Indian Film Academy Festival opens in Britain

Jun 7, 2007, 12:13 GMT

London - Bollywood came to northern Britain Thursday with the opening of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) festival whose prestigious awards are regarded as India's equivalent of the Oscars.

The three-day festival, staged across towns and cities in the northern county of Yorkshire, is expected to attract in excess of 25,000 visitors and boost tourism coffers by 10 million pounds (19 million dollars), organizers said.

Visitors are expected to come from Europe, India, South East Asia and the US.

Shilpa Shetty, India's most recognized star, led the string of Bollywood film celebrities arriving in the city of York Thursday.

It is also hoped that the IIFA awards, to be presented at the weekend, will contribute to strong trade relations between Yorkshire and India.

As the second largest market for Bollywood films, the whole of Britain is expected to benefit from resulting IIFA Awards merchandising, box office takings and DVD sales.

Events will feature top Indian business speakers, while the awards are expected to act as a catalyst to access a new market, the organizers said.

The IIFA Awards event will take place over four days. As well as the Global Business Forum, it will consist of an awards ceremony, blockbuster world premiere, film festival, charity fundraising event, plus film professionals workshop.