The 2nd World Culture Film Festival concluded recently in Los Angeles, bringing together award-winning films and personalities. The first WCFF edition was held in Washington, D.C. in 2023.
An initiative of the Art of Living Foundation, the WCFF mission draws on the vision of ALF founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “whose work toward a stress-free, violence-free world has touched over 800 million people in more than 180 countries,” noted WCFF in a press release, prior to the Festival.
The WCFF describes its mission as follows: “We strive to bridge the gap between differences, break down barriers, and strengthen inclusivity to create a harmonious, peaceful future. We showcase and award works that are culturally diverse and unifying, elevate human consciousness through cinema, foster conscious media that uplifts and positively influences society, and provide a platform for creators.”
According to organizers, this Festival, “stands apart in a crowded landscape of film gatherings by focusing on stories that illuminate, unite, and inspire.”
The festival which ran from June 26-29, 2025, took place at various locations including the first day and the closing ceremonies including the award presentations at the Art of Living Foundation in LA.
It’s theme was – “True art entertains while awakening the best in humanity.” Among the major supporters of the festival is the Art of Living Foundation.
It featured and a lineup of films from more than 60 countries, several of them from India, and emphasized stories that promote positive change.
Apart from film screenings, there were several panel discussions. One of them on June 28, entitled “Parables on Screen – The Sacred Mission of Storytelling” was headlined by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, who joined Chet Lowe, film maker, missionary and author of Living Parable. The panel explored the role of storytelling in an increasingly divided world, according to the organizers’ website worldculturefilmfestival.org.
Some of the films screened included, the feature films “Laapataa Ladies” the Oscar-nominated film directed by Kiran Rao, and “The Performance” directed by Shira Piven; shorts like “Doori” by Sparsh Banerjee, and “Dream Door by Rishav Rajesh Raman. The Festival included an aerial photography exhibition by Sahil Rohira “whose lens captures landscapes as meditative poetry” festival organizers said.
Among the celebrity attendees listed by WCFF were Jeremy Piven, Sam Asghari, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Richa Moorjani, Poorna Jagannathan, Cory Hardrict, Sarayu Blue, Preity Zinta, Tamanna Roashan, Punam Patel, Liza Koshy, and many more.
Also among the attendees at the Festival was the Jain Social Group Beverly Hills Founder & President Rajendra Vora, who said in his note to News India Times, that he thanked Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for his vision of “showcasing films that uplift human consciousness, take people out of desperation, and give them not only a sense of entertainment, but also inspire them towards a more responsible, harmonious and conscious life.”
Vora also quoted FOX TV Los Angeles News Anchor Christine Divine congratulating Gurudev for hosting the Festival “where the stories that dared to push boundaries, champion unheard voices, and celebrate resilience.”
The jury for selecting the award winning films included several judges of Indian origin, including filmmaker Abhishek Sharma, actor and former Miss India Manasvi Mamgai, Hollywood producer, director and entrepreneur Sweta Rai, founder of Goldmines Telefilms Manish Shah, entertainment journalist Himesh Mankad, television producer and director Shruti Amindita Verma, P.S. Ramanathan of Rajshri Productions, and award-winning educator and filmmaker based in Los Angeles Nidhin Patel.
The list of award winners is available at worldculturefilmfestival.org/awards/winners.