DUBAI, 26 May 2006 — The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Film Festival which will run from June 15-17 at the Grand Cineplex, Dubai, as part of the 7th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards presented by Tiara Residence, will screen 30 Indian commercial and critical films and 5 short films. It will also showcase for the first time South Indian films alongside Hindi, Bengali and Marathi cinema, and organizers said in a statement.
The 30 feature films to be screened include 14 Hindi, 14 South Indian, 1 Bengali and 1 Marathi film. Tickets are priced at AED 30 and are available at Grand Cineplex.
Veer Zara, Bunty Aur Babli, Black, Salaam Namaste, Parineeta, Bluffmaster, Page 3, Garam Masala, Iqbal, Mixed Doubles, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Yahaan, Let’s Talk and No Entry are the Hindi films to be shown.
South Indian films lined up for the film festival include Kannathil Muthamiltal, Nayakan, Pokiri, Autograph, Anniyan, Ayutha Ezhuthu, Gajini, Rajamanickyam, Thanmatra, Rasathantram, Kaazhcha, 7G Brundavana Colony, Tagore, and Chandramukhi.
This is for the first time that South Indian films are screened at any IIFA Film festival ever, giving movie lovers a chance to watch their favorite South Indian superstars like Mamooty, Mohanlal, Vikram, Jyothika and Simran in action.
Also being screened are the Bengali film “Antar Mahal”, a real-life pasteurization of life in 19th century Bengal and Marathi cinema’s “Dombivli Fast” which revolves around the life of a middle class man struggling against a corrupt system.
Apart from mainstream cinema, the IIFA Film Festival will showcase 5 short films; Horn Ok Please, Village Football, Raju and I, Cataract and The Friend.
All the films have been selected by the management of IIFA Film Festival based on their critical and commercial acclaim.
“Black”, “Bunty Aur Babli”, “Iqbal”, “Page 3”, “No Entry” and “Parineeta” are also nominated for the Best Film category of the Idea-IIFA Awards, one of the major highlights of the IIFA Weekend. “Black” was also presented to a packed audience at a special screening at the IIFA Weekend in Amsterdam in 2005. “Parineeta” was the IIFA World Premiere Film last year and later was on the UK Top Ten films for four weeks.
The 7th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards in Dubai is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed ibn Saeed Al-Maktoum, president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, chairman of the Emirates Group and chairman of the Supreme Committee of Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises. The IIFA Weekend will culminate with the glittering Idea IIFA Awards ceremony scheduled for June 16, 2006.
More than 450 delegates from India, including the crème de la crème of Indian cinema and international media, are expected in Dubai for the duration of the event which will be watched by a record global television audience of over 400 million people.