GANGS OF WASSEYPUR To Open & MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN To Close IFFLA 2013

The Indian Film Festival season opens this year with the 11th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. This year's festival, taking place from April 9th-14th, has grabbed a couple of highly sought after features for their gala screenings. Opening the festival is Anurag Kashyap's gangster epic, Gangs of Wasseypur making its Los Angeles premiere. Both parts of the film will be shown on consecutive nights, with Part 1 opening the festival this year. Closing IFFLA will be Deepa Mehta's adaptation of Salman Rusdie's Midnight's Children. Both Kashyap and Mehta will be in attendance for the screenings, it looks like a great event is shaping up.

Further details are yet to be shared, but ScreenAnarchy will be covering the event as it unfolds. For more information about IFFLA, visit the link below.

THE 11th ANNUAL INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHT GALA FILMS

Anurag Kashyap's GANGS OF WASSEYPUR will make its Los Angeles Premiereas the Opening Night Gala film. The festival will close with Deepa Mehta's MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN.

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 28, 2013) - Today, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced its opening and closing night red-carpet galas. Anurag Kashyap's GANGS OF WASSEYPUR will open the festival, while Deepa Mehta's MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN will feature as the closing night film. The full line-up of screenings and events will be announced by mid March. The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Celebrating its 11th year, IFFLA will run April 9 to 14 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival's home since its inception.

Epic in scope, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR is a mafia revenge saga chronicling the violent and bloody decade long turf war between two mob families. Set in the tumultuous times of India's Independence and industrialization, GANGS is a powerful and gritty portrayal of an era past. Part I will screen as the opening night film, while Part II will screen the following evening. GANGS made its world premiere at the 2012 Cannes' Directors Fortnight, to rave reviews. Director Anurag Kashyap first came to IFFLA in 2005 with his film BLACK FRIDAY.

 "I am happy to be back where I started my journey, before my films got released, before they went anywhere they came to IFFLA," said Kashyap. "I have been missing IFFLA for many years and this year, no way in hell am I going to miss it. "

Oscar©-nominated director Deepa Mehta brings her latest masterpiece, MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, to IFFLA, taking audiences on a poetic and visual journey scaling time and space. At the stroke of midnight on August 15,1947, as India proclaims Independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched at birth. Saleem Sinai, the illegitimate son of poverty, and Shiva, the offspring of upper echelon, are fated to live their intertwined destinies. With a star studded cast and lush cinematography, Mehta casts a spell of wonder, magic and delight. Narration is by Salman Rushdie, author of the epic and beloved Booker Prize winning classic novel. Deepa Mehta returns to IFFLA after her Oscar©-nominated film WATER had its Los Angeles premiere at the festival in 2006.

 "We're delighted to welcome back two beloved filmmakers of IFFLA," said Christina Marouda, IFFLA's Founder and Chair of the Board. "We believed in Anurag's talent from the very beginning. We're now thrilled to have him back as a worldwide acclaimed filmmaker. And we once again look forward to sharing Deepa's new and always thought-provoking work with our Los Angeles audiences."

 Both films have played at top-tier festivals worldwide, garnering critical acclaim, and both will have their Los Angeles premieres at IFFLA. GANGS director Anurag Kashyap and producer Guneet Monga, as well as Deepa Mehta of MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN will be in attendance.