DUBAI, 10 June 2006 — The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will start initiatives to bridge cultures with its sponsorship of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) World Premiere Screening, and by hosting a welcome reception in honor of the Indian film industry guests visiting for the IIFA Weekend.
The world premiere screening of Jagmohan Mundhra’s critically acclaimed film “Provoked,” which recently featured to a selective audience at the Cannes Film Market, will see several Bollywood stars walk the red carpet at Dubai’s Grand Cineplex, to kick start the IIFA Weekend at 5 p.m. on June 14.
Set in London, “Provoked” is the traumatic story of a battered housewife and an accurate and emotional depiction of domestic violence and retribution.
“A film like ‘Provoked,’ which addresses important social concerns, is a logical selection for the DIFF, a festival that aims to feature socially relevant cinema. It is an important film, and I applaud Aishwarya Rai’s brilliant performance “ said Neil Stephenson, CEO of the DIFF.
The DIFF has joined forces with the IIFA to help bring the best of Asian cinema to the global forefront, of which India is a key contributor. DIFF also hopes to strengthen ties with the Indian Film Industry, in hopes of bringing more films and guests from India to this year’s festival.
Meanwhile, MSN has recorded up to 2.6 million hits on the IIFA webpage, set up to register votes of Indian film fans for the awards nominations. More than one million people from all over the world have voted on www.msn.co.in/iifa for their favorite nominated Indian film personalities and films.
The results of online voting by Indian cinema fans from across the world are collated and presenters will reveal the results of the voting on stage on June 16 at the glitzy and glamorous Idea IIFA Awards presentation ceremony.