Editor

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced the 2010 line-up of films for its 8th annual festival, which runs April 20-April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood.  The six-day festival is proud to showcase 33 films from 5 countries, including 4 world premieres and 7 US premieres. 

 This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian themed content,  said Christina Marouda, IFFLA s Executive Director.   As filmmakers of Indian descent forge new relationships in Hollywood, we invite moviegoers and industry professionals to experience our unique and wide ranging program which includes thought-provoking dramas, engaging documentaries, along with a touch of light hearted fare and a taste of Bollywood.

Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere and directorial debut of Dilip Mehta s COOKING WITH STELLA, starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, and Don McKellar.  A tasty, high-spirited comedy, the film is sure to prepare Opening Night Gala attendees for a sumptuous Indian buffet provided by sponsor Chakra Cuisine with libations from Divya Wines, makers of the first wines created specifically to be paired with Indian and pan-Asian cuisine.  The red carpet event will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, at ArcLight Hollywood.  The Gala will be hosted by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) with support from the Canadian Consulate of Los Angeles and Telefilm Canada as a benefit for the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research in Beverly Hills.

Bollywood By Night returns with screenings of 3 IDIOTS, KAMINEY, and in celebration of its 20th anniversary the newly re-mastered print of ASHES TO ASHES (RAAKH Redux), the film that launched several high-profile careers including Bollywood favorite Aamir Khan.  Colorful and comedic, 3 IDIOTS also stars Aamir Khan, while KAMINEY involves the hi-jinx, hilarity and mistaken identity of identical twins both played by Shahid Kapoor. The films will be presented as part of ArcLight Hollywood s  21+ screenings.  Enjoy your movie while sipping a glass of wine or your favorite cocktail.  Admission is restricted to guests age 21 and over.

IFFLA s dedication to supporting the creation of content is exemplified in the launch of the IFFLA Film Fund that helps emerging filmmakers realize their feature-length narrative and non-narrative film projects. The first phase included a Development Grant of $10,000, which was awarded this year to Kranti Kanade for his script AGAINST ITSELF.  Kanade will hold a stage reading of his script that is open to the public at ArcLight Hollywood on Sunday, April 25, at 11am.

The festival comes to a close with a Gala event featuring the Australian production of THE WAITING CITY, directed by Claire McCarthy and starring Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton and Samrat Chakrabarti. McCarthy, Mitchell, and Chakrabarti will be in attendance.  The reception to follow is sponsored by Chakra Cuisine and Divya Wines who will provide delectable foods and unique wines.  The closing night Gala takes place on Saturday, April 25, 2010, at ArcLight Hollywood.

The 8th Annual Indian Film Festival Los Angeles (IFFLA) runs from April 20   April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood located at 6360 W. Sunset Blvd, between Vine and Ivar.  Tickets go on sale April 2 at http://www.arclightcinemas.com/ and at the ArcLight Hollywood Box Office. For more information, including how to purchase All-Access and Fest Passes as well as tickets to the Industry Leadership Awards, please visit http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/.

Feature Films Include:

3 IDIOTS/India (Director: Raj Kumar Hirani; Screenwriter: Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani) -- A college student bets his fellow classmates, including star pupil Rancho, that within ten years, he will emerge the most successful of them all.  When the group meets at the appointed place and time, Rancho is a no-show. His absence initiates a road trip by the others to track him down.  Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Omi Vaidya, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani.  Hindi (English subtitles)

ASHES TO ASHES (RAAKH Redux)/India (Director: Aditya Bhattacharya; Screenwriters: Aditya Bhattacharya, Nuzhat Khan/dialogue) -- After witnessing the brutal gang-rape of his girlfriend led by the scion of the Karmal mafia family, young Aamir Hussein (Aamir Khan) sinks into the underbelly of a decaying metropolis. P.K., an ex-cop who has his own score to settle with the family, helps Aamir to become man enough to exact revenge for such cruelty. Cast: Aamir Khan, Supriya Pathak, Pankaj Kapur, Jagdeep, Master Ahmed Khan, Naina Balsaver.  Hindi with English subtitles.

