Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival November 1-5, 2006

When I moved to New York last August I had this dreamy idea of what life would be like. I was excited to be among my peers: artists, writers, filmmakers. I imagined how things would take off in different directions, pushing me to learn more and more, in turn, defining my own talents. I expected to be submersed in the bohemian culture that is born and bred in this city. Soon after the move I found myself nearly stunted before a plethora of choices. I began taking writing workshops, dance classes, going to art exhibits, catching live shows, trying to keep up with guitar -- I found myself in a ball of inconsistancy. I was doing everything and still, doing nothing. After some minor agonizing I realized I had to make a choice and stick to it. I have decided upon three things (for now) that I will follow through with, one of them being the Indo-American Arts Council.

I heard about the IAAC last year, while still settling into my new home and job at The History Channel. They hosted a film festival showcasing various genres of South Asian origin. On opening night in November of 2005, Deepa Metha's intensely emotional work, "Water" premiered. I knew then that IAAC would be an organization I truly wanted to be a part of. Though I was too late to volunteer, I was able to catch the tail end of some of the screenings. This year, I was prepared and am excited to be volunteering for the Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival! And what a festival it will be... I am thrilled to be a part of the IAAC and even more overwhelmed by the array of talent I will be witness to. Many of the attendants are writers and directors whom I deeply admire and continually inspire me to go forth with my career in the arts and media.

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The Indo-American Arts Council is delighted to announce its Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival Opening Night Film as Mira Nair’s “The Namesake.” Adapted from Pulitzer prize-winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s book of the same name, “The Namesake” is a heartbreaking, funny and universal story of the Ganguli family, spanning 30 years, encompassing the tale of millions of us who have left one home for another. The stars of the film are Kal Penn, Tabu, Irfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett and Zuleikha Robinson. "This film is a "dill ka tukra," a piece of my heart, a seesaw of two great cities of the world - New York and Kolkata," says Mira Nair, Director of “The Namesake.”

Expanding beyond the traditional venue, the opening night will be presented at the legendary Ziegfeld theatre to enable a much wider attendance and celebration of this masterpiece. Scheduled to appear at the opening night are director Mira Nair & writer Jhumpa Lahiri and many members of the cast. “The Namesake” will be released theatrically by Fox Searchlight Pictures on November 3, 2006.

Following IAAC tradition, a Gala Dinner will follow the opening night screening. Gala Chairs for this year are celebrated author Salman Rushdie & model/actress Padma Lakshmi; our Gala Vice-Chairs are Chandrika & Ranjan Tandon and Sandhya & Dhruv Narain. Silent and live auctions will be held during dinner to raise money for the IAAC. Mr. Rushdie states "The IAAC is an important, thriving initiative and I am delighted to support it.”

The rest of the festival screenings for the IAAC Film Festival will be held at various venues around town promoting upcoming talent and their stories. Post-screening discussions, networking events, closing night screening & party as well as awards for excellence in filmmaking complete the celebrations.
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I cannot express how excited I am for this event! I will keep you posted on any updates. In the meantime please visit www.iaac.us for more info. Hope you can make it.