March 28, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Arnold P. Peter
Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon, LLP
1801 Century Park East, 23rd Fl
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Tel: (310) 277-0010
Fax: (310) 277-1980
Email: apeter@raskinpeter.com

5th INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES (IFFLA) TO LAUNCH “BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT” FILM SERIES & IFFLA ECOVISION FESTIVAL
ALSO ANNOUNCES JURY MEMBERS AND FULL PROGRAM LINE-UP

Festival to showcase 36 films representing Indian Cinema and Culture Including 11 US Premieres and 3 World Premieres

March 28, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA) – The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will introduce a new film series this year, BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT to be presented by LA Weekly, highlighting some of the most popular Bollywood films, including the 20 year anniversary screening of Shekhar Kapur’s MR. INDIA, it was announced by Festival Director Christina Marouda. The 2007 Festival will also be introducing for the first time IFFLA EcoVision presented by e2e Analytix, a program that aims to spread ecological awareness and to celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22 by showcasing a film on sustainability, utilizing eco-friendly products and processes, and working with eco-conscious non-profit organizations. Yogi Times is the sponsor for IFFLA’s Eco-Vision program.

Jury Members this year will include producer MARY SWEENEY (“Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks”), actor RAVI KAPOOR (“Crossing Jordan”) and HFPA member MEHER TATNA.

Celebrating its 5th Anniversary, IFFLA has firmly established itself as the first and largest film festival in North America dedicated entirely to presenting the cinema of India by showcasing films by Indian and international filmmakers that cross boundaries to tell compelling stories of a global perspective. The six-day festival is set to open on Tuesday, April 17 at ArcLight Hollywood with the LA Premiere of Jag Mundhra’s PROVOKED, distributed by Eros Entertainment, and close with Rajnesh Domalpalli’s VANAJA from Emerging Pictures on Sunday, April 22.

"Even in the last year, there has been a tremendous growth and awareness of Indian cinema in the US, and with the addition of the Bollywood By Night series and the Deepti Naval Tribute, we are able to offer a diverse program. This year’s lineup reflects that with the participation of films from 8 different countries in 8 different languages” commented IFFLA Festival Director Christina Marouda on making the announcement.

The 2007 line up will showcase 36 films (13 features, 8 documentaries and 15 shorts) and will include three world premieres, 11 US premieres and 16 LA premieres.

Known for discovering and supporting emerging filmmakers, IFFLA also gives voice to emerging filmmakers that would normally go unnoticed such as the US premiere of Anish S. Ahluwalia’s ARE YOU THERE? (KYA TUM HO) about a lonely housewife, a university professor and an internet café owner trying to overcome their past; and the US premiere of Mridul Toosidass and Vinay Subramanian’s MISSED CALL about a filmmaker who lives his life through his camera, which is threatened when he finds love.

This year’s documentaries bring another perceptive on world politics and the impact current events are having as highlighted in such documentaries as the world premiere of ARE YOU ALRIGHT AFGHANISTAN? from Indian filmmaker Soumitra Ranade who having grown up in Afghanistan, returns to this country twenty-six years later with a camera; and the LA premiere of DIVIDED WE FALL: AMERICANS IN THE AFTERMATH as filmmaker Sharat Raju follows a Sikh American who drives across America after 9/11.

IFFLA 2007 is sponsored by ArcLight Hollywood, Time Warner, Sony, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Wells Fargo, Deluxe Labs, Nickelodeon, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International, KPFK, LA Weekly, KLCS/TV DT, Chakra Cuisine, Masala Bowl, Western Liquors, FilmworksFX, Prime Focus, Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon (RPRS), Showbiz Software, Yogi Times, Baseline/Filmtracker, Inc., SIVOO/Broad Relay, TiE-SC, Pliq, India Journal, LA 18, and Sahara Filmy amongst others.

IFFLA is also supported in part by grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Tickets are now on sale at ArcLight Hollywood’s box office located at 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, and online at www.arclightcinemas.com.

For more information on IFFLA, please go to www.indianfilmfestival.org.

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was established in 2002 as a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting a greater appreciation of Indian culture by showcasing a selection of films from or about India by Indian and international filmmakers as well as films that reflect diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora. In addition, IFFLA continues to spotlight works by Indian filmmakers that cross boundaries to tell compelling stories of a global perspective. IFFLA 2007 runs from April 17-22.