AT MY DOORSTEP/India (Director/Editor: Nishtha Jain; Screenwriters: Nishtha Jain, Smriti Nevatia) -- Filmmaker Nishtha Jain examines India s social and economic inequality by following the people who work, often invisibly, in her apartment building.  With simple dignity, rarely heard from workers share their modest dreams and the heartbreaking sacrifices required to achieve them.  Hindi with English subtitles.  Documentary. U.S. Premiere

BABIES MADE IN INDIA/India (Directors: St phanie Lebrun, Philippe Levasseur

Screenwriters: Damien Pasinetti, Antoine Imbert)   With lax laws and lower costs,  renting a womb  has never been easier in India. BABIES MADE IN INDIA gives a comprehensive look at the issues raised by commercial surrogacy in India with stories that will give both proponents and opponents pause.  English.   Documentary. U.S. Premiere 

- Screens with NERO S GUESTS

COOKING WITH STELLA/Canada (Director: Dilip Mehta; Screenwriters: Dilip Mehta, Deepa Mehta) -- The first feature from writer/director Dilip Mehta, COOKING WITH STELLA is a quirky, warm-hearted comedy about scheming cook Stella (Seema Biswas) who uses her long-term post as the personal chef to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to run an elaborate grey market import business. Cast: Don McKellar, Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray.  Hindi and English with English subtitles. Los Angeles Premiere

FATSO/India -- (Director: Rajat Kapoor; Screenwriters: Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla)-- Rajat Kapoor shows us the lighter side of death in a story full of unexpected twists and impeccable performances. The whole affair is enhanced by the work of Oscar-winning sound editor Resul Pookutty (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE). Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Gul Panag, Purab Kohli. Hindi (English subtitles) Los Angeles Premiere

HARISHCHANDRACHI FACTORY/India (Director/Screenwriter: Paresh Mokashi) -- In a celebration of the joy and wonder of making moving images, writer/director Paresh Mokashi's debut film tells the story of the making of India s first film by Dadasaheb Phalke, the pioneer of Indian cinema.  Marathi with English subtitles. Cast: Nandu Madhav, Vibhavari Desphande, Atharva Karve, Mohit Gokhale.  U.S. Premiere

-- India's Official Entry for the Oscar's foreign language category

KAMINEY/India (Director: Vishal Bhardwaj; Screenwriters: Vishal Bhardwaj, Supratik Sen, Abhishek Chaubey, Sabrina Dhawan) -- Identical twins (both played by Shahid Kapoor) became estranged years ago when one turned to a life of petty crime and the other took the high road working for an NGO.  Now, a series of misadventures and a case of mistaken identity finally bring the brothers back together as they find themselves on the run from virtually every scoundrel in Mumbai. Cast: Shahid Kapur, Priyanka Chopra, Amol Gupte, Tenzing Nima.  Hindi with English subtitles.

MAD, SAD & BAD/UK (Director/Screenwriter: Avie Luthra) -- Her eldest son is self-obsessed psychiatrist. Her daughter is impossible to marry off. And her youngest is a sitcom writer in love with his best friend's wife.  It's enough to drive a mother crazy. Cast: Meera Syal, Nitin Ganatra, Ayesha Dharkar, Zubin Varla, Andrea Riseborough. English

THE MAN BEYOND THE BRIDGE (PALTADACHO MUNIS)/India (Director/Screenwriter: Laxmikant Shetgaonkar) -- A lonely forest ranger dealing with local villagers poaching lumber to build a shrine encounters a mute, madwoman wandering in the area. When he offers food, clothing and shelter to the woman, an unlikely relationship develops.  Cast: Chitranjan Giri, Veena Jomkar, Prasanthi Talpanker, Vasanth Josalkar, Deepak Amonkar. Konkani with English subtitles. Los Angeles Premiere

