The 22nd Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) today announced the winners of their annual jury and audience awards for 2024. Film winners were announced at the gala Closing Night awards ceremony at the Writers Guild Theater on June 30, 2024. The Pitch Competition was announced at the inaugural IFFLA Industry Day at Landmark Theatre Sunset on June 28, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
“This year’s edition of IFFLA marked an exciting moment of growth for us, with new locations in the heart of Los Angeles, while continuing to serve as a key hub for South Asian filmmakers to gather and celebrate the powerful storytelling and achievements of this vibrant community,” said IFFLA Executive Director Christina Marouda. “Our audiences enthusiastically welcomed an incredible lineup of films, resulting in record-breaking attendance. We also introduced IFFLA Industry Day, which offered an invaluable opportunity for remarkably talented filmmakers to be educated, inspired, and to engage in meaningful conversations with industry leaders.”
Esteemed auteurs and industry professionals voted to determine the IFFLA Jury Awards which were given to films and filmmakers in feature and short categories.
The Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film was awarded to GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS directed by Shuchi Talati. The jury stated: “We enjoyed watching all the films this year; they all highlight stories across the subcontinent and feature nuanced portrayals of the microcosm of South Asian life. We have come a long way from South Asian stereotypes and are proud to be championing talent from all over the subcontinent and the diaspora. The films we awarded this year feature important conversations regarding shame and the way we react and respond to shame in our society. GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS is a nuanced portrayal of the universal story of coming of age where all elements come together elegantly. It normalizes the contradiction of our innermost desires coupled with society’s expectations in a completely accessible package.”
DEAR JASSI received the Feature Jury Honorable Mention, stating, “This film is a fable of two star-crossed lovers, which reflects the dark sides of our society. Our job as storytellers is not just to entertain, but to inform and affect change. And this film does exactly that. DEAR JASSI makes a rallying cry, an emphatic shout to reflect upon how shame rules us.”
The Jury Members for the Feature Film Competition were:
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Mirsada Abdool Raman (Vice President of Global Television Development at Miramax)
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Mohammed Ali (Mo) Naqvi (Emmy Television Academy Honor Producer, Turning Point, Shame)
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Roshan Sethi (Writer, Director, and Practicing oncologist at Harvard Medical School. Co-creator of The Resident)
The Grand Jury Prize for Best Short was given to LAST DAYS OF SUMMER, directed by Stenzin Tankongj, about which the jury stated, “Although we had some stellar short films to choose from, our choice for the winning film was unanimous. A poignant, beautiful film set against the backdrop of the majestic mountains of Ladakh, this film is an intriguing parable about the greatest existential threat of our time. With elegant storytelling, cinematography, and subtle but powerful performances, this film uses wit and mystery to juxtapose our relationship with the natural world and our responsibility towards it. Director Yuki Ellias’s LOVELY & TIP TOP was given a Short Film Jury Honorable Mention
The Jury members for the Best Short Film Competition are:
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Terrie Samundra (Screenwriter, Director, Kaali Khuhi)
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Shriya Pilgaonkar (Actress, Fan, Mirzapur, Guilty Minds, The Broken News, and Taaza Khabar)
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Francisco Velasquez (Associate Director of Project Involve at Film Independent)
The 2024 Audience Choices Awards, voted on by IFFLA attendees, went to Lucy Walker’s feature documentary MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA and the short film HEMA by Ritvik Dhavale.
Shuchi Dwivedi and her project FRIENDS AND FASCISM was the winner of the inaugural IFFLA Industry Day’s Pitch Competition. An Honorable Mention was given to Sejal Pachisia for her project EMPATHICO.
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) took place from Thursday, June 27, to Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Los Angeles, US. With a highly curated program focused on South Asian films, IFFLA 2024 presented twenty-one films, including seven narrative features, twelve shorts, and two documentaries. This diverse lineup features works from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United States, showcasing South Asian stories and perspectives from around the world.
Highlights included the Los Angeles premiere of Tarsem Singh’s forbidden romance DEAR JASSI and Nithilan Saminathan’s Tamil film MAHARAJA, starring Vijay Sethupathi and maverick filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as the villain. Features included the stylized violence of KILL, written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga; the coming-of-age story and Sundance winner GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS, written and directed by Shuchi Talati; the award-winning filmmaker Christo Tomy’s film UNDERCURRENT, which explores the powerful themes of female solidarity; a tender love story that premiered at SXSW, BEN AND SUZANNE, A REUNION IN 4 PARTS, written and directed by Shaun Seneviratne; and the touching tale A HOUSE NAMED SHAHANA, by Leesa Gazi and co-written by Aanon Siddiqui.
Opening and Closing Night Galas took place at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills (135 S Doheny Drive), while all other screenings, industry day, and panels were held at the Landmark Theatres Sunset (8000 Sunset Blvd).
IFFLA is supported by NBCUniversal, Joy of Sharing and Tarsadia Foundation, Warner Bros Discovery Access, Air India, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, among other sponsors.
For more information, please visit www.indianfilmfestival.org and follow us on Facebook (/indianfilmfestival), Instagram (@indianfilmfestival), and X (formerly Twitter) (@iffla).
For press images, click HERE.
A full list of winners is below:
THE GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FEATURE FILM AWARD
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GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS by Shuchi Talati
FEATURE JURY HONORABLE MENTION
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DEAR JASSI by Tarsem Singh
THE GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
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LAST DAYS OF SUMMER by Stenzin Tankong
SHORT FILM JURY HONORABLE MENTION
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LOVELY & TIP TOP by Yuki Ellias
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
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MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA by Lucy Walker
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
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HEMA by Ritvik Dhavale
PITCH COMPETITION WINNER
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Shuchi Dwivedi, FRIENDS AND FASCISM
PITCH COMPETITION HONORABLE MENTION
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Sejal Pachisia, EMPATHICO
