If you think that visiting the highly anticipated and wonderfully attended Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles is a cinematic luxury reserved only for those who live in or around the City of Angels, you are mistaken. In fact, one of the appeals of the festival for me has always been its location, beckoning all for a short Spring getaway from the chaos and unsettled weather of the Big Apple, the Windy City or wherever you call home. Six days, jam-packed with amazing Indian cinema and filmmakers, Hollywood celebrities and even the occasional Bollywood Megastar - you might feel a slight pang of envy when I tell you that Anil Kapoor was super accessible at last year’s IFFLA - in a city that is known for its sunny and dry weather… I mean, who could ask for anything more, right?!

As someone who has enjoyed the festival for the last couple of years, I recommend booking yourself an airline ticket with any US carrier for the entire run - April 20th through the 25th - then checking out Hotwire for special Hollywood hotel deals - I must stress booking something within Hollywood because it’s essential to be close to the ArcLight theater to truly enjoy all that IFFLA has to offer - and packing a small carry-on full of t-shirts and jeans for daytime and trendy Indo-chic clothing for the Galas. Oh, and don’t forget a warm jacket or wrap for the typically chilly LA nights. The rest, leave it all to the magic of Indian cinema and the fantastic IFFLA festival staff. 

This year will be IFFLA’s eighth edition, under the talented direction of filmi insider Christina Marouda, and as far as accessibility and ease of attendance, I’m not afraid to say that the festival is a personal favorite. It’s all held in one venue - the ArcLight Hollywood - there are very few overlapping films - allowing for ease of viewing of all the titles and very little running around - and the festival is the adult equivalent of being a kid in a candy store for those who love Indian cinema. I’ve run into Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap while standing in the popcorn line, stared at Anil Kapoor while simultaneously enjoying a fragrant cappuccino at the open-air cafe in the courtyard of the theater and bumped into Nandita Das on my way to the ladies room. Literally. And that was just in one night.

There is definitely a full film program awaiting those who’ll attend this year’s Festival. Kicking off the Opening Night Gala is a film I have yet to view titled ‘Cooking with Stella’. Several tidbits of information have made it a must-see on my list, first and foremost among them is that gorgeous actress Lisa Ray - who plays one of the leads - is currently fighting her own battle with Multiple Myeloma, a form of cancer that affects the white blood cells. She has been blogging and tweeting about it and her very public courage is both extraordinary and  awe-inspiring. Befittingly, part of the proceeds from the Opening Night Gala at IFFLA will go to the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. The film is produced and co-written by Deepa Mehta, who is never a stranger to controversy, and is directed by her brother Dilip Mehta who makes his feature film directorial debut with ‘Cooking with Stella’. It also stars ‘Bandit Queen’ protagonist Seema Biswas as the housekeeper with some shady dealings on the side. 

Among those tried and true “must-see”, I recommend Rajat Kapoor’s directorial venture ‘Fatso!’ starring Ranvir Shorey, Gul Panag and Purab Kohli, with Shorey and Kapoor in attendance. The film has one of the best love declarations you will ever hear, guaranteed to make a romantic out of the most callous amongst you. Also, India’s Official Entry for the 2010 Oscars ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, a Marathi film which will familiarize you with the first filmmaker to bless the Desh with a full feature motion picture in the early 1900, thus singlehandedly catapulting India into the frenzy of Bollywood to come. And last, but not least, Dev Benegal’s ‘Road, Movie’, a film which has been called the Indian ‘Cinema Paradiso’, starring Abhay Deol, AVS guest host Tannishtha Chatterjee and Satish Kaushik. But don’t forget to check out the Shorts programs, as well as the provocative ‘Searching 4 Sandeep’ and ‘Mad, Sad & Bad’ starring Nitin Ganatra - if the name sounds familiar it’s because he played the fabulously tacky Mr. Kohli in ‘Bride & Prejudice’! Oh, and Bollywood By Night this year will feature VVC’s ‘3 Idiots’, Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Kaminey’ and the 1989 Aamir Khan starrer ‘Ashes to Ashes’, filmed by then cinematographer Santosh Sivan. 

The Closing Night Gala this year belongs to director Claire McCarthy’s film ‘The Waiting City’, a poignant portrayal of a couple’s inner and outer journey while trying to adopt a child in India. The film stars Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton and personal favorite Samrat Chakrabarti, always a welcomed and elegant presence at IFFLA.

So, I leave you with one last suggestion: Buy an All-Access Pass to the Festival to enjoy preferred seating and the excitement, food and libations of the Galas without any of the worrying, not to mention disappointment when the film you wish to see is sold out. Because IFFLA comes around only once a year and when the magic of Indian cinema leaves Hollywood on April 25th, you’ll have to travel a lot farther and wider to find it again.

All images courtesy of IFFLA