Positive Cinema In Dallas

The Center for Indic Films concluded the 6th Indic Film Utsav, held from November 7–9, 2025, at Galaxy Theaters @ Grandscape in Dallas, Texas. Marking its first edition as a fully theatrical festival, the event brought together filmmakers, audiences and cultural communities around its central theme of Positive Cinema—stories that uplift, enlighten and affirm the human spirit.

Over three days, the festival screened feature films, documentaries, short films and ultrashorts representing diverse languages, cultures and filmmaking traditions. Rooted in Indic values and universal human experiences, the selection celebrated cinema’s capacity to inspire reflection and human connection.

“Indic Film Utsav is more than a film festival — it’s a movement celebrating stories that affirm life and human dignity,” said Danji Thotapalli, Festival Director. He highlighted the courage, compassion and creativity reflected in the films selected by the jury and embraced by audiences.

Jury Awards

• Best Feature Film: Jaar (Nepali), directed by Phurba Tshering Lama
• Best Documentary: Caste Gate – The Untold Story (English), directed by Vikram Mishra
• Best Short Film: Bhamakalapam (Telugu), directed by Likhitha Krishna
• Best Ultrashort Film: Geetha (Telugu), directed by Ashik Shaik
• Special Jury Mention – Feature: 87 Rupees Ink Pen (Marathi), directed by Ravi Nimbalkar

Audience Choice Awards

• Best Feature: Ahana – The Light Within (Bengali), directed by Promita Bhowmik
• Best Documentary: Devi – A Woven History (Hindi), directed by Manas Holkar
• Best Short: Cowboys and Hindus (English), directed by Tejal Desai
• Best Ultrashort: Gratitude (English), directed by Ram Komanduri

Opening and Closing Films

The festival opened with American Warrior, with lead actor Vish Ayyar engaging with audiences throughout the event. The closing night featured 6A Akash Ganga, followed by a question-and-answer session with director Nirmal Chander.

The jury brought together expertise spanning visual arts, filmmaking and contemporary storytelling. It comprised Gowri Sharma, Chair of the Dallas Museum of Art and an avid cinephile; Raj Rachakonda, a Dallas-based filmmaker known for socially rooted storytelling; and Kshitiz Rai, co-founder of Prachyam, a Varanasi-based storytelling collective working