Editor

The 9th Annual IndianFilm Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) which takes place April 12-17 at ArcLightHollywood has announced the 13 short films that will screen in the 2011festival. The shorts were selected from over 350 submissions worldwide. Theshorts will be presented in two programs each one screening twice throughoutthe six-day festival.

The IFFLA programming team includes Rani Breslow, IsaacKlausner, Sudeep Sharma, and Rachael Sevilla along with Executive DirectorChristina Marouda and Programming Consultant in Mumbai Uma Da Cunha.

"We are extremely happy with the quality of thesubmissions we received for the short-form medium this year. This has been arecord year for submissions and it was a difficult process pairing theselection to these 13. The filmmakers, many of them returning alumni such asIFFLA 2010 Film Fund award-winning director Kranti Kanade and writer/directorNisha Ganatra, have the difficult task of engaging audiences with their storiesin a fraction of the time it takes for a feature film. We believe this year'sselection of films delivers strong, compelling, and humorous live action andanimated narratives that will engage and deliver to our festival goers. We arealso excited to premiere a number of these films for the Los Angelesaudiences", said Marouda.

The short programs are an eclectic mix of award-winningand some of the most promising filmmakers of today. From gritty family dramaand touching coming of age stories to discovery and liberation through the artof dance and futuristic fantasies, this year's shorts category promises todeliver fresh, provocative, and entertaining perspectives on universal themes.

IFFLA 2011 Shorts Category:

SHORTS PROGRAM 1

BEHOLDER (Director/Writer Nisha Ganatra) USA/Los AngelesPremiere/English Imagine a future where it is mandatory to alter the sexualorientation of an unborn child who doesn't fit the heterosexual norm.

IDOL (Director/Writer Kranti Kanade)

India /Los Angeles Premiere/Marathi, English* A fatherand son fight in defense of each of their idols, be it Lord Ganesh or soccersuperstar Maradona

IN THAT MOMENT (Director/Writer Shripriya Mahesh) USA/Los Angeles Premiere/Silent A brief moment of tenderness in Central Park isenough to brighten a lonely man s day.

THE RETURN ADDRESS (Director Abi Varghese Writers: Matt Grubb, Abi Varghese) USA/Premiere/English A young boy plays cupid in a small, sleepy town.

THE STITCHES SPEAK (Director Nina Sabnani) India /Doc/USAPremiere/Gujurati, English, Kutchi* In this animated documentary, Kutchartisans tell stories of finding both themselves and a home.

TUBELIGHT S MOON (Director/Writer Shlok Sharma) India/World Premiere/Hindi* If you cannotgo to the moon - make one!

WHEELING DREAMS (Director Hardik Mehta Writers: BharatParmar, Hardik Mehta) India/USA Premiere/Hindi* Beware of other men eyeing yourwheels.

SHORTS PROGRAM 2

 JUST THAT SORT OFA DAY (Director/Writer Abhay Kumar) India /Animated/USA Premiere/EnglishDisconnected characters each have one of those days that you really can t put afinger on.

ALL IS WELL (Director/Writer Akshay Roy) India/LosAngeles Premiere/Hindi, English* A rich boy and a poor boy spend the night at aroadside tea stall.

FA ADE (Director/Writer Iram Parveen Bilal) Pakistan/LosAngeles Premiere/English,Urdu* A dancer reflects on life and art.

JOY OF GIVING (Director/Writer Shlok Sharma) India/World Premiere/Hindi* Kindness isalways rewarded, sometimes in the most unexpected way.

MUMBAIKER GANESH (Director Collin D Cunha) India/ Doc/USA Premiere/Hindi* Hello World! Meet Ganesh from Mumbai!

THE ECLIPSE OF TAREGNA    (Director/Writer Rakesh Chaudhary)

India/Los Angeles Premiere/Hindi*

An eclipse draws a man, his grandson, and their villagecloser together.

*Subtitled in English

TICKETS AND PASSES

The 9th Annual Indian Film Festival Los Angeles (IFFLA)runs from April 12-17 at ArcLight Hollywood located at 6360 W. Sunset Blvdbetween Vine and Ivar. Tickets go on sale on March 25, 2011. For moreinformation including how to purchase All-Access and Fest Passes as well astickets to the IFFLA Industry Leadership Awards and Seminars Day, please visit www.indianfilmfestival.orgstarting third week of March.

ABOUT IFFLA

Now in its 9th year the Indian Film Festival of LosAngeles (IFFLA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciationof Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainmentindustry business executives and promoting the diverse perspectives of theIndian diaspora. This year the festival s cinema lounge is branded as the  STAR Lounge , exclusively sponsored by STARwhich is a Major Sponsor of IFFLA 2011. For more information about the upcomingfestival, please visit www.indianfilmfestival.org.

ABOUT ARCLIGHT CINEMAS

ArcLight Cinemas, represents an evolution in the moviegoing experience. ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood, opened in March 2002, ArcLightSherman Oaks location, which opened in late 2007 and ArcLight Pasadena isscheduled to open Summer 2010.  ArcLightoffers an unprecedented combination of technology, amenities, comfort, andcustomer service. Facilities include the historic Cinerama Dome (at theHollywood location) and state-of-the Art black box  auditoriums as well asa caf  bar and gift shop. Tickets can bepurchased online without a fee (members receive a $1 per ticket discount) andprinted at home, at the theaters automated ticketing kiosks and lobby box office. ArcLight offers a freemembership program with purchasing rewards and other members-only benefits.ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood is located at 6360 W. Sunset Boulevard, between Vineand Ivar. ArcLight Sherman Oaks is located in the Sherman Oaks Galleria at15303 Ventura Blvd., at the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura. For more informationabout ArcLight visit www.arclightcinemas.com.