The 10th Annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival in New York begins next week (November 10th – 14th) with yet another fantastic slate of feature films, documentaries, and shorts from and about the Indian subcontinent.

MIAAC originally debuted Slumdog Millionaire as its Film Festival Centerpiece back in 2008, before the film went on to win 8 Academy Awards in America. With so many successful films showcased in the festival’s history, you never know which film this year will be the next big thing!

And since the role of music in Indian film is an undercurrent in the presentations of MIAAC 2010, MTV Desi is delighted to co-present some of the events at the festival.

Given the noticeable shift in recent Indian films’ soundtracks from typical Bollywood ballads to experiments with more non-traditional music, it’ll be interesting to see how the latest crop of films measure up.

And, as always, we’ll be running around throughout the film festival, so stay tuned for more coverage on MIAAC!

Interested? Check out events we’re co-presenting throughout the week, below:

FILMINDIA Industry Panels, moderated by Satish Kolluri

Photo: Satish Kolluri/Pace

MIAAC is presenting a series of panel discussions on film production in India, with a special session on music in the Indian film industry.

Industry professionals, media entrepreneurs, producers, talent, and those just interested in the industry will gather together to explore changes and opportunities in the film industry.

Among panelists will be:

• Anjula Acharia Bath (Chairman, CEO and Founder of Desi Hits Inc.)
• Wayne Sharpe (Composer of musical score for Lahore and Rajneeti)
• Paramdeep Singh (Co-Founder and Principal of 212 Media and Saavn)
• Vishva Vijay (Executive and Co-Producer of Lahore)

The final panel, The Art and Business of Music will address:

the evolution of music in Bollywood with a particular focus on the creative changes that have occurred over the last few decades. It will trace some of the reasons for changes in lyrical content and compositional styles that we have been witness to in Bombay cinema since the 1950s, and the ways in which artistes/composers have innovated and adapted themselves to create music that crosses cultural boundaries. Issues relating to emerging ownership and distribution patterns in the industry, the honing of business models to promote music, and the impact of digital technology on production and distribution will also be addressed.

Event Details: Thurs, 11/11 from 10:00am – 5:00pm @ SVA’s Beatrice Theatre

Click here to learn more about the Industry Panels.

Karsh Kale and Ajay Naidu discuss their Ashes collaboration

Director Ajay Naidu sits down with renown musical director Karsh Kale to discuss their collaboration on the film Ashes.

Screening Details: Fri, 11/12, 6:00pm @ SVA’s Beatrice Theatre

Ashes synopsis:

How do we ignore the deterioration of a person or a neighborhood that is right in front of our eyes? Ashes is a cautionary tale of mental illness, greed, and the definition of family both real and imagined. The story of two brothers living in the inner city, as one descends into the grips of manic depressive schizoid disorder, the other, Ashes, absconds from his responsibility and tries to become a wealthy drug dealer. Fraught with contradiction, the story is a meditation on how easy it is to fall through the cracks of today’s health care system and how we ultimately find grace in the face of suicide.

Leaving Home: The Life and Music of Indian Ocean

The film Leaving Home is a documentary based on one of the most popular rock bands in India, Indian Ocean — an Indian U2, if you must. With alternative music becoming more and more popular throughout the country, it’ll be interesting to see how the Delhi-based musicians live day to day as rock stars.

Screening Details: Sat, 11/13, 12:00pm @ SVA’s Beatrice Theatre

Leaving Home synopsis:

Leaving Home is the story of four men who make music together as Indian Ocean, the most significant music band from India. Based in Delhi, this band has been making path-breaking, timeless music outside the mainstream for almost 20 years. Using primarily Western instruments, Indian Ocean has created a very Indian sound which is uniquely their own. Their music is showcased in three different ways – in concert with all their stage finery, a casual performance in their own neighborhood, and raw improvisations from inside their rehearsal room.

Wayne Sharpe and Sanjay Chauhan discuss their Lahore collaboration

Director Sanjay Chauhan sits down with musical director Wayne Sharpe to discuss their collaboration on the film Lahore.

Screening Details: Sat, 11/13, 9:00pm @ SVA’s Beatrice Theatre

Lahore synopsis:

Two close- knit and patriotic brothers from India -  the elder, Dheerendar, a renowned boxer and the younger, Virendar, a promising cricketer. Noor Mohd. – a shining boxing star from Pakistan. For all three of them, winning for their national flag is the ultimate achievement. But when peace and mutual cooperation between both their nations are at an all time high, a fateful incidence shakes the world. In the 14th Asian Kickboxing Championships in Malaysia, Dheerendar is delivered with a fatal blow from his opponent, Noor Mohd. For some it laid as an unfortunate accident; for some it was nothing short of a murder. Virender’s emotions get focused to the point of taking revenge on the rival boxer in the ring itself. He forsakes cricket to pursue his slain brother’s dream in the kickboxing arena. He trains himself hard and gets qualified to meet the killer of his brother in the ring in the enemy’s country. Sociologically, the film deals with the cause for justice, which might get delayed but never denied in any system. This sports drama speaks about the values in the sports field from a contemporary mindset and values among the youth. Their inner voices articulate what they actually want to speak if they are given the choice.

Mobile Bollywood!: Cellphone-shot Bollywood short films

MIAAC is holding a “Cellphone Cinema” contest among 15 film students in Karl Bardoah’s Tisch class at New York University. The films will be one-minute shorts using popular Bollywood soundtracks. The films will be screened along with Songs of Mashangva, a rare look at Western music and its impact on tribal forms in Northeast India.

Wonder which student will come out on top? Stay tuned — we’ll post the winning short film on MTV Desi!

Event Details: Sun, 11/14, 12:00pm @ SVA’s Beatrice Theatre

Check out the MIAAC 30-second promo below to learn more:

And don’t forget to click here to catch our coverage at last year’s MIACC 2009!