About ArcLight Cinemas

ArcLight Cinemas, created by Pacific Theatres, represents an evolution in the movie going experience. The beautifully designed flagship facility in Hollywood, which opened in March 2002, offers an unprecedented combination of technology, amenities, comfort, and customer service. Facilities include the historic Cinerama Dome and 14 state-of-the-art "black box" auditoriums as well as a café bar and a cinema-focused gift shop. Tickets can be purchased online without a fee and printed at home, at the theaters automated ticketing kiosks, lobby box office and over the phone. Plus, ArcLight offers a free membership program with purchasing rewards and other members-only benefits. ArcLight Hollywood is located at 6360 W. Sunset Boulevard, between Vine and Ivar. For more information about ArcLight, visit www.arclightcinemas.com.

IFFLA 2007 FULL PROGRAM

Complete information on IFFLA’S 2007 programming, including updated play dates, program notes, cast and crew credits, running times and technical specifications are available on the festival’s website: www.indianfilmfestival.org

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 7:30pm

Opening Night Gala

PROVOKED (LA Premiere)
Director: Jag Mundhra
In a case that redefined the seriousness of spousal battery in British courts, a Punjabi woman fights for her freedom after being imprisoned for the murder of her abusive husband.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 - 7:00pm

PRINTED RAINBOW
Director: Gitanjali Rao
An old woman and her cat living alone in the city collect matchboxes through which their flights of fantasy come to life.
BARE Director: Santana Issar
A daughter searches to find meaning, if any, in her relationship with her alcoholic father.

GANDHI AT THE BAT
Directors: Stephanie Argy, Alec Boehm
A recently uncovered newsreel from 1933 reveals a secret trip taken by Mohandas Gandhi to Yankee stadium where he served as a pinch-hitter for the home team during one particularly suspenseful game.

MONSOON
Director: Shyam Balsé
An American cardiologist is haunted by memories of his wife’s death when he returns to India to treat his ailing father, a superstitious man whose traditional convictions clash with modern medicine.

ANAMIKA – HER GLORIOUS PAST
Director: Pavitra Chalam
A quest to understand the transformation of the Devadasi image from the revered patron of the arts to the maligned woman of today.

ORNING FOG
Director: Aminta Goyel
As the morning fog rolls in over the dense jungle a girl in search of an elusive tiger encounters a beast of a different kind.

VALLEY OF FLOWERS (US Premiere) - 8:15pm
Director: Pan Nalin
A great Asian love story. An unforgettable tale about passion, death and reincarnation. A mesmerizing Himalayan epic that spans two centuries, from the Silk Route of the early 19th century to the bustling metropolis of modern-day Tokyo.

Q2P (US Premiere) – 9:30pm
Director: Paromita Vohra
Look at the toilet…see the city. The silence that surrounds toilets is broken in this serious and sometimes whimsical examination of the state of women’s public restrooms in Mumbai.

DIRTY LAUNDRY (LA Premiere) screening with Q2P
Director: Sanjeev Chatterjee
From Gandhi’s political awakening, to the anti-apartheid movement, to the dawning of democracy, this film looks at the important role South African activists of Indian decent have played in their country’s political history.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

SHORTS PROGRAM 2 - 7:00pm

NAME DAY
Director: Nikhil Prakash
When his brother falls victim to a violent hate crime, an agnostic Arab-American is driven to seek revenge, and in the process finds himself on the verge of self-discovery.

SHANU TAXI
Director: Vasant Nath An honest Mumbai taxi driver looks to make the most of a cell phone rewarded to him by a customer, setting off on a path to achieve his dreams that extend well beyond the city’s traffic.

ARRANGING LOVE
Director: Sheila Jayadev
The tradition of arranged marriage is embraced, questioned, and negotiated among several young Indians and their partners.

TEA BREAK
Director: Srinivas Sunderrajan
As news of a bomb blast comes through over the radio, a discussion between two friends about the event reveals bitter truths about them.

POT OF GOLD
Directors: Dipa Donde, Nitin Donde
A tale from the Warli tribe of Maharashtra tells what happens when an overworked wife finds a pot of gold.

UNDISPUTED
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
What happens when the worst actor in Bollywood finally gets his shot at stardom?

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT FRIENDS (UNNI) (US Premiere) 7:15pm
Director: Murali Nair
Award winning filmmaker, Murali Nair offers up this coming-of-age story examining caste, friendship, and loss among four friends in rural India.

TRIBUTE TO DEEPTI NAVAL – 8:00pm
Moderated discussion with Deepti Naval followed by the screening of the film:

TRIBUTE FEATURE: KAMLA
Director: Jag Mundhra
A tribal slave girl who is brought to the city by a manipulative news reporter looking to prove the existence of the flesh trade in modern India, creates ripples in the capital through her story, upsetting the reporter's life.

