New York, Sept. 26 - The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) proudly presents the Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival, a panorama of South Asian films, spanning five days with sixty features, documentaries, short films, and post-screening discussions with actors, filmmakers, casts and crews, at several theatres across the city.

Announcing the festival today in New York, IAAC Film Festival Director, Pooja Kohli Taneja said "Submissions were up an astounding amount, over 300% this year! This is a product of the tremendous talent and commitment of nascent South Asian filmmakers, and the IAAC film festival is one of the few platforms in the country for filmmakers of South Asian origin. Not only do we provide a showcase for their films, but also a tremendous source of support for their work."

The festival opens on Wednesday, November 1, 2006 with a star studded and highly anticipated New York gala premiere of Mira Nair's The Namesake, based on Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's book of the same name. The stars of the film are Kal Penn,Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett and Zuleikha Robinson. It will be released theatrically by Fox Searchlight Pictures on March 9, 2007, and has received rave advance reviews at festival screenings in Telluride and Toronto.

The Namesake will be screened at the AMC Lincoln Square. It will be followed by a discussion with Mira Nair and Jhumpa, moderated by Lincoln Center Film Director, Richard Pena, and a gala benefit dinner with a live and silent auction. "The IAAC is an important, thriving initiative, and I am delighted to support it," says author Salman Rushdie, who is co-chair of this year's gala, along with his wife, model/actress Padma Lakshmi.

The festival continues at the Anthology Film Archives from Thursday, November 2nd through Sunday, November 5th screening a wide range of films and documentaries. Some of the highlights from three prominent programs sections are:

Selections from South Asia:

• 'Podokkhep' Footsteps, Suman Ghosh's story of an unusual bond between a five-year-old girl and a retired man who rediscovers life during his twilight years through their friendship. The film stars legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee and Nandita Das;
• "King Liar" Dubai Return, Aditya Bhattacharya's critically acclaimed feature starring Irrfan Khan;
• Dansh, by Kanika Verma, based on the conflict between the Mizo National Front (M.N.F.) and the Indian armed forces, starring Kay Kay Menon.

Selections from the South Asian Diaspora, with U.S. films:

• My Bollywood Bride by Rajiv Virani, starring Jason Lewis and Kashmir Shah
• American Blend by Varun Khanna, starring Anupam Kher, Dee Wallace and Ranjit Chowdhry.

Festival Favorites/South Asian films which have received acclaim at international festivals and are poised for crossover success:

• Punching at the Sun by Tanuj Chopra, which had a red-hot festival run, including sold-out screenings at Sundance and Tribeca;
• I for India, a documentary by Sandhya Suri, which received a rousing reception at both Sundance and Full Frame.

In addition to the feature films, IAAC's short film programs are among the festival's most popular events. This year there are over forty shorts and documentaries, including films that have won top prizes at IFFLA, Mumbai International, Montreal World, Rio de Janeiro and several other festivals.

The festival will close on Sunday, November 5th with a screening of Jagmohan Mundhra's Backwaters starring Nicholas Irons, Sandra Telles, James Flemyng, Gulshan Grover, and a closing night party (by invitation) hosted by the Mahindra Group at the Asia Society. Jagmohan Mundhra along with attending cast members will participate in a post-screening discussion moderated by Joshua Siegel, Assistant Curator, MOMA Film & Media Department, followed by an awards presentation to outstanding participating filmmakers.

The First Annual IAAC Film Festival held in 2001 was heralded by the godfather of Indian Diaspora films, the late Ismail Merchant and the Merchant-Ivory team. They called it a "breakthrough into the festival niche". That first festival consisted of a mere twelve feature films, culminating with Mira Nair's brilliant Monsoon Wedding. Hailed as "innovative, bold, and daring" the IAAC Film Festival was the first Indian film festival to take place in New York City, appearing on the scene right in the aftermath of 9/11, and introducing New Yorkers to films and artists from South Asia they may never have seen before.

Now in the sixth year, Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director of the IAAC says, "We have leapfrogged to being accepted as a norm, an expected and exciting annual film event. When the IAAC was founded in 1998 most South Asian artists and filmmakers were unrecognized on the American scene. Since then and due in a large part to the IAAC, many of these artists are well on their way to recognition and excellence in the visual, performing and literary arts."

Principle sponsors of the festival are: Mahindra Group, Fox Searchlight Pictures, India Abroad, Duggal, Incredible India, General Bilimoria Wines, Krait Beer, Analog Digital, Eastern Air Couriers, NYSCA, DCA, AAAAlliance, and the Asia Society.

For further information, complete list of films, screening times, venues, and to purchase Opening Night tickets please visit  .
Tickets for individual screenings can be purchased at www.meraticket.com