The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will celebrate its 10th anniversary in a grand style as the annual VIDEOCON IIFA Weekend and IDEA IIFA Awards will be held in the exotic Venetian® Macau-Resort-Hotel from June 11-13 2009.

The IDEA IIFA Awards is the biggest South Asian media event and is considered among the most-watched global annual events.

VIDEOCON IIFA Weekend is a culmination of mega events that brings Indian cinema to the world. The Videocon IIFA Weekend includes the high-profile FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum, the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza and world premieres of Indian films.

IIFA’s 10th year celebrations promises a whole set of surprises at the Weekend.

Bollywood's beloved veteran actor and IIFA Brand Ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan, thanked Macau and China for welcoming the landmark 10th IIFA to the beautiful destination.

He said, “2009 celebrates a decade of IIFA magic that has enchanted the world with its enthralling experiences. We are very excited to bring the IIFA celebrations to The Venetian® Macau-Resort-Hotel.”

The Venetian hotel Macao is based on its  sister-property in Las Vegas and  is a Renaissance Venice-themed property featuring stunning replicas of Venice landmarks.

Mr Sabbas Joseph, Director of IIFA said, “We are proud of IIFA’s progression over the last 10 years and it is heartening to see IIFA celebrating a decade of magic at The Venetian® Macau in June 2009. IIFA 2009 will see the best line-up of performances and entertainment par excellence as the best of Indian cinema will descend on Macau.”

Public voting

For the first time, public voting will be available to citizens of India and internationally for the IDEA IFFA Awards 2009.

This was highlighted by Mr Bachchan at the announcement of the nominations. The results of the online voting will determine the winners which will be announced on stage at the IDEA IIFA Awards presentation ceremony in Macau. 

Having taken the Weekend and Awards to various locales world over - from London to Amsterdam and Dubai to Johannesburg, to name a few - IIFA has created lasting experiences in these countries, opening new markets for Indian Cinema and its varied cultures.

Global business platform

This year, the IIFA Weekend hopes to promote itself as a global business platform. The FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum 2009 will be held on the second day of the Videocon IIFA Weekend (June 12, 2009).

The Forum is an endeavour to bridge boundaries between India and the host country and will be used to discuss further trade options between India and China.

Nominations for 2009 include:

Best Picture:

A Wednesday
Dostana
Ghajini
Jodhaa Akbar
Race
Rock On !!

Direction:

A.R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Madhur Bhandarkar - Fashion
Abhishek Kapoor - Rock On !!
Ashutosh Gowariker - Jodhaa Akbar
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday

Performance in a Leading Role (Male):

Aamir Khan - Ghajini
Abhishek Bachchan - Dostana
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar
Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday
Shahrukh Khan - Rab Ne Bana di Jodi

Performance in a Leading Role (Female):

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Jodhaa Akbar
Asin - Ghajini
Bipasha Basu - Race
Katrina Kaif - Singh Is Kinng
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Performance in a Supporting Role (Male):

Abhishek Bachchan - Sarkar Raj
Arjun Rampal - Rock On !!
Irrfan Khan - Mumbai Meri Jaan
Sonu Sood - Jodhaa Akbar
Vinay Pathak - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Performance in a Supporting Role (Female):

Bipasha Basu - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Ila Arun - Jodhaa Akbar
Kangana Ranawat - Fashion
Kirron Kher - Dostana
Shahana Goswami - Rock On !!

For more information and to vote, log onto www.iifabuzz.com.