IIFA Awards | Through The Years

IIFA, through celebrating the passion, drive and creativity of Indian Cinema, mirrors the same values and enthusiasm of Yorkshire, the hosts of the IIFA Weekend 2007. An estimated 30,000 overseas visitors will pour into Yorkshire for IIFA 2007. The IIFA Weekend will be jointly hosted by the five cities of Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, York and Hull. These five world-class cities will come together for a celebration that has never been seen before!

In 2006, IIFA went to the Indian Film Industry's home away from home - mystical Dubai. Dubai, with its old world charm and new age dynamism played host to the three-day IIFA weekend and its many events, which saw a multi-cultural audience of over 10,000 people from all over the world unite to celebrate the magic of Indian Cinema. The whole event created a benchmark in the world of live events, as it won the awards for The Best International Global Event for South Asia in 2006.

On its continuing journey to propel Indian Cinema to new heights around the world, IIFA landed in the picturesque city of Amsterdam, for the 6th Annual IIFA Weekend and Awards. The three-day extravaganza left Amsterdam dazzled with its magical mix of stars, glamour and entertainment. The event was made a success by the inclusion of various events - Press Conference, The IIFA World Premiere of Parineeta, The IIFA Film Festival and IIFA Workshop, FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum, The IIFA Foundation Celebrity Cricket Match, and the grand IIFA Awards Night!

Indian Cinema lands in the roaring city of Uniquely Singapore - a destination as colourful and warm as Indian Cinema itself. A contingent of over 450 stars, celebrities, cricketers, industrialists and government leaders were present at the 3-day festive weekend. In 2004, the IIFA Management showcased the IIFA Foundation Celebrity Football Match. The IIFA forum in 2004 drew a full house, with a focus on Globalization of Indian Cinema and Co-production between India and Singapore. With the World Premiere of Mani Ratnam's Yuva in Hindi and Aayitha Ezhuthu in Tamil, and a theme that celebrated the Superstars of Indian Cinema, the 5th IIFA Awards ceremony was a grand accomplishment for Indian Cinema in a newly receptive world!

In 2003, IIFA returned to South Africa. This time, the sun-kissed shores of Johannesburg was the destination. For the IIFA Forum, Ramesh Sippy, Smita Thackeray, Kunal Dasgupta, Shyam Shroff and Harish Dayani sat together with moderator Vir Sanghvi, discussing piracy and exploring new revenue streams for the industry. The first ever IIFA Foundation Charity Celebrity Cricket Match was organized at the Centurion Grounds. National and international stars sizzled on stage at the awards ceremony, making the Johannesburg edition of the IIFA Awards a run-away success!

In its third year, the IIFA journey went eastwards to the Orient, towards the exotic Genting Highlands Resort, Malaysia. The IIFA weekend started with a Press Meet. Attended by the stars, the event received extensive coverage from media houses the world over. With the music release of Kaante, premier of Aankhen and an exclusive forum, Indian cinema dazzled the night away like never before!

Reflective of its guiding philosophy, the venue for IIFA 2001 was the splendorous Sun City in South Africa. The hype gained intensity, the performers descended on Sun City. The Indian stars were welcomed by thousands of fans and traditional African dancers. Film enthusiasts swarmed Sun City. The first ever IIFA World Premiere was held - the film Lagaan, which went on to win an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film Category. An exclusive session with the media at a special Press Meet post show discussed the increasing awareness about Indian Cinema on a global platform.

The Indian Film industry went to the polls, voting for its peers for the first time ever. A global audience participated in the voting. The response was overwhelming. A host of world artists bedazzled the Millennium Dome with their presence and performances. Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Thora Birch, Kylie Minogue, Talvin Singh, Ashok Amritraj among many others. With panache and elegance, IIFA won over hearts from over the world in its debut performance.