The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced today its 2013 jury, as well as four films that have been added to the program – Toronto Film Festival favorite SHIP OF THESEUS in its U.S. Premiere; the powerful environmental documentary narrated by Darryl Hannah, PAD YATRA: A GREEN JOURNEY; the Walt Disney animated Family Day film ARJUN: THE WARRIOR PRINCE; and short film IRON TRACKS (LOHPATH). In addition, two Panel Discussions have been added to the schedule, which will explore issues of importance to Indian entertainment and cinema today.
Three juries will award prizes to the best of the competition films in the categories of Feature, Short, and Documentary films. In addition to the jury prizes, the audience will have a chance to cast their ballots for the same categories. Award winners will be announced during the festival’s Closing Night, just prior to the Los Angeles premiere of OscarÓ-nominated Deepa Mehta’s MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN.
The 2013 feature film jurors are: International Director of the Feature Film Program at the Sundance Institute Paul Federbush, director/editor/writer Kanika Myer (HALO, HEART OF INDIA), andAssistant Curator of Film Programs at LACMA Bernardo Rondeau. The Best Documentary Award will be decided by The Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Times film critic Sheri Linden, Senior Programmer at Film IndependentMaggie Mackay, and Academy Awardâ-nominated filmmaker Jessica Sanders (AFTER INNOCENCE). Judging the short films are filmmaker and IFFLA alum Prashant Bhargava (PATANG), Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming at Palm Springs ShortFestKathleen McInnis,and actressSheetal Sheth (ABCD, LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD).
Four distinguished films have been added to the festival’s already impressive line up: SHIP OF THESEUS, a critical and audience favorite at the Toronto Film Festival last year, reveals an original and razor sharp directorial voice in this feature debut from playwright Anand Gandhi in its U.S. Premiere; PAD YATRA: A GREEN JOURNEY, a stunning documentary about a treacherous journey to spread the word about global warming shot with solar power by Ladakhi monk Ngawang Sodpa and narrated by Daryl Hannah; ARJUN: THE WARRIOR PRINCE, a spectacular animated film from Walt Disney and UTV Motion Pictures that will screen as the centerpiece of the festival’s Family Day activities; and the short film IRON TRACKS (LOHPATH), an ode to the innocence corrupted and humanity lost in the vicious victimization of children.
Two Panel Discussions that will explore issues of importance to Indian entertainment and cinema today will take place on Saturday, April 13. LAUGHING AT OURSELVES: A Conversation with Actors and Creatives features actors Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory), Sarayu Rao (Monday Mornings), and Hannah Simone (New Girl), as well as Producer Sunil Nayar (Revenge) and writer/producer Luvh Rakhe (New Girl). The panel will be moderated by actor Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced), and is presented by SAG-AFTRA National Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee, EEO & Diversity Department and SAGIndie.
A second panel, TODAY’S PIONEER VOICES CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF INDIAN CINEMA, features some of the most innovative directors leading the independent movement in Indian cinema today, all of whom have films at the festival this year: Vasan Bala (PEDDLERS), Anand Gandhi (SHIP OF THESEUS), Hansal Mehta (SHAHID), and Nitin Kakkar (FILMISTAAN). The panel will be moderated by film critic Lisa Tsering. One $14 ticket grants access to both panels and can be purchased at the IFFLA website.
“This year, as we celebrate the centennial of Indian Cinema, there is an incredibly exciting independent movement flourishing within India,” said IFFLA’s Head Programmer Terrie Samundra. “Our dynamic and diverse line up, panel discussions, as well as the jury, reflects this movement, and provides a platform for the deeply passionate voices of our new story tellers.”
More information about the festival can be found at http://www.indianfilmfestival.org.