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IFFLA 2026 Full Lineup Revealed: Mohanlal and Mammootty Reunite on Screen After 18 Years in Malayalam Thriller Patriot
The 24th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles runs April 23–26, 2026 in Hollywood, featuring 27 films across 14 countries
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has officially unveiled its complete film slate for its 24th edition, and South Asian cinema fans are in for a truly landmark event. Taking place April 23–26, 2026 at Landmark Sunset Hollywood and Harmony Gold in Los Angeles, the festival brings together 27 films from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the UK, France, Germany, and the USA.
Tickets and passes go on sale March 19 at indianfilmfestival.org.
Opening Night: Mohanlal and Mammootty Together Again in Patriot
The festival kicks off with the U.S. Premiere of Patriot, the highly anticipated Malayalam espionage thriller directed by Mahesh Narayanan. The film marks the first on-screen reunion of Malayalam cinema’s two biggest icons — Mohanlal and Mammootty — in 18 years, a pairing that alone is enough to send fans into a frenzy.
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Patriot centers on a top-tier researcher who uncovers the illegal use of a high-level surveillance asset, launching a national manhunt that transforms him from a loyal patriot into a fugitive. Running at 172 minutes, the edge-of-your-seat thriller promises high-octane action, covert operations, and a powerhouse ensemble cast.
Closing Night: Anusha Rizvi Returns with The Great Shamsuddin Family
Closing out IFFLA 2026 is the North American Premiere of The Great Shamsuddin Family, the long-awaited follow-up from Peepli Live director Anusha Rizvi. Set over the course of a single day inside a Delhi apartment, the razor-sharp social satire follows a writer racing to meet a critical deadline while her family’s domestic chaos reaches a boiling point.
Described as a microcosm of modern India, the 97-minute film blends humor and heartbreak through themes of generational tension, urban neurosis, and female resilience. It is one of the most buzzed-about Indian films heading into 2026.
The Full Narrative Features Lineup
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IFFLA 2026’s narrative features showcase bold debut directors and award-winning work from across South Asia.
Sand City (Bangladesh) — Mahde Hasan’s visually striking debut won the Proxima Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Set in Dhaka, the film traces an unexpected connection between two strangers — a young indigenous woman and an ambitious factory worker — against the city’s relentless, shifting sand.
Ghost School (Pakistan/Germany/Saudi Arabia) — IFFLA alum Seemab Gul makes her feature debut with this haunting film about a ten-year-old girl navigating a community gripped by rumors that a jinn has possessed her schoolteacher.
Shape of Momo (India) — Director Tribeny Rai’s acclaimed film about intergenerational womanhood in a remote Himalayan village receives its North American Premiere. The film has been making waves on the international festival circuit.
Lali (Pakistan) — Veteran Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s darkly comic North American Premiere follows a newlywed couple caught between love, superstition, and a blood-soaked fate they can’t escape.
Songs of Forgotten Trees (India) — First-time director Anuparna Roy won the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival for this intimate portrait of two young migrant women building an unlikely bond amid Mumbai’s urban sprawl.
Documentary Features: Personal, Powerful, and Distinctly Diasporic
IFFLA 2026’s documentary slate takes an intimate look at the immigrant experience through the eyes of the next generation.
The Gas Station Attendant (USA) — Karla Murthy’s deeply moving portrait of her own father’s journey from India to America, told through archival footage and late-night phone calls recorded while he worked the nightshift at a gas station. The film won Best Documentary at the Nashville Film Festival and received a Special Mention at Sheffield DocFest.
Breaking The Code (World Premiere / USA–India) — Co-directed by Ben Rekhi and Swetlana, this special presentation documentary follows Rekhi as he retraces his father’s path from a modest childhood in post-independence India to becoming a trailblazing tech pioneer in Silicon Valley.
Short Films: A Platform for 13 Female Directors
IFFLA’s 2026 short film program is one of its most expansive yet, spotlighting 18 films — 13 of which are helmed by women directors. Festival highlights include:
- Tenfa (World Premiere, India) — Nihaarika Negi’s sweeping 30-minute Himalayan journey about three women searching for an endangered herb to save a mother’s life, guided only by a forgotten folksong.
- Plain Folks (World Premiere, USA) — Fatima Liaqat’s horror-comedy about a Pakistani freshman whose dream of the perfect college party turns into a nightmare at a predominantly white campus.
- Hidden Sun (North American Premiere, Japan) — Shuchi Talati, director of Girls Will Be Girls (IFFLA 2024), returns with a drama about a couple whose desire is reawakened through a chance encounter with a flamenco dancer.
- O’Sey Balamma (India) — Straight from Sundance, Raman Nimmala’s soulful film about the bond between a matriarch and her housekeeper during the Sankranti festival.
- Bleat! (Malaysia/France) — Cannes Critics’ Week Queer Palm winner by Ananth Subramaniam, about an elderly Malaysian-Tamil couple whose male goat turns out to be pregnant.
- Ali (Bangladesh) — Cannes Special Mention winner Adnan Al Rajeev’s haunting film about a teenage singer hiding his true voice to reach the city.
IFFLA Industry Days Returns with $10,000 Pitch Grant
Beyond screenings, IFFLA 2026 brings back its highly anticipated Industry Days Forum — a major hub connecting South Asian film and TV creatives with Hollywood executives. The forum includes panels, masterclasses, screenings, and a $10,000 Pitch Competition Development Grant open to emerging filmmakers.
The IFFLA Connect program also returns, linking standout projects from South Asia and its diasporas with key industry professionals for support across financing, production, casting, and distribution. Full details on panels and pitch finalists will be announced in the coming weeks.
What to Know: IFFLA 2026 at a Glance
- Dates: April 23–26, 2026
- Venues: Landmark Sunset Hollywood (8000 Sunset Blvd.) and Harmony Gold (7655 Sunset Blvd.), Los Angeles, CA
- Total Films: 27 (7 narrative features, 2 documentary features, 18 short films)
- Countries Represented: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, France, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, USA
- Tickets: On sale March 19 at indianfilmfestival.org
- Social: @indianfilmfestival (Instagram) | @iffla (X/Twitter)
Urban Asian will be covering IFFLA 2026. Stay tuned for reviews, interviews, and festival coverage.
