Producers Lab TPL 2025
Aneesa Khan
Aneesa Khan is a Pakistani-American filmmaker, producer, and writer dedicated to highlighting marginalized communities. Her films “The Girl With Anklets” and “Criteria Kya Hai?” earned festival recognition globally. She previously interned at Blumhouse Productions, and in the past year alone, she’s produced six indie films by South Asian/Muslim filmmakers.
Karan Shah
Karan Shah is an independent producer and consultant with experience at companies like Plan B, A24, and MGM. His work has screened at Short Shorts, IFFLA, and Palm Springs. He focuses on bold, boundary-pushing narratives across India and the U.S., championing underrepresented voices through emotionally resonant, globally relevant stories.
Aishwarya Sonar
Aishwarya Sonar is a producer from Pune, India working at the intersection of US projects focused on identity, humanity and joy. A Film Independent Project Involve fellow, she has produced over 15 short films, which have played at festivals worldwide. Sonar draws inspiration from the women around her, reflected in the stories at her production company, Lambe Log Productions.
Vinay Umapathy
Vinay Umapathy (he/him) is an Indian-American filmmaker with a BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch. His short film “Behind The Line” won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short at the 2024 Chelsea Film Festival. He currently directs music videos and branded content, and is in preproduction for his debut feature “The Settler,” where he serves as director, writer, and producer.
Janani Vijayanathan
Janani is a software engineer and independent film producer. She founded an independent production house called KINOSTREET with filmmaker Sachin Dheeraj, and their work has been shown at prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Hot Docs, Raindance, EnergaCAMERIMAGE, and Kraków. She is currently developing her feature-length debut film, A Silent Wave.
Alifya Ali
Alifya Ali is a producer from Houston, Texas, and now based in Brooklyn, New York. They are an award-winning commercial producer, and their narrative work includes the short film “When You Left Me On That Boulevard,” which won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Shuchi Dwivedi
Shuchi Dwivedi is a writer/producer and American Film Institute graduate. Winner of IFFLA Pitch competition 2024 for FRIENDS AND FASCISM, also shortlisted for Cannes W Scripted competition and Cinevesture International Market 2025. Working on India-US intersection, she uses laughter as antidote to fear, imagining braver worlds.
Alison Almeida
Alison Almeida is a South Asian producer who associate-produced Amar Wala’s Shook (TIFF 2024), Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse (TIFF 2024), Reza Dahya’s Boxcutter (SXSW 2025) and Season 4 of Children Ruin Everything (2025 CSA Best Comedy Series). Alison has participated in the 2024 Whistler Film Festival Producers Lab and the 2024 CFC Norman Jewison Producers Lab.