The Asian American Film Lab™ (“Film Lab”), and the New York Indian Film Festival (“NYIFF”), are excited to announce they will be collaborating to promote diversity in mainstream media! NYIFF, an acclaimed festival now entering its fifteenth year, will now be adding a special screening of the top ten films of the Film Lab’s annual 72 Hour Shootout (the “Shootout”), the Film Lab’s well-known annual global filmmaking competition which promotes and supports diversity in mainstream media. The Film Lab will be airing specially selected short films, selected by NYIFF, on its AAFL TV series, “Film Lab Presents.”

Aroon Shivdasani, the executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council, explained, “NYIFF’s mission is to showcase and present both veteran and emerging filmmakers, as well as to build an awareness of South Asian films in North America. We give filmmakers a platform to tell their stories and to educate mainstream America about the realities of other cultures. To this end, we are delighted to partner with the Asian American Film Lab to give our filmmakers yet another platform to display their talent to an ever more diverse audience.”

Film Lab President and actor Jennifer Betit Yen commented, “We are so excited to be able to partner with NYIFF to not only encourage even more Indian filmmakers to participate in the Shootout but also to share the beautiful and brave films that their festival is so well known for via our production arm!”

The top 2014 Shootout films will next be screening at The Asians on Film Festival in Los Angeles in their West Coast premiere, which will take place on March 27 at 5pm. The Film Lab will open registration for the 2015 Shootout online at www.asianamericanfilmlab.com on March 1st. 2015 judges include ABC’s Marci Phillips, playwright David Henry Hwang, Don Buchwald’s David Elliott, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan of Slew Pictures, and many more. 2015 filmmakers will compete for an array of prizes including mentoring prizes from major networks and the chance to screen in New York and Los Angeles and on the Film Lab’s series, Film Lab Presents!