Gearing up for its fifth edition between August 16-26, Gloria Film Festival announced the winner for its 2006 Screenplay Competition today. The award went to Rachel Astarte Piccione’s feature script, Little India. Held every year in the Salt Lake City, Utah, Gloria Film Festival showcases films that “stir the soul, heal the heart and enrich the world.”

Little India is the story of a struggling Jewish-American actress living in New York who has isolated herself in fantasy world of Indian musicals and how her life changes when she meets a dynamic Muslim-Indian film star. How because of their love for each other they are forced to redefine their lives, both professionally and spiritually.

Giving her take on Indian Cinema Piccione says, “Indian cinema in particular is no longer just about “Bollywood” anymore. Real and universal stories are being told in films nows. The stories are human enough to touch all cultures and thats the main reason why they are being successful. Also, films about South Asians settled in America and Europe are seeing a rise in their popularity since 2001.”

Screenwriters Competition Director, Donna Skousen said the Gloria Film Festival has already began establishing strong relationships with a number of production companies that are interested in reviewing the scripts in their competition.