MUMBAI: The Aishwarya Rai starrer Provoked will open the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles on 17 April 2007.

The fifth edition of the IFFLA will close on 22 April 2007 with Berlin prize winner Vanaja, says a release. The fest, which will be held at the ArcLight Hollywood, will also honour Bollywood actor Deepti Naval for her contribution to Hindi cinema.

Directed by Jag Mundhra, Provoked is the story of a battered woman (played by Rai) who is imprisoned in the UK for killing her husband. The film also stars Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Rebecca Pidgeon and Nandita Das.

Vanaja, the last film of the fest, had helped Rajnesh Domrapalli earn the debut feature prize at Berlin in March. The film stars Mamatha Bhukya, Urmila Dammannagari and Ramachandriah Markanti and centers around a young girl (Bhukiya) who struggles to overcome class barriers and learn classical Indian dance.

Three of Deepti Naval’s films will also be screened as part of the fest’s tribute to her – Kamla, Panchavati and Mirch Masala. The actor is also a poet and photographer and has written and directed a TV series, Thodasa Aasmaan.