The Center for Indic Films has announced that the annual Indic Film Utsav will now be held entirely in-person, with Dallas, Texas, as its permanent home. The move marks a departure from the festival’s previous OTT and hybrid formats.
The announcement was made by Danji Thotapalli, co-founder and chief curator of the Center for Indic Films, an initiative of the non-profit INDICA. The 2025 edition will feature theatrical screenings, filmmaker socials, live Q&A sessions, and the Grand Finale of CineSparks, the festival’s ultrashort film contest.
"We are thrilled to bring Indic Film Utsav fully to the big screen," Thotapalli said. "This shift to a theatrical format aligns perfectly with our mission to celebrate and elevate authentic Indic storytelling."
Thotapalli added, "Cinema has immense power in shaping cultural identity, and we're excited to provide a platform for films that reflect our diverse traditions, languages, and values. Dallas gives us a vibrant home base, and we can't wait to welcome filmmakers and audiences from around the world."
The festival will open with a screening and gala night, followed by a weekend of programming showcasing films in a range of Indian and South Asian languages. Submissions for this year’s festival are open until August 25, 2025. Selected films will be announced on Oct.6. Entries can be submitted through FilmFreeway by searching for Indic Film Utsav.
The event is presented by the Center for Indic Films, a vertical of INDICA, which works to promote Indian Knowledge Systems through education, research, and cultural platforms. INDICA’s focus areas include Ayurveda, Sanskrit literature, Vedic philosophy, classical arts, and temple architecture.
"We made our theme and purpose more explicit by adding 'The Festival of Positive Cinema' as a tagline," Thotapalli noted.
He invited audiences and filmmakers to join the festival in November, promising an experience that is “bigger, better, and entirely in person.”
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