MUMBAI: The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced on 6 March that its Opening Night Gala film would be Sold, a harrowing and inspiring story of child trafficking directed by Jeffrey D. Brown (Molly’s Pilgrim), executive produced by Emma Thompson (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), and starring Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), David Arquette (Scream), and Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen).

The full line-up of screenings and events will be announced in mid-March. The festival is widely recognised as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema. Celebrating its 12th year, IFFLA will run from 8 to 13 April at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception.

Through one extraordinary girl’s journey, Sold illustrates the brutality of child trafficking, a crime experienced by millions of girls every year around the globe. Sold is a clarion call to action and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

“Because of Sold’s marvelous script and courageous and brilliant cast,” said Emma Thompson in a press statement, “It is a story that we can all watch, so that we may understand the processes of slavery in modern India and feel able to act without feeling the kind of rage and hopelessness that gets in the way of doing anything.”

Sold is an adaptation of the National Book Award-Finalist novel by Patricia McCormick, based on true accounts. The book has been translated into 32 languages and is a powerful entry point to introduce young people to the issue of modern day slavery.

Director Jeffery D. Brown and select A-list cast and supporters will be in attendance at the Opening Night Gala.