INDICA Filmmaker Social

As part of the 6th Indic Film Utsav’s Industry Interface, the Center for Indic Films hosted the INDICA FILMMAKER SOCIAL, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, festival strategists, critics and cinema enthusiasts for discussion and networking.

Held on November 9, 2025, at 11 AM at Galaxy Theatres @ Grandscape, Dallas, the session was titled Cinematic Crossroads: Telling Indian Stories from the US to a Global Audience. It explored the opportunities and challenges facing Indian and Indic storytellers creating cinema in the United States for international audiences.

The panel brought together Katie Schuck, Dallas Film Commissioner; Rebekah Louisa Smith, internationally recognised film festival strategist; actor and producer Vishy Ayyar, lead of American Warrior; filmmaker and writer Sachin Dheeraj, director of Men in Blue; Dr. Ravi Rajan, Executive Producer of Caste Gate – The Untold Story; film critic Kirk Fernwood of OneFilmFan.com; and Vishy Putcha, Head of the Indica Filmmaker Social initiative.

The discussion addressed independent filmmaking, film festival strategy, audience outreach, cross-cultural storytelling and the experience of bringing Indian stories into the American cinematic landscape. The gathering also created opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, build professional relationships and explore potential collaborations.

Through the INDICA FILMMAKER SOCIAL, the Center for Indic Films seeks to strengthen connections between filmmakers, the film industry and audiences across geographies, creating pathways for Indic stories to reach wider international viewership.