In response to community-identified needs, IFFLA brings groundbreaking independent cinema from South Asia and its diasporas to audiences across Greater Los Angeles, in a vibrant, highly curated program comprising narrative, documentary, and animated features and shorts. In addition to film screenings, the festival offers systemically under-resourced storytellers mentorship and networking opportunities through masterclasses, panels, and events. Our programming removes access barriers and promotes the diverse perspectives of South Asian filmmakers and their diasporic communities in Los Angeles, California, and abroad.

In 2024, IFFLA launched IFFLA Industry Day, a day-long forum in Los Angeles for rising and established film and television creatives and executives. Informed by direct feedback from our community, IFFLA expanded Industry Day into a two-day forum in 2025. This expansion specifically addressed the lack of access to creative, financing and professional mentorship for South Asian storytellers. In 2026, IFFLA Industry Days took place over two days with more panels, masterclasses, and mentorship events as well as the IFFLA Connect and IFFLA One on Ones programs, which link projects in development to financiers and collaborators. All three editions of Industry Days have featured Launchpad, a dynamic live pitch competition where finalists pitch their film and television projects to a panel of industry executives receiving feedback in front of an audience. The winner is awarded a $10,000 development grant to further advance their project.

IFFLA serves as a culturally responsive space that removes structural barriers to the entertainment industry. By integrating community feedback into our program design, we ensure that our programming, mentorship, grants, and networking events are accessible and prioritize those most impacted by systemic exclusion. IFFLA has become an enlightening cultural space which builds context and buzz about upcoming work, provides an avenue for new, underrepresented work, leverages relationships by imparting vital mentorship and grants, and fosters community.