IIFA Awards 2011 venue at Toronto: The trademark green carpet will be laid out as the superstars of Indian cinema descend upon Canada for an unforgettable weekend of cinematic magic and glitz galore.The capital city of Ontario, Canada also known as Bollywood North is gearing up full steam as it becomes the first North American city to host the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards.
The IIFA itinerary is set to include a Film Festival, Film Workshop, Film premiere, Global Business Forum, Fashion Extravaganza along with various Film briefings and Post Parties. Fringe activities are also to take place in parts of Brampton and Mississauga. The IIFA Weekend escalates to a grand finale, the IIFA Awards on the concluding night capping a three-day celebration of Indian Cinema.
A big city with a small town and homely feel, Toronto has a large Indo-Canadian and Asian population. Known for its cultural, entertainment and metropolitan scene, the city annually hosts one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world - the Toronto International Film Festival where films from all over the world are showcased including featured presentations from India. Last year's festival premiered Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat and Anurag Kashyap's That Girl in Yellow Boots.
Having traveled to over 9 countries and 3 continents in the last decade, it will be IIFA’s North American Premiere in Canada’s largest city, Toronto. The first IIFA Awards were held at the Millennium Dome in London in 2000 and have gone on to cities like Sun City, Dubai, Amsterdam, Singapore, Yorkshire amongst others, with the most recent being celebrated in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Speaking on hosting IIFA 2011 in Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario shared, “Ontario is thrilled to host the 2011 International Indian Academy Awards. I thank IIFA for the great honor of hosting the weekend in Toronto. With so many film buffs living in Ontario, Indian film stars and executives will feel right at home. We look forward to an eventful and successful Weekend and Awards.”