Wine Tasting Luncheon to Benefit Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles A Resounding Success

Event Features Bollywood Star Mallika Sherawat and Hollywood Producer Ashok Amritraj
MALIBU, CA, March 16, 2009-- It was a gorgeous, brisk day as an elegantly attired group converged on Malibu Family Wines Vineyard at Saddlerock Ranch for a wine tasting luncheon on March 15th to benefit the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Guests enjoyed a private tour of the winery and sampled Semler and Saddlerock wines, while music from DJ Qasim and Karan played in the background. The assembly then dined on sumptuous fare provided by long-standing IFFLA sponsor Chakra Cuisine. Festival Director Christina Marouda, Wells Fargo's Vice President and Regional Manager Shaffi Poswal, and Bollywood film star Mallika Sherawat addressed the crowd prior to a live celebrity auction. Auctioneer Tere Morris kept the event lively with hilarious yet tantalizing descriptions of the auction items which included a photo shoot with Mallika Sherawat, a wine-tasting dinner hosted by famed Hollywood producer Ashok Amritraj, a day on the set with THE BIG BANG THEORY's Kunal Nayyar, a date with actor Rupak Ginn (THE CHEETAH GIRLS: ONE WORLD), and a box for 4 to the "India Calling" summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl. After the auction concluded, Aniketa Shinde and Varun Gurunath of NDM Bollywood Dance Productions and Studios performed. The afternoon ended with guests greatly anticipating the upcoming seventh annual IFFLA on April 21st-26th at ArcLight Hollywood.
 
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 performers and business executives and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
 
About Chakra Cuisine
Culinary excellence created from centuries of tradition. Chakra presents authentic dishes with innovative technique and reinvents the classic Indian cuisine for today's more sophisticated, discriminating palate. By incorporating traditional ingredients with those less common in Indian cuisine, Chakra's menu is both intriguing and inviting to the newcomer, while remaining authentic to the most familiar diner. Rated Best Contemporary Indian Cuisine by the Michelin Guide and recipient of numerous awards including the AAA Diamond Award and the AOL Five-Star Award of Excellence, Chakra offers contemporary Indian cuisine with an alternative twist. www.chakracuisine.com
 
Malibu Family Wines: IFFLA Grand Sponsor
Malibu Family Wines, where a perfect kinship of climate and soil are combined with earnest care and time-honored techniques that produce remarkable choices for the casual wine drinker, enthusiast and collector alike. Savor it for yourself, the toast of Southern California. As the "Exclusive Wine Sponsor" of the Festival, Malibu Family Wines, along with the Semler and Achar families, would like to thank all those who support the Festival by offering a special discount on all our Semler and Saddlerock wines available online. Please visit http://t.ymlp132.com/uwbjafauwqaxauqswavaeqqys/click.php and use promo code "IFFLA20OFF" for a 20% discount. Malibu Family Wines will donate 5% of your order back to IFFLA.

Photos available upon request.

John Wildman
Director, Press and Public Relations
Tel: 323.600.3165
jswildman@hotmail.com

Surekha Paruchuri
South Asian Press
Tel: 310.403.0665
surekha@indianfilmfestival.org