Film-maker Mira Nair is toserve as guest director for the 2004 Los Angeles Film Festival. In this role,she will host a two-day film-maker retreat, programme a sidebar of films thathave inspired her work and attend opening night festivities.

The tenth annual Los AngelesFilm Festival runs from June 17 to June 26. IFP/Los Angeles took over thefestival in 2001 and expanded it to include international films and specialevents and screenings throughout LA. Richard Raddon is festival director,Rachel Rosen is director of programming and Doug Jones is senior programmer.

"Mira Nair'sunique body of work embodies the independent spirit our organizationchampions," said IFP/Los Angeles executive director Dawn Hudson in astatement. "We're looking forwardto Mira joining us at this year's festival, and bringing the energy and passionthat she invests into everything she does."

Nair is close tocompleting her latest film Vanity Fair for Focus Features; her upcoming projects include Homebody/Kabul for HBO and a film of Hari Kunzu's TheImpressionist. Herproduction company Mirabai Films is in the process of establishing an annualfilm-maker's laboratory called Maisha dedicated to the support of visionaryscreenwriters and directors in East Africa and India.