Vancouver in the running to host the IIFA Weekend & Awards 2013

Mumbai, November 13, 2011: Christy Clark, the Premier of British Columbia today invited the International Indian Film Academy to celebrate the 14^th IIFA Weekend and Awards in the city of Vancouver, in 2013. In a meet and greet with members form the film fraternity including IIFA Advisory Board members, President of the Film and Television Producers Guild, Ramesh Sippy, international superstar Anil Kapoor, and senior members of the Hindi film industry, Premier Clark announced plans to host IIFA. Honourable Chhagan Bhujbal, Minister for PWD and Tourism, Govt of Maharashtra welcomed the Premier to India.

Bidding for the 14^th IIFA Weekend and Awards, Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia, Canada said, ?If you could put what happened in Toronto in Vancouver, it will be great. Vancouver has a vast Indian population and one of the youngest Indian populations in Canada. It is a place where IIFA will feel at home.

?We put up a great show for the Winter Olympics 2010 and we will put up a great show for IIFA. If we can bring IIFA to Vancouver, there are so many things we can communicate through this wonderful medium, the business of doing business. I promise you, we know we have to do a lot work to bring IIFA to Vancouver. It is the heart of creativity in Canada and it is also the gateway to North America in more ways than one. People will say, ?Man, those Winter Olympics were good but IIFA was better!??

British Columbia with its picturesque locales and beautiful countryside has much on offer for film makers and tourists. Host to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver is a bustling metropolis and home to over 200,000 Indians. Premier Clark invited industry stalwarts, actors, directors and producers, among others to come to British Columbia as the Province opens its doors to the filming of Indian movies. With its scenic landscapes, British Columbia would make for an ideal venue for shooting Indian films.

Andre Timmins, Director, IIFA said, ?We are in the process of finalizing the destination for IIFA 2012 and 2013. The remarkable success over the years and especially after its North American premiere in Tornoto earlier this year, IIFA has sparked global interest and we have received several bids from countries vying to host the Weekend and Awards. We understand this as a sign of the growing importance of India in the world economy and how the Indian film industry has become an international phenomenon and we hope to further this endeavor.?

The IIFA Weekend caps a three-day celebration of Indian Cinema, including a Film Festival, various film briefings, a world-wide film premiere, a Global Business Forum, an IIFA Foundation charity event and escalate into the night of nights, the IIFA Awards.

RASRAJ