IFFLA Industry Days 2026

IFFLA Industry Days 2026
Friday April 24 and Saturday April 25, 2026
Landmark Theatres Sunset

Now in its third year, IFFLA Industry Days serves as a bridge between South Asian film and television creatives and influential players across Hollywood. Executives and creatives from across studios, production companies, and independent platforms will participate in a robust lineup of programming, including IFFLA Connect, Launchpad: Pitch Competition, One-on-One Program, panels, and a special masterclass.

Explore our exciting Industry Days program below, and visit our 2026 Festival Guide to see all the films and events.

Friday, April 24:

• The Hybrid Release: Combining Alternative & Traditional Distribution in 2026 (Panel)
• Animating the Future: South Asians in Visual Arts. Global Platforms & Opportunities (Panel)
• Launchpad: Pitch Competition 2026
• South Asian Happy Hour supported by SAIE and CAPE

Saturday, April 25:

• From Pitch to Premiere: Positioning Your Project for the Market (Masterclass)
• Interactive Worlds: Gaming as the Next Frontier for South Asian Storytelling (Panel)
  
• Industry Happy Hour supported by SAWIE and AWD

Buy an Industry Days Pass or Industry All-Access Pass to attend these events!

In today’s market, distribution is no longer a single-path decision. While traditional sales agents, streamer deals, and territory-based distribution remain viable for some films, many independent filmmakers are combining these approaches with direct-to-audience and event-based releases.

What does a hybrid strategy look like in practice? When should you pursue a traditional distributor — and when does it make sense to retain certain rights? How can platforms like Kinema complement festival premieres, educational licensing, or streaming deals? This panel explores how filmmakers are strategically blending self-distribution and traditional models to maximize revenue, audience ownership, and long-term career growth.

Presented by Kinema
Moderated by So Yun Um, Director/Producer

Panelists: 

• Rish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Kinema
• Brian Walker, CEO, Picture Motion
• Adam Saunders, Writer, Director, Producer, Actor

Animation has become one of the most globally scalable storytelling formats in entertainment. From international blockbusters to prestige anime-inspired fantasy worlds, animated content travels across borders with unprecedented reach. This has caught the eyes of streaming platforms who are investing heavily in animated originals and international co-productions.

With the global rise of animation and cross-cultural fandom, how do we create South Asian stories?

This panel explores the pathways for South Asian IP to expand across streaming, gaming, publishing, and merchandising.

Moderator: Led by Megha Davalath, Pre-Production Technology at Netflix Animation Studios

Panelists: TBD

Panelists:

• Arun Ganapathy, Manager, Music Creative and Production for Animation Series and Kids & Family TV, Netflix
• Jaydeep Hasrajani, Writer and Director. Co-Founder, SAVA Collective
• Avneet Kaur, Head of Workflow-Studio Pipeline, Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Pradipto Sengupta, Head of CFX, DreamWorks Animation

Moderator: Megha Davalath, Pre-Production Technology at Netflix Animation Studios

The highly anticipated Launchpad: Pitch Competition returns as part of Industry Days, with six selected finalists presenting their in-development projects to a panel of distinguished industry experts and a live audience. Participants will receive real-time feedback, creating a dynamic forum for creative exchange and project development.
One project will be awarded a $10,000 development grant, announced at the Awards Ceremony on Closing Night. 

Meet the finalists and their projects! 
Click the image below.

Pitch Competition Jury:

• Abhijay Prakash, President, Blumhouse
• Aneesh Chaganty, Writer and Director (Searching, Run)
• Kamala Avila-Salmon, Founder and CEO, Kas Kas Productions
• Ugo Obioha, Motion Picture Literary Agent, United Talent Agency
• Kimia Simab, Manager, Television, Searchlight Pictures
• Paul Tamasy, Writer/Producer/ Director
• Vanessa Pearce, Coordinator, Studio Series team at Netflix

Pitch Competition Mentors:

• • Tanuj Chopra (Showrunner/Director/Executive Producer, Delhi Crime Season 2 & 3)
  • Sanjay Shah (Showrunner/Executive Producer, Everybody Still Hates Chris)
  • Ravi Kapoor (Writer/Director, Patel, Four Samosas)
  • Shruti Ganguly (Producer/Director/Writer)
  • Meera Menon (Writer/Director, Didn’t Die)
  • Agam Darshi (Actor/Writer/Director, Donkeyhead)

Learn more about the finalists and their projects!

Storytelling doesn’t end with the film. It’s how a project is framed, communicated, and propelled forward, from early development through financing, festivals, and ultimately distribution and sales. Every project carries an internal logic, its own voice, tone, and point of view. The challenge is translating that into clear, compelling materials that others can understand, invest in, and champion.

This workshop focuses on storytelling as positioning. How to distill your project to its essence, define a strong creative identity, and articulate it across the materials that matter, from loglines and decks to pitches and conversations with buyers, partners, and audiences.

We’ll explore how to align your creative vision with how your project is presented in the market, so it travels with clarity and intention at every stage.

As the landscape evolves, the advantage isn’t just having a strong story; it’s knowing how to communicate it in a way that opens doors and moves your project forward.

Panelists:

• Neha Dutta, Innovation Manager, IW Group
• Vanessa Erazo, Editorial Director and Founder, Cinelandia
• Russell Palmer, Co-Founder and CEO, CyberFilm AI
• Sanjay Sharma, CEO, Marginal Mediaworks
• Caleb Ward, CEO and Artist, Curious Refuge

Moderated by Anjana Gopakumar, Founder & Executive Director, South Stack Studios

Video games have become one of the most powerful storytelling mediums of our time. From narrative-driven indie games to expansive open-world franchises, interactive storytelling now rivals film and television in both audience reach and cultural impact.

For South Asian creators, gaming presents a unique opportunity to build immersive worlds rooted in culture, mythology, and diaspora experiences — while reaching global audiences across platforms. This panel brings together game developers, narrative designers, and producers to explore how storytelling translates into interactive environments, what publishers are looking for, and how creators can move from film or television into game development.

Moderator: Anjali Bhimani, Actor

Panelists: 

• Zehra Fazal, Actor
• Barathy Rangarajan, Ember Lab
• Nikhil Koparkar, Composer for Games, Television & Film
• Janina Gavankar, Actor and Narrative Consultant

IFFLA Connect returns as a centerpiece of this year’s Industry Days program. Now in its second year, the initiative showcases a curated slate of South Asian and diasporic film and television projects, bringing together both emerging voices and established filmmakers. Designed as a platform for collaboration and discovery, IFFLA Connect pairs selected projects with key industry professionals, offering support across financing, production, casting, and distribution, while fostering meaningful partnerships to help bring these projects to life.

This event is open only to the selected project participants and Industry invitees. 

Click image below to find out more about the projects!

The One-on-One Program is a cornerstone of IFFLA Industry Days, connecting South Asian filmmakers with leading film and television executives in Hollywood. Established in 2004, the program has become a vital platform for fostering industry relationships through a series of curated 15-minute meetings between participating filmmakers and professionals from across studios, production companies, distribution companies, and talent agencies. Designed to spark meaningful dialogue and long-term collaboration, the program features executives from a distinguished group of organizations, including Color Creative, Film Independent, HBO, Jaya Entertainment, Library Pictures International, MACRO, Marginal Mediaworks, Netflix, NBCU Launch, Onyx Collective, South Stack Studios, Sundance Institute, Zero Gravity Management, and more.

This event is open only to the IFFLA 2026 filmmakers.

For all public Industry Days programs, click below to buy an Industry Days Pass or Industry All-Access Pass.

IFFLA Industry Day Sponsors: