The Hindu Business Line : Dubai IIFA to screen 14 South Indian movies

ACTOR MADHAVAN (left) and Director Ramesh Sippy (centre) presenting a plaque to Producer Ramkumar of Sivaji productions whose film Chandramukhi will be the first to be screened at the IIFA festival to be held in Dubai. — Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , June 8

Fourteen South Indian movies will be showcased at the 2006 IIFA Film Festival scheduled to be held between June 15 and 17 at the Grand Cineplex in Grand Hyatt, Dubai, including the Rajnikanth-starrer Chandramukhi, which will open the festival.

Director Ramesh Sippy, member of the IIFA advisory board, told newspersons that the international market for Indian films, be they Bollywood or Kollywood productions, has been growing dramatically over the last 15 years.

The IIFA festival has in the past been held in countries such as South Africa, Switzerland and Malaysia to name a few. He said that as a marketing tool, the festival has helped increase viewership in the locations where it was held.

For the forthcoming festival in Dubai, he said the association expects a television viewership of over 400 million.

Commenting on the success of South Indian films in general and Tamil films in particular — the festival will feature seven Tamil films — he said that Kollywood boasts excellent technicians and has gained much popularity internationally.

Chandramukhi, for example, has so far grossed $2.5 million overseas, and has been released in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, Mauritius, West Asia, the UK, France and the US, said a release. The film is also set to be dubbed in German and Turkish by November.