Indian American filmmaker Manan Singh Katohora has won the “2012 Rising Star Award” for his feature film “9 Eleven” at the Canada International Film Festival.

Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, the festival brings the very best of World Cinema from over 90 countries around the world. It is dedicated to the creation of opportunities for the artistic interaction and exchange among independent filmmakers and the film-going community.

Written and Directed by Katohora, “9 ELEVEN” portrays the life of 10 people who belong to different walks of life.

Though each individual has achieved a measure of success in their individual lives, their darkest secrets come out in the open when all of them are given some time for introspection, when they meet each other in a bizarre twist of events.

They realise that their lives are inter-woven and this literally shakes up their… peaceful lives. Terrorized to the core by an unknown entity in an unfamiliar place, each individual is petrified and is hesitant to talk or take each other into confidence for one simple reason… The Fear of the Unknown!

The film “9-Eleven” is a fast paced thriller with undertones of terrorism.  Terrorism need not be political, “ideologically” generated or xenophobic.

Terrorism can also be a great motivator for conflict resolution or revenge. The question is how does one survive collectively in meeting this growing phenomenon.head on?

Kashmera Shah features in an item number composed by ‘Dilwaale Dulhania Le Jaayenge’ fame Music Director Jatin Pandit.