Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Announces 2011 Shorts Programs

March 4, 2011 - PRLog -- Press Contacts:
Beve Regas/Kallista PR
Tel: 818.850.1279
email: b.regas@kallistapr.com

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

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Announces
2011 Shorts Programs
Los Angeles, CA (March 4, 2011) The 9th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) which takes place April 12-17 at ArcLight Hollywood has announced the 13 short films that will screen in the 2011 festival. The shorts were selected from over 350 submissions worldwide. The shorts will be presented in two programs each one screening twice throughout the six-day festival.

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

"We are extremely happy with the quality of the submissions we received for the short-form medium this year. This has been a record year for submissions and it was a difficult process paring the selection to these 13. The filmmakers, many of them returning alumni such as IFFLA 2010 Film Fund award-winning director Kranti Kanade and writer/director Nisha Ganatra, have the difficult task of engaging audiences with their stories in a fraction of the time it takes for a feature film. We believe this year's selection of films delivers strong, compelling, and humorous live action and animated narratives that will engage and deliver to our festival goers. We are also excited to premiere a number of these films for the Los Angeles audiences", said Marouda.

The short programs are an eclectic mix of award-winning and some of the most promising filmmakers of today. From gritty family drama and touching coming of age stories to discovery and liberation through the art of dance and futuristic fantasies, this year's shorts category promises to deliver fresh, provocative, and entertaining perspectives on universal themes.
IFFLA 2011 Shorts Category:

SHORTS PROGRAM 1

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

IDOL (Director/Writer Kranti Kanade)
India /Los Angeles Premiere/Marathi, English*
A father and son fight in defense of each of their idols, be it Lord Ganesh or soccer superstar Maradona

IN THAT MOMENT (Director/Writer Shripriya Mahesh)
USA /Los Angeles Premiere/Silent
A brief moment of tenderness in Central Park is enough 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/USA Premiere/Gujurati, English, Kutchi*
In this animated documentary, Kutch artisans tell stories of finding both themselves and a home.

TUBELIGHT’S MOON  (Director/Writer Shlok Sharma)
India/World Premiere/Hindi*
If you cannot go to the moon - make one!

WHEELING DREAMS (Director Hardik Mehta Writers: Bharat Parmar, Hardik Mehta)
India/USA Premiere/Hindi*
Beware of other men eyeing your wheels.

SHORTS PROGRAM 2

…JUST THAT SORT OF A DAY (Director/Writer Abhay Kumar)
India /Animated/USA Premiere/English
Disconnected characters each have one of those days that you really can’t put a finger on.

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

FAÇADE (Director/Writer Iram Parveen Bilal)
Pakistan/Los Angeles Premiere/English,Urdu*
A dancer reflects on life and art.

JOY OF GIVING  (Director/Writer Shlok Sharma)
India/World Premiere/Hindi*
Kindness is always 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 village closer 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 Blvd between Vine and Ivar. Tickets go on sale on March 25, 2011. For more information including how to purchase All-Access and Fest Passes as well as tickets to the IFFLA Industry Leadership Awards and Seminars Day, please visit www.indianfilmfestival.org starting third week of March.

ABOUT IFFLA
Now in its 9th year 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. This year the festival’s cinema lounge is branded as the “STAR Lounge”, exclusively sponsored by STAR which is a Major Sponsor of IFFLA 2011. For more information about the upcoming festival, please visit 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 café 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 www.arclightcinemas.com.