MUMBAI: It is that time of the year again when Sony Entertainment Television will be airing Sony to telecast the International Indian Film Festival (IIFA).

The fourth edition of IIFA awards will be telecast at 9:00 pm on 17 May, live from Johannesburg, South Africa.
 
 
The awards that were held at Millennium Dome in London, Sun City in South Africa and Malaysia, thus far, showcase the best of Indian cinema and provides a platform for interaction with global media.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, SET executive vice president Sunil Lulla said that this year Sony is anticipating viewers from across the globe to tune in to watch the filmi affair live and exclusive.

The press conference was also attended by South African media specially flown down. Meanwhile, the film icon and IIFA brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan set the tone for the awards extravaganza to be held at The Dome@Northgate, South Africa,s definitive multi purpose indoor entertainment arena with a capacity of over 11,000 guests.

With IIFA being associated with it for the fourth year in a row, the telecast partner Sony has an elaborate plans to showcase the event. The three day weekend,Samsung IIFA 2003 weekend , is marked to highlight the event includes the actual awards ceremony.

The nominations for the awards were released by a PriceWaterhouseCoopers representative at the conference, derived from the IIFA voting weekend held earlier in Mumbai.

IIFA advisory board member Shyam Shroff announced that the Abhishek Bachchan - Lara Dutta starrer Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost would be premiered during the awards weekend. The film has been selected from eight films shortlisted for an IIFA premiere. The sequel to Matrix, Matrix Reloaded, too is scheduled for a premiere during the weekend, according to sources.

South African Airlines will specially fly down 350 members of the film fraternity, including film stars, directors, music directors and other celebrities to Johannesburg. The IIFA awards return to S Africa after two years.