UK set to stage 8th IIFA awards next year

Mumbai, Nov 9: The eighth annual International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and the IIFA Awards, sponsored by Idea Cellular, was officially announced by superstar and brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan at the House Of Commons in London.

The IIFA Weekend will come to the UK next year with the biggest stars of Bollywood and some of the world's best known international celebrities in June next year. The first IIFA Weekend was held at the Millenium Dome, London.

A release here today quoted Mr Bachchan as saying, ''IIFA is committed to taking Indian Cinema across the globe and into the UK with the 2007 IIFA Weekend in Yorkshire. Cinema brings together people from diverse cultures for a shared experience, bridging the cultural divide. Using cinema as a key to open minds, the International Indian Film Academy believes bridges should be built across cinemas, businesses, communities and nations.'' Since its launch in 2000, the IIFA Weekend had been staged at prestigious locations across the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Amsterdam, South Africa and Dubai, and has grown to become one of the most well-respected global media events. The IIFA Awards presentation ceremony has a global reach of nearly 500 million viewers.

In the House of Commons, the epitome of Indian cinema-Amitabh Bachchan, who is IIFA's Brand Ambassador, was joined by dignitaries including Secretary of State Tessa Jowell, Leader of the House Jack Straw, High Commissioner of India to the UK Kamlesh Sharma and Keith Vaz MP to celebrate the return of the IIFA Weekend to the UK.

Yorkshire Tourism Board chairperson Judith Donovan and Tom Riordan, CEO, Yorkshire Forward, the regional development authority which won the bid to host the prestigious IIFA Weekend, spoke about the anticipated impact on Yorkshire's business and tourism due to the IIFA Weekend.

''IIFA has travelled to six countries across the world and has left a mark in the minds and hearts of the people. We are confident that the IIFA Weekend in Yorkshire will have the same impact,'' said Sabbas Joseph, Director, IIFA.

Supported by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Yorkshire was successful in its bid to attract the event organisers' attention. Ms Donovan said, ''Yorkshire is one of the premier locations in the UK and is delighted to be hosting the eighth year of the prestigious IIFA Weekend. It looks forward to opening its doors and welcoming film personalities, business stalwarts, eminent public figures of India and the rest of the world.'' The House of Commons launch event will be followed by a five-city launch the next day in the company of the Mayors of York, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford, who will flag off the IIFA Weekend announcement along with Mr Bachchan. The five-city launch will be held at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT), Bradford.

Mr Joseph said during the IIFA Week, Dubai saw an overall increase in tourism of 30 per cent, including 25,000 extra visitors.

In 2005, the Dutch airline KLM introduced an additional three direct flights from Mumbai to Amsterdam following the IIFA Weekend and saw a 34 per cent increase in tourism.

In 2004, the Singapore Tourism Board, alongside the Media Development Authority, announced the government sanction of SG dollars 100 million for the co-production of films, including SGD 10 million for Indian film production, in that country.

In 2002, Malaysia's Genting Highlands Resort reported a 190 per cent increase in tourism.

The number of tourists from India to South Africa had doubled in the year after the IIFA was held there, making the airlines to double the number of flights between India and South Africa.

UNI