The Oscar campaign of celebrated Marathi film "Shwaas" has begun to gain some traction as its promoters prepare for a series of screenings in New York starting Wednesday.

"We have begun the basic work in order to get as many members of the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that gives out the Oscars). We know it is going to take a lot of work," tells Sandeep Sawant, the shy and retiring debutant director of "Shwaas".

The film, which cost an impossible $150,000, will be the closing night feature at the five-day South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) opening here Dec 1 with Gurinder Chadha's "Bride and Prejudice".

The 36-year-old Sawant, visiting the US for the first time, said he was aware of the intense lobbying it takes for any film, especially a small-budget film, to get noticed by the Academy's 7,000-odd members.

"I made the film to the best of my abilities. I would rather let the film do the talking," he said.

Riding on 32 awards, including the coveted Golden Lotus by the Indian government, "Shwaas" appears to have created quite an excitement in the Marathi-speaking Indian American community. The community is rallying around to lend a hand to Sawant in his efforts to gain mainstream attention.

"We are doing all we can to see that the film gets the attention it deserves," Neela Inamdar, president of the local Maharashtra Mandal, said.

Sawant said the film's appeal lay in its "simplicity" and the manner in which it projects that simplicity. "We have tried to tell a human story in a simple fashion," he said.

The film tells the story of Keshav, an old man, whose seven-year-old grandson Parshuram is suffering from eye cancer. The doctor whom Keshav consults recommends a treatment that could lead to lifelong blindness. The story revolves around Keshav's and the boy's struggles through this devastating crisis.

The inclusion of "Shwaas" is expected to help the new festival SAIFF draw crowds.

"SAIFF is designed to give audiences of all ages and ethnicities a chance to discover new South Asian voices, celebrate established ones, and perhaps feel inspired to put their own on film," tells Shilen Amin, the SAIFF founder.

"We have taken care to see that we choose the best of the best from South Asian films. But this being our first year it has been a challenge to bring in movies. However, we have been blessed in having managed to get some of the most promising works. We are very excited about 'Shwaas'," said Soman Chainani, SAIFF's managing director.

"The festival is not a celebration of Bollywood but of inspiring independent films and documentaries," he said.

The line-up for the festival includes "Saroja", Sri Lanka, 1999; "Starkiss: Circus Girls of India", Nepal, 2004; "The Clay Bird", Bangladesh, 2003; "Yeh Dil Aapka Hua", Pakistan, 2004; "The Inner World of Shah Rukh Khan", India, 2004; "Final Solution", India, 2004; "Meenaxi", India, 2004; and "Black Friday", India, 2004.

Apart from "Bride and Prejudice" and "Shwaas", the promoters said the documentary on Shah Rukh Khan was expected to draw considerable attention. Filmed by Nasreen Munni Kabir, it creates "a quiet profile of a thoughtful man."