*NOV 13th: VIJAY AMRITRAJ TO PRESENT SATOSH SIVAN’S FILM “TAHAAN’ SET IN KASHMIR AS FESTIVAL CENTERPIECE AT THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

* NOV 15th: SHARMILA TAGORE AND APARNA SEN STAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CLOSING NIGHT FILM, “THE ENDLESS WAIT (ANTAHEEN)” AT WALTER READE THEATRE, LINCOLN CENTER

New York, NY September 17th, 2009: The Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival announces the Opening, Closing & Centerpiece Films for its 9th Annual Festival in New York City. Following hot on the success of the 2008 festival, which saw a stellar line up of films and talent including the NY premiere of Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire,” this year’s opening film is “Today’s Special.” Directed by David Kaplan, the film is written by and stars Comedy Central star Aasif Mandvi; accompanied by renowned Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah as well as author and actor Madhur Jaffrey. Tennis celebrity and media executive Vijay Amritraj will present Santosh Sivan’s “Tahaan” set in Kashmir, as the prestigious Festival Centerpiece. The festival this year packs a bang with the closing film “Antaheen – The Endless Wait” starring two film luminaries discovered by Satyajit Ray – Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen – both of whom will attend this U.S. premiere at the Walter Reade Theatre, Lincoln Center. MIACC 09 will run from November 11-15, 2009 and all public screenings will be at the Quad Cinemas, New York City.

MIAAC Film Festival once again sets the stage for some of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council in collaboration with the Mahindra Group, MIAAC showcases the best of Indian cinema from India and the Diaspora.

Opening film “Today’s Special” is a heart warming food comedy based in New York with Aasif Mandvi sharing the spotlight with Naseeruddin Shah and Madhur Jaffrey. Aasif Mandvi who also co-wrote the film says, “I am very excited that my film ‘Today’s Special’ has been invited to open this year’s MIAAC Film Festival. It’s an honor to be in the company of the films and filmmakers who make up this year’s festival.  Having had a relationship with the Indo-American Arts Council for some years now, it’s exciting to see not only how they have grown over the last decade, but how their support and promotion of the work of the Indian American artist has never been distracted.” The centerpiece film is Santosh Sivan’s film “Tahaan” and is about the adventures of a little boy and his pet donkey in militant Kashmir. It has won myriad accolades at international film festivals and will celebrate its NY Premiere at the MIAAC Film Festival. Closing film “Antaheen – The Endless Wait” by director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury brings Satyajit Ray’s two actresses’ – Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen together on screen for the first time. Set in modern day Kolkatta, the film crisscrosses between the loves, passions and relationships of these two actresses. 

These three films represent the festival’s focus, genres, and themes – from independent films to Diaspora artists; from New York to the new Global India; from social concern to romantic comedy. Celebrities who will represent these three films at the festival include the entire New York cast of ‘Today’s Special’ led by Aasif Mandvi, Naseeruddin Shah and Madhur Jaffrey; Santosh Sivan, Vijay Amritraj, Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Kalyan Roy and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. MIAAC 09 will announce the complete lineup of films, programming and celebrities in the first week of October.

“I am thrilled that ‘Today’s Special’ will open MIAAC 09″, says Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director of the IAAC. “We have seen the film grow from its play reading to its staging with Aasif Mandvi, a long time friend and family member of IAAC. We are thrilled to see its development into film and delighted to present a New York film set in our phenomenal diverse city- home of the MIAAC Film Festival.”