Bradford is gearing up for an Indian summer.
Next week the district plays host to a series of glittering events celebrating the 2007 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, known as the Bollywood Oscars.
Around 30,000 visitors are expected to pour into Yorkshire for the awards and events held across the county - including a Bollywood song and dance extravaganza in Centenary Square - will be beamed to a global audience of 500 million.
The International Indian Film Academy promotes Indian cinema throughout the world and the IIFA Weekend and Awards celebrates it each year. The series of events planned for the big weekend are aimed at bringing fans close to the stars, with the highlight being the awards ceremony honouring the best of Indian cinema.
Bradford is one of five Yorkshire cities jointly hosting events celebrating the awards, which are being held in our county for the first time ever.
The IIFA awards ceremony will be held at Sheffield's Hallam FM Arena and broadcast live to Bradford audiences on the BBC Big Screen in Centenary Square on Saturday, June 9 from 7pm. Crowds in the square will be treated to coverage of stars arriving on the red carpet - among those attending the glittering ceremony are Bollywood star and winner of Celebrity Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty, and legendary Bollywood actor Sahara Samay - and the ceremony as it happens.
A show-stopping three-minute opening act, described as a spectacular combination of contemporary dance and a love story set against the backdrop of Yorkshire places and icons' will launch the glamorous awards ceremony - and it will be played out to the pumping rhythm of Ruby by Menston band the Kaiser Chiefs. The track will be re-mixed by Sandy Nuttgens with a driving drum beat from the Dhol Foundation's Johnny Kalsi.
Hundreds of Yorkshire people from all walks of life, aged from 11 weeks old to 95 years old, are starring in the act, which has been partly filmed in Leeds. The innovative performance, featuring dancers and aerial artists, has been created by Pilot Theatre, based at York Theatre Royal, and choreographed by Darshan Singh Bhuller, the recent director of Leeds-based Phoenix Dance. It has been brought about by a partnership between the Arts Council, Yorkshire Culture and Yorkshire Tourist Board.
Yorkshire Tourist Board chief executive, David Andrews, says: "The whole world will fall in love with Yorkshire on June 9. This electrifying performance will showcase the best of Yorkshire's talent, creativity, passion and scenery. We hope people from around the globe will be inspired to come and experience our fantastic culture, rich diversity and beautiful landscapes for themselves."
The bid for the IIFA Yorkshire Weekend was undertaken by Yorkshire Tourist Board with the support of Yorkshire Forward. The event is expected to bring 28,000 visitors to Yorkshire and generate £10 million of direct tourism spending.
Terry Hodgkinson, chair of Yorkshire Forward, says: "I have seen first-hand the magnificent spectacle that is the IIFA awards ceremony and I am confident that Yorkshire's opening act will not only live up to expectations, but set a whole new benchmark. On June 9 the eyes of millions of people from across the globe will be on our region and we will show just what talent and opportunity we have to offer the world."
Also on Centenary's Square's big screen will be six free screenings of some of the biggest Bollywood movies in recent years, with English subtitles, from June 7-9 at various times.
The IIFA awards broadcast will culminate in a spectacular dance show called Bollywood Steps performed in front of City Hall at 9.30pm.
The show, which is the one of the highlights of the Academy's first fringe festival, draws on Bollywood elements such as elaborate dance routines, romance, action, comedy and even a wet sari scene'. It features more than 100 costumes and fuses folk, classical, Bhangra, hip hop, jazz, salsa, flamenco and contemporary dance with dazzling light and water features and pyrotechnics.
Described as a glorious and irreverent celebration of Bollywood films' the show also runs on Friday June 8 at 9.30pm, and there is a 3pm performance of it on Saturday June 9.
Inspired by the architecture of outdoor spaces and buildings such as town halls, libraries and museums, the show celebrates the changes of moods and energy of public spaces.
Taking place on June 7 and 9 in Bradford's city centre is a Bollywood Bazaar, with more than 40 stalls offering Asian foods, fashions, jewellery, accessories and textiles.
The achievements of Asian people in business, sport, politics, media and community work are celebrated at a charity dinner organised by Asians Connect at the Hilton hotel.
Elsewhere in Bradford, residents have joined forces to mark the IIFA awards by organising a fun family event in Bradford Moor Park on June 9 from 11.30am to 5pm. Events will include performances by schoolchildren, an international food area and community-focused displays.
And over at the National Media Museum, the drama, scale and flavour of Bollywood is brought to life in an exhibition called Celebrating Indian Cinema. Featuring a range of posters, photographs and promotional material from the museum's collections, it runs from June 8 to September 29.
Also at the museum, budding Bollywood film-makers and scriptwriters will have chance to learn the ropes at special workshops. Regional film agency Screen Yorkshire, in partnership with BAFTA and Bradford Council, is sponsoring a workshop focussing on the work of legendary Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray on Friday, June 8. Chaired by actress Jaya Bachchan, with panellists including Bengali film director Rituparno Ghosh, it will provide the chance to interact with icons of the Indian film industry and discuss international cinema.
Satyajit Ray was known for his humanistic approach to cinema. In 1978, the Berlin Film Festival committee ranked him as one of the three all-time best directors and shortly before his death in 1992 he received an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his cinematic achievements and his humanitarian outlook, which has influenced film-makers and audiences worldwide.
On Saturday, June 10 Screen Yorkshire hosts a Bollywood script-writing workshop chaired by Jamie Nuttgens, a regular lecturer in screenwriting at the National Film and Television School. Speakers include Bollywood expert Dr Rajinder Dudrah and award-winning British Asian writer/director Smita Bhide. The workshop, exploring script-writing for film, Asian storytelling and Bollywood genres, is at the Cubby Broccolli cinema from 10.30am to 4.30pm
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