As preparations for the 7th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards in Dubai presented by Tiara Residence gets under way, the International Indian Film Academy has announced noted Hollywood film producer, Ashok Amritraj and celebrated international theatre, television and film actor Kabir Bedi will speak at the Professionals Meet Professionals IIFA Workshop to be hosted by Dubai Studio City, the region’s emerging film production hub, on June 15th, 2006.
The workshop is one of the highlights of the 7th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards, the four-day extravaganza in Dubai from June 14-17, organised by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) and presented by Tiara Residence, the AED 2.1 billion exclusive multi gated community on the Palm Jumeirah, developed by the UAE based Zabeel Investments.
An open forum for film students, professionals and industry stalwarts to come together, the IIFA Workshop will discuss international cinema. At a time when cinema is breaking through boundaries of territory and language and coming together across cultures and continents, it will bring together the two Indian cinema personalities who have made a mark on global shores. Ashok Amritaj and Kabir Bedi will share their experience in international cinema and their journey from India to Hollywood.
"As we seek to build a vibrant film industry cluster, Dubai Studio City is keen to support events that facilitate interaction between global film personalities and the regional industry,” said Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Dubai Studio City. “Both Amritraj and Bedi, despite not being westerners, have made a name for themselves in Hollywood and their experiences and perspectives will inspire excellence in the industry here. This workshop also serves to enhance dialogue between film-cultures, an objective that is close to Dubai Studio City’s own heart,” she added.
As Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment, Ashok Amritraj is one of the most successful and influential producers in Hollywood today. Mr. Amritraj has made successful films such as Golden Globe nominee Bandits, Original Sin, Moonlight Mile and Raising Helen. Mr. Amritraj's film, Jeans, earned him the title of "Spirit of India's Man of the Year" by the Film Federation of India for Best Foreign Film in the 1998 Academy Awards. He also received the "Pride Of India" Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the last twenty years, he has produced over 80 films. Ashok Amritraj will offer an interesting perspective to the Hollywood community at the IIFA Workshop in Dubai.
Kabir Bedi is a well known name in the world of international cinema and television. With over three decades of experience in films, theatre and television, Mr. Bedi has been one of India’s most successful actors. From being the villain Gobinda in the James Bond thriller Octupussy, to playing Shahjahan in Akbar Khan’s Taj Mahal, or West End musicals in London, Kabir Bedi has done it all. His most recent assignment was in the Far Pavilions on the British stage.
Mr. Bedi is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the British Equity Actors Union (EQUITY) and the Cine Artists Association of India. At the IIFA Workshop in Dubai he will talk about his journey from Indian Theatre to the International Stage.
The 7th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards in Dubai is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Bin 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.
Other events at the IIFA Weekend will include the IIFA World Premiere film, the FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum, The IIFA Foundation Fashion event, culminating with the glamourous Idea IIFA Awards presentation ceremony.
The IIFA Weekend 2006 is spearheaded by Tiara Residence of Zabeel Investments and supported by Grand Hyatt Dubai, Gulf News, Arabian Radio Network, Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai Studio City, Grand Cineplex, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Emirates Airlines, Dream Horizons, M.A.C., Indian Business Professional Council, City of Dubai, Dubai International Airport Expo, Idea Cellular from India and Star Network which will do exclusive broadcast of the IIFA Weekend and Awards ceremony across the globe.