- FIPRESCI Prize for Discovery at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

NERO S GUESTS/India (Director: Deepa Bhatia) -- Once a rare and isolated occurrence, suicide among farmers has grown to epidemic proportions.  P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, has been writing about the crisis for over ten years.  The film follows his travels from devastated villages and homes of dead farmers to Parliament and university lecture halls, as he spreads the message of how we must wake up to the suffering in our midst.  English, Hindi & Marathi with English subtitles.  Documentary.  US Premiere

- Screens with BABIES MADE IN INDIA

RASPBERRY MAGIC/USA (Director/Screenwriter: Leena Pendharkar) -- Using touch therapy to help raspberries grow faster in her science experiment, eleven-year-old Monica Shah believes that if she wins the upcoming science fair, she can bring her estranged father back home. Cast: Lily Javaherpour, Keya Shah, Meera Simhan, Ravi Kapoor, James Morrison, Allison Brie, Maulik Pancholy. English

ROAD, MOVIE/India (Director: Dev Benegal; Screenwriter: Dev Benegal) -- A young man's journey across the bleak and otherworldly majesty of the Rajasthani desert becomes an unforgettable odyssey that reminds us that magic can be found in the most unexpected of places.  Cast: Abhay Deol, Satish Kaushik, Tannishtha Chatterjee. US Premiere

SEARCHING 4 SANDEEP/Australia (Director/Screenwriter/Cinematographer: Poppy Stockell) -- After a difficult breakup, Australian filmmaker Poppy Stockell connects with Sandeep Virdi through the internet. Living in England with her conservative Sikh family, Sandeep has never dated anyone, let alone another woman.  What happens when who we are expected to love conflicts with whom we do?  English. Documentary.

THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS: TIBET S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM/India-UK (Directors: Ritu Sarin, Tenzing Sonam; Screenwriter/Narrator: Tenzing Sonam)   Despite global activism and attempts to open talks with the Chinese government, Tibetans are no closer to ending their exile.  Recent uprisings and suppression have spiked frustrations as the debate to follow the Dalai Lama s Middle Way of cultural autonomy or take a more aggressive stance against oppression becomes more heated.  Featuring: The Dalai Lama. English/Tibetan/Chinese with English subtitles.  Documentary. Los Angeles Premiere

THE WAITING CITY/Australia (Director/Screenwriter: Claire McCarthy) --

When a troubled Australian couple travels to Kolkata to adopt a child, their relationship is tested by the bureaucratic roadblocks they encounter along the way.   Cast: Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton, Samrat Chakrabarti, Isabel Lucas. English

THE WELL (VIHIR)/India (Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni; Screenwriters: Girish Panduranga Kulkarni, Satee Bhave) -- Sameer and his beloved older cousin, Natchiket, have a falling out when Natchiket decides to leave home and studies behind in favor of travel. When Sameer learns that his cousin has drowned in a well, he is left to deal with his grief, the pain of regret and questions of what it truly means to live.  Cast: Madan Deodhar, Alok Rajwade, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Jyoti Subhash, Sulbha  Deshpande, Girish Kulkarni. Marathi with English subtitles. US Premiere

WOMAN REBEL/Nepal-India (Director/Producer: Kiran Deol) -- As forty percent of the Maoist Revolutionary Army that fought the Nepalese government, women have been forever changed by ten years of warfare.  Insurgent female fighters now shift from fighting on the frontlines to navigating electoral politics. Nepali with English subtitles. Documentary. World Premiere

Short films include:

PROGRAM 1

A DROP (BOOND)/India (Director/Producer: Abhishek Pathak) -- The story of a mother, a son and a parched village in the future. Hindi with English subtitles. Los Angeles  Premiere

BEDLAM/USA (Directors: Rinee Shah, Josh Lowman) -- Bicycles, fireflies and one surreal night. English. Los Angeles Premiere

THE CAP (TOPI)/ USA (Director/Producer: Arjun Rihan)  A young Hindu boy gets separated from his mother in the chaos of India s Partition. Punjabi with English subtitles.

