New Film Festival Includes Oscar-Nominated Producer

New Film Festival Includes Oscar-Nominated Producer

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival is a unique multiple-day international film festival premiering May 12-20 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. With more than 30 feature films in multiple venues, a Launch Party Gala, workshops and presentations, Silk Screen will be an annual event showcasing Asian made films as well as films made by Asian Americans. Although newcomers to the film festival circuit, the festival planners are off to a running start.

The founders of Silk Screen aren't too worried about their potential for success. With Oscar - nominated producer Jim Shamus on their advisory board, Silk Screen is off to a strong start. His film, 'Brokeback Mountain,' has been nominated for 8 Oscars. Shamus, an industry veteran known for producing Ang Lee's films including 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' is co-president of Focus Features.

Shamus isn't the only high profile name to serve on the Silk Screen Advisory Board. It's filled with leading Asian film industry insiders such as Nandita Das, a leading Indian actress best known for her award winning performances in such movies as 'Fire' and 'Earth.' Ms. Das served as a juror at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and is currently in the 2006 U.K. release of, 'Provoked,' the story of a woman who ends up in prison for murdering her abusive husband.

Additional Silk Screen advisors include Greg Chew, Film Commissioner of San Francisco; Aruna Vasudev, President & Founder Editor, Cinemaya: The Asian Film Quarterly; Henry J. Simonds, President/Founder, Headwater Films; Chi-hui Yang, Festival Director the Center for Asian American Media's annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival; and Harold Gronenthal, Sr. VP, Acquisitions, Rainbow Media, (AMC/IFC/We/HD Cinema 10); among others.

Silk Screen was the brainchild of filmmaker, artist and entrepreneur Harish Saluja. His film 'The Journey' (www.newray.com) was shown in over 30 film festivals where it won several awards, and is now being shown and distributed by IFC (the Independent Film Channel). Saluja also has a strong business background as a 33-year veteran in the publishing industry and serves as the Executive Director of TiE Pittsburgh (The Indus Entrepreneurs). In addition, he is a nationally recognized painter and a co-host of Music From India on WDUQ-FM, the longest running radio program of its kind in the US.

Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival is a unique multiple-day International Film Festival premiering May 12-20 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. With more than 30 feature films in multiple venues, a Launch Party Gala, workshops and presentations, Silk Screen will be an annual event showcasing Asian made films as well as films made by Asian Americans. Asia is defined by the Festival as Asian-speaking countries east of the Bosporus, such as India, Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and more. Simply put, Silk Screen will showcase films with universal themes that transcend political and cultural boundaries. Silk Screen is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)3 non-profit media arts organization.

Film submissions are being accepted through February 27, 2006. Submission forms and full information about Silk Screen can be found online at http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/, or by contacting Harish Saluja, Festival Director, at 724-969-2565 or info@silkscreenfestival.org.

Contacts:
Jodi Klebick, 412-977-2302, jklebick@silkscreenfestival.org
Harish Saluja, 724-969-2565, hsaluja@silkscreenfestival.org

Source: Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival

CONTACT: Jodi Klebick, +1-412-977-2302, or
jklebick@silkscreenfestival.org , or Harish Saluja, +1-724-969-2565, or
hsaluja@silkscreenfestival.org , both for Silk Screen Asian American Film
Festival

Web site: http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/
http://www.newray.com/

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