MUSIC VIDEO AND MUSIC DOC PROGRAM – 9:15pm

HORIZONS
Artist: Karmacy
Director: Nimo Patel

MUMTAZ
Artist: Bombay Dub Orchestra
Director: Huw Jenkins

PRAY FOR ME BROTHER
Artist: A.R. Rahman
Director: Bharatbala

FOUNDATION & EMPIRE (LA Premiere)
Director: Graham Geigenmuller
With a unique, hybrid sound combining various world music cultures, UK-based Asian Dub Foundation entertains, educates, and challenges people from their base in East London to the world at large.

BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT: OMKARA - 10:00pm
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj (Maqbool) transforms Shakespeare's classic Othello to an Indian landscape in a high tension psychological drama of political and personal warfare that garners deadly consequences.

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 7:00pm

OUTSOURCED (LA Premiere)
Director: John Jeffcoat
An American call center salesman whose department has been outsourced is coerced into training the company’s new Indian recruits in the idiosyncrasies of American culture and business practices.

PANCHVATI - 7:15pm
Director: Basu Bhattacharya
Following a failed marriage, a passionate painter finds true love in her own way through a liaison with her ex-husband's elder brother

ARE YOU ALRIGHT AFGHANISTAN? (KHOOB ASTI AFGHANISTAN?) – (World Premiere) 8:30pm
Director: Soumitra Ranade
An Indian filmmaker who grew up in Afghanistan as a teenager returns to the country after twenty-six years, retracing definitive memories of his youth in a country ravaged by war.

ART IN EXILE (US Premiere)
Directors: Nidhi Tuli, Ashraf Abbas
Tibetan artists living in exile in Dharamsala, India use art to keep their identity and the ‘Free Tibet’ movement alive.

MISSED CALL (US Premiere) – 9:30pm
Directors: Mridul Toosidass, Vinay Subramanian
Aspiring filmmaker Gaurav Sengupta lives his life through the viewfinder of his camcorder. He struggles to juggle social and familial demands with his passion for filmmaking. When he finds love in Gayatri, and the camera begins to threaten his future with her, he must decide whether to let go or to continue telling his story.

BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT: THE WALL (DEEWAR) - 10:00pm
Director: Yash Chopra
Two brothers, one an exemplary cop and the other a criminal face off on a moral battlefield where even the fierce love of the mother they both adore may not be able to salvage the bonds that fate has torn asunder.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 - 1:30pm (encore)

THE WALL (DEEWAR) – 3:00pm (encore)

DIVIDED WE FALL: AMERICANS IN THE AFTERMATH - 4:00pm
Director: Sharat Raju
(LA Premiere)
The film follows the journey of a Sikh American student as she drives across the country in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, documenting stories of hate, violence and discrimination against Sikhs in America.

OFFICE TIGERS (US Premiere) - 6:30pm
Director: Liz Mermin
The young, passionate executives of Office Tiger, a professional support services company in Chennai, brews fierce in-house competition among employees to ensure customer satisfaction to its clientele in the West.

MIRCH MASALA - 8:00pm
Director: Ketan Mehta
A local woman harassed by a cruel landlord escapes into a chili factory where she finds an ally who helps her gather the courage to fight back.

ARE YOU THERE? (KYA TUM HO) – (US Premiere) 9:00pm
Director: Anish S. Ahluwalia
A lonely housewife, a university professor, and an internet café owner try to overcome their past and put their lives in perspective, while forging new alliances through an internet chat room.

BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT: MR. INDIA - 10:00pm
Director: Shekhar Kapur
A struggling musician who dedicates his life to caring for orphaned children finds himself faced with the task of saving the nation from an international terrorist who will stop at nothing to destroy and take over India, all with the help of a short-tempered journalist, a hoard of kids, and a secret gadget that defies human vision.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT FRIENDS (UNNI) – (US Premiere) 12:00pm (enciore)

SHORTS PROGRAM 2 – 1:30pm (encore)

MR. INDIA – 3:00pm (encore)

1000 DAYS AND A DREAM – 3:45pm
Directors: P. Baburaj, C. Saratchandran
Kerala community activists organize and struggle against corporations, politicians, and police in their attempt to shut down a Coca-Cola bottling plant that is poisoning their lands and children.

Closing Night Gala – 7:00pm

VANAJA (LA Premiere)
Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli
Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than fort walls, VANAJA explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to come of age and secure her destiny as a classical dancer.

PRESS CONTACTS:
Nichola Ellis / “Z” Ikkery
The Lighthouse Company
(818) 954 8486
light@lighthousecompany.com