CLAP CLAP/USA (Director/Producer: Tanuj Chopra) Love. Girls. Guns. Microcinema noir on the streets of Chinatown NYC. English.  Los Angeles Premiere

KUNJO/USA-INDIA (Director: Terrie Samundra) -- Betrayal complicates the burgeoning friendship of two girls from across the class divide when the local school holds a writing competition. Punjabi with English subtitles. Los Angeles Premiere

VICTOR RAMIREZ, ASESINO/USA (Director: Ravi Kapoor) -- With big shoes to fill, young Victor dons his dead father's ill-fitting clothes and tries his hand at becoming an assassin. English.  World Premiere

PROGRAM 2

A CUP OF PARADISE/India (Director/Producer: Neha Kaul)  -- An uncomplicated love story. No Dialogue.

DUST REQUEST/USA (Director: Kevin K. Shah) -- A young woman's journey to carry out her husband's last request. Hindi with English subtitles)] World Premiere

GAREEB NAWAZ'S TAXI/USA (Director: Ritesh Batra)-- Gareeb Nawaz's silent and monotonous world changes forever when a drag queen enters his taxi. Hindi & English with English subtitles. US Premiere

HALF A CUP (ADHA CUP)/UK (Director: Sarmad Masud) -- Two men scramble to cast an amateur show at their local community center in England. Urdu & English with English Subtitles. US Premiere

POLY-TICKS/India (Director/Producer: Rishi Sahany) -- A Gandhian finds his beliefs tested by a swarm of pesky ticks. No Dialogue.

RANGMAHAL/India (Directors: Puspendra Prakash Sagar, Ganesh Gothwal) -- An animated invitation to enter the enchanting Hall of Colors. Rajasthani with English subtitles.

THE SPELL (GAARUD)/India (Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni) -- A voyeuristic peek into the lives of residents of an apartment complex in an Indian metropolis. Hindi & Marathi with English subtitles.

About IFFLA

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora. For more information about the upcoming festival running April 20th -25th at ArcLight Hollywood, visit http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/.

About ArcLight Cinemas

ArcLight Cinemas, represents an evolution in the movie going experience. ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood, opened in March 2002, ArcLight Sherman Oaks location, which opened in late 2007 and ArcLight Pasadena is scheduled to open Summer 2010. 

ArcLight offers an unprecedented combination of technology, amenities, comfort, and customer service. Facilities include the historic Cinerama Dome (at the Hollywood location) and state-of-the Art  black box  auditoriums as well as a caf  bar and gift shop. Tickets can be purchased online without a fee (members receive a $1 per ticket discount) and printed at home, at the theaters  automated ticketing kiosks and lobby box office. ArcLight offers a free membership program with purchasing rewards and other members-only benefits. ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood is located at 6360 W. Sunset Boulevard, between Vine and Ivar. ArcLight Sherman Oaks is located in the Sherman Oaks Galleria at 15303 Ventura Blvd., at the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura. For more information about ArcLight visit http://www.arclightcinemas.com/.

Grand Sponsors

Chakra Cuisine; Lufthansa German Airlines-Official Airline of IFFLA 2010; Peter Rubin & Simon, LLP; Wells Fargo Bank

Major Sponsors

Baseline; Deluxe Labs; Divya Wines; Entertainment Partners; Final Draft Inc.; Fox Entertainment Group; Globosat Entertainment Network; GMX; Gumbiner Savett, Inc; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP; Nickelodeon; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Reliance MediaWorks; Sony Creative Software, Inc; Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; Zee TV USA

Media Sponsors

Amoeba Music, Back Stage; DesiYou; Giant Robot; Hyphen Magazine; India Journal; India West; LA18; OC Life Magazine; Screen International; STAR USA; Variety; Yelp

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