The International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) Weekend is all set to make its American debut as they bring the magic of Indian Cinema to Tampa Bay, Florida. The 15th edition of the IIFA Weekend & Awards will be held this year from the 24th – 26th of April. IIFA management along with Bollywood superstars Anil Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are currently on a press tour in the United States, having made their first pit-stop today in the home to Hollywood, Los Angeles.

On the second leg of the tour and in the host city, Tampa, IIFA today announced its celebrations ahead of the film industry’s highly anticipated weekend extravaganza which is set to include film briefings, the IIFA Film Workshop, the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum, IIFA Rocks, IIFA Magic of the Movies & Technical Awards and the crown jewel of the Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend, the TATA Motors IIFA Awards. The IIFA delegation and the stars will continue on to the last leg of the tour making its way to the Big Apple, New York.

Each year, IIFA Award tickets have sold out in record-breaking time. In 2011 in Toronto, on IIFA’s debut in North America, IIFA Award tickets for a capacity of 18,000 sold out within 10 minutes. This year, tickets for IIFA Weekend and Awards 2014 in Tampa Bay go live from the 14th of January and will be made available on www.ticketmaster.com

Superstar, Singer and Friend of IIFA, Priyanka Chopra said “Year after year, IIFA brings the best of Indian cinema to a new geography across the world, providing a taste of the best that we have to offer. We are very excited to bring IIFA to Tampa Bay. With the support of representatives of Visit Tampa, we have been able to conceptualize and actualize an incredible event. There will be music, dance and a whole lot of spice! We’re looking forward to giving our fans and new audiences the experience of a lifetime.”

Speaking about IIFA, longtime friend & supporter of IIFA, International Actor, Anil Kapoor said “With the promise of bringing the biggest and best events for the fans of Indian Cinema, the IIFA Weekend and Awards has grown into an iconic platform for audiences globally. As a friend of IIFA, I am delighted to see IIFA make its debut in the USA. It has been my pleasure to be associated with IIFA and as an Ambassador of the Indian film fraternity, we are proud to give audiences a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness one of the finest celebrations of Indian culture and cinema. Tampa Bay is in for a treat.”

Having played a large hand in bringing the IIFA ceremony to Tampa Bay; cardiologist, philanthropist and community leader, Dr. Kiran Patel said, “I am glad to lend my support in whatever way possible to IIFA and the Indian film fraternity at large. The excitement is building up and we look forward to some extremely entertaining and memorable events. With the goodwill of our community we look forward to the grandest Indian cinema spectacle that the US has ever seen.”

Santiago Corrada, President and Chief Executive Officer - Visit Tampa Bay said, “Tampa Bay is thrilled to be welcoming the prestigious IIFA Celebration to Tampa. We are also pleased to be joining Wizcraft & IIFA as they launch ticket sales that will bring tens of thousands of visitors to our destination. The energy and enthusiasm this celebration brings with it is contagious, and I can tell you, Tampa Bay is equally as excited to serve as great hosts to the biggest and best International Indian Film Academy awards in history.”

Viraf Sarkari, Director, Wizcraft International shares, “We are exploring wonderful new opportunities in this new territory for IIFA and the process has been very exciting. We are gearing up for another spectacular edition and this year we will have many new and extremely entertaining events leading up to the IIFA Weekend.” 

Andre Timmins, Director, Wizcraft International adds, "Anil Kapoor & Priyanka Chopra have been associated with IIFA for many years and it is a pleasure to have them tour America with us as we officially announce details and ticket sales for IIFA 2014 in Tampa Bay.” 

Having travelled to some phenomenal destinations across the globe over the last 14 years, IIFA has graced the shores of the UK, Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Canada. Fans and enthusiasts of Indian Cinema from around the world can expect to see their favorite stars descend into Tampa, Florida during the weekend and witness Indian Cinema's most glorious event unfold across the city. With world-class infrastructure and facilities and having hosted a myriad of international concerts, events and the Super Bowl four times, Tampa Bay is the ideal choice for the 15th IIFA celebrations.

IIFA is a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach greater audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits to India and the host country. The aim is to establish mutual benefits for both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.