Gold House Debuts New Shorts Fund

Gold House unveiled a new funding initiative for South Asian storytellers at its annual Diwali gathering in Los Angeles. The event took place at The Majestic Downtown hotel on Friday. It marked the organization's largest celebration to date. The new program is called the Gold Stack Shorts Fund.

The fund is a partnership with South Stack Studios. It will support proof-of-concept shorts and micro-series based on South Asian stories. Creators can submit their work through November 30. The organization will name the chosen projects on January 10, before the Sundance Film Festival.

Ranbir Kapoor and Yash opened the evening. Both actors star in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The film is based on the ancient epic and is scheduled for a worldwide release on November 5. Gold House described the project as the biggest film ever produced out of India. Filmmakers Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra also attended the gathering.

Bing Chen, Gold House's executive chair and CEO, spoke about the purpose of the night. He said Diwali is a celebration of light, community, and connection. Chen noted that the event aimed to honor how culture shapes identity and creates possibilities. He added that the gathering supports creators and founders who build over long periods. He stated that overnight success is often decades in the making.

The party featured cultural and design elements specific to the Asian Pacific community. Indian luxury designer Anita Dongre debuted a one-off carrom board. The piece was painted by hand in collaboration with Gold House. Guests also viewed the Cuyana x Gold House Marigold Charm, a limited-edition item released in October.

Co-hosts for the event included figures from entertainment, media, fashion, and business. The list included Tan France, Freida Pinto, and Blumhouse president Abhijay Prakash. Poshmark chairman Manish Chandra and McKinsey’s global head of TMT and consumer technology, Kabir Ahuja, also helped host. South Stack Studios was listed as a co-host alongside the individuals.

The guest list included cast members from Avatar: Seven Havens, such as Saheli Khan, Aishu Devan, and Sehaj Sethi. Other attendees were Hannah Simone, Janina Gavankar, Manish Dayal, and Sanya Malhotra. The event was produced by BMF Productions and supported by sponsors including Smartwater, Glance, McKinsey & Company, and Google’s 100 Zeros. Rasoi Catering provided regional South Asian food, and DJ MissNinja performed with KVS Tabla.