
Valin’s debut, Little Jaffna
This year’s lineup includes an eclectic mix of South Asian films from countries like India,
Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, along with international co-
productions from France, Singapore, and Norway. IFFLA 2025 will feature 27 films,
including seven narrative features, one documentary, 18 shorts, and a special two-episode
screening of an anthology series. The festival includes two world premieres, six North
American premieres, three U.S. premieres, and 14 Los Angeles premieres, highlighting a
diverse and exciting slate of new voices and perspectives.
Beyond individual highlights, this year’s lineup celebrates the rich diversity of South Asian
cinema with a strong emphasis on female-driven narratives both in front and behind the
camera
IFFLA was founded in 2002 as a non-profit organization with the aim to offer the Los
Angeles community a unique opportunity to learn about India’s multifaceted culture and long
history of filmmaking. Since then, IFFLA has grown into the premiere U.S. venue for
discovering the best of South Asian cinema, as well as a vital hub that fosters an important
dialogue among the most original independent storytellers from India and its diaspora, the
greater South Asian diasporic community, and the international film
industry at large.