Singapore to Host Samsung IIFA Awards 2004

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) today announced the date and venue for the fifth annual IIFA Weekend, which includes the Samsung IIFA Awards presentation ceremony. The Samsung IIFA Awards 2004 will be held on 22 May , in Singapore.

The Awards will be the highpoint of the Singapore IIFA Weekend 2004, a three-day extravaganza showcasing the best of Indian cinema and presents the perfect opportunity for India's biggest stars and fans of the thriving Indian film industry to experience Singapore's unique offerings.

The Singapore IIFA Weekend 2004 will be held in the lion city from 20 to 22 May 2004. The glamorous and glitzy weekend in Singapore will comprise the IIFA World Premiere, IIFA Charity Gala, IIFA Forum and the Samsung IIFA Awards 2004.

Commenting on the Samsung IIFA Awards 2004, Lim Neo Chian, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board, said, "Singapore is extremely delighted to host the IIFA Awards 2004. The Awards are a prestigious internationally renowned event, and being chosen as the host country is testimony that Singapore is an attractive and compelling destination for major international events. The Singapore IIFA Weekend is a great opportunity to showcase to the world the country's unique blend of cultures, offerings and attractions. We look forward to receiving the international celebrities, media and industry partners, and hope to continue forging even greater and closer ties with India and its entertainment and film industry."

The highlight of the three-day weekend will be the Samsung IIFA Awards 2004, which will witness the grandest tribute paid to Indian film talent in the history of Indian cinema. The Awards are a salutation to the world's largest film industry and have attracted the stalwarts of both Indian and international cinema, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mira Nair, Shekhar Kapoor, Angelina Jolie, Kylie Minogue, Jackie Chan, Bo Derek and Miranda Richardson. The prestigious presentation ceremony was first launched four years ago at the Millennium Dome, London.

The awards will also mark IIFA's continuing association with Samsung, a leading provider of high tech consumer electronics. Samsung would like to leverage the presentation ceremony as a platform to establish their association with cinema and partner in an event that is slick, visually breathtaking and truly puts India on the map of global cinema.

Maintaining their association with the world's grandest venues, the fifth Samsung IIFA Awards 2004 will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Singapore's state-of-the art sports and entertainment venue that will host 5,000 celebrities and fans who will travel from all over the world. The event is marked by the convergence of global glitterati and media. The celebrities include film stars from international and Indian cinema, sports stars, government leaders and leading lights from the corporate world.

Samsung IIFA Awards 2004 will be broadcast live and exclusive on May 22 across the globe via Sony Entertainment Television. The channel will telecast this mega event through interesting and exciting episodes over all weekends in the month of May 2004. The episodes will include capsules on the nominees, a flashback, a prelude, action from the red carpet, the Samsung IIFA Awards presentation ceremony and the action at the Singapore IIFA Weekend.

While showcasing the unique facets of Singapore, the Singapore IIFA Weekend will be an exciting, interactive platform to present what Singapore is really all about - from its people, attractions to the pulsating lifestyle that makes it a true gateway into Asia.

Grand Hyatt, Singapore will play host to the glitterati, as the Hospitality partner for the Singapore IIFA Weekend. Its partnership with IIFA will bring an exhilarating period to the hotel with a hive of activity.

Samsung, the Naming and Title sponsor of the IIFA Awards for India, has identified it as the ideal launch platform for their association with films. Said, Mr Vivek Prakash, Vice President, Marketing, Samsung India, "Cricket and Cinema in India are a Passion and provide a platform for us to be involved with our customers. The Samsung Cup Indo Pak Cricket series, our Team Samsung campaign and our renewed partnership with IIFA for the Samsung IIFA Awards are some very key thrust areas for us this year. This is our second year of association with IIFA, and we are very happy with the response we got from our association with IIFA last year."

Added, Kunal Dasgupta, Chief Executive Officer, Sony Entertainment Network, "With the promise of bringing the best and the biggest of events to its viewers in a manner that's unique and entertaining, Sony Entertainment Television Network has today become the platform for some of the most prestigious events that are held across the globe. It is our pleasure to be associated with the Samsung IIFA Awards for the fifth consecutive year and once again give our viewers the opportunity to witness their favourite stars walk away with one of the most coveted accolades recognized globally."

Explaining this further, Wiz Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment said, "Our focus is to showcase the best of Indian cinema to the world. With the Samsung IIFA Awards 2004 which will be hosted as the highpoint of the Singapore IIFA Weekend we will continue to provide the impetus for the crossover of Indian cinema to global audiences and delight the Indian diaspora with the grandest celebration of Indian cinema."