For immediate release

THE INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL AND MAISHA FILM LAB
PRESENT AN EVENING WITH RICHARD GERE AND MIRA NAIR
FOR A SPECIAL SCREENING OF “AMELIA” AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
AND AFTER-PARTY AT PRANNA RESTAURANT
ON OCTOBER 21, 2009

What: Sneak Peek of Mira Nair’s new film “Amelia” + After-Party
When: Wednesday, October 21st
Where: Screening starts at 7pm at Museum of Modern Art, The Titus Theatre 1, 11 West 53rd Street
After-Party at 9pm at Pranna Restaurant, 79 Madison Avenue (between 28th & 29th Streets)

October 14, 2009, New York, NY: The Indo-American Arts Council and Maisha Film Lab are excited to announce an evening with Richard Gere and Mira Nair to present the film “AMELIA.” An extraordinary life of adventure, celebrity and continuing mystery comes to light in AMELIA, a vast, thrilling account of legendary aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (two time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank). The special screening on October 21st will start at 7pm at the MOMA followed by an after-party at Pranna Restaurant.

After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart - the legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Cherry Jones) to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Golden Globe® winner Richard Gere), and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.

Mira Nair says, “I'm honored to partner with IAAC for this very special evening.   Amelia Earhart was truly modern, a yogini in the sky, a person who created her own rules, a visionary. The essence of Maisha is the same: if we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will. I try to encourage Maisha's students to capture the dignity and power of their continent as they create exciting cinema in East Africa.”

All proceeds from this evening will benefit Maisha Film Lab and the Indo-American Arts Council.  

Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director of the IAAC, says, “Mira is one of the most versatile filmmakers I know as well as a woman with a huge heart.  Her humanitarian philanthropy for street kids is widely recognized.  However, Mira also gives artists of Indian origin a platform for their talent in all the artistic disciplines through her continued unrestricted support of the Indo-American Arts Council.  I am, as always, deeply appreciative of yet another show of support as she shares this wonderful evening with us.”

The Indo-American Arts Council has an exciting line-up of events this Fall. A key highlight is the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIACC) Film Festival from November 11-15 in New York. For upcoming events organized by the Indo-American Arts Council, please visit .

The film will open to general audiences on October 23rd, 2009. Tickets for the screening and party are $75. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.matari.de/amelia-special-event or call 646-486-4386 (ext 4) / info@maishafilmlab.com

AMELIA
Release: October 23, 2009
Directed by: Mira Nair
Cast: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, Cherry Jones, Mia Wasikowska
Presented by Fox Searchlight and Avalon PicturesFor more information on Amelia and to watch the trailer, please visit http://www.foxsearchlight.com/amelia/

About Maisha Film Lab:
Maisha (which means 'life' in Kiswahili) is a groundbreaking filmmakers' training program founded by acclaimed director Mira Nair, and based in Kampala, Uganda.  Maisha’s mission is to nurture and support emerging film professionals from East Africa and South Asia. We offer intensives in screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, editing, sound, and acting.  Storytelling has the proven power to forge community in an increasingly global yet fundamentally disconnected world.

About the Indo-American Arts Council:
The is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts organization charged with the mission of promoting and building the awareness, creation, production,  exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America.  The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines in the classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to work with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India to exhibit, perform and produce their works here. For more information, please visit

PRESS CONTACTS:

For Maisha Film Lab:
Jennifer Greenfield, 917.902.1225, jennifer@greenfieldandco.com
For IAAC:
Peepul PR, Gayatri Hingorani-Dewan, 917.346.0551, gayatri@mypeepul.com

High resolution photos are available upon request