Tampa, Florida, may seem an unlikely destination for the 15th International India Film Academy show, but unlike the Oscars the IIFA Awards have been given out in Toronto, Macao, Dubai, Singapore, and Amsterdam. This will be the first IIFA convention in the USA.

Unlike the Oscars, the Indian film showcase is a weekend convention of events topped by an award show where the general public is invited.

Will Bollywood fans come to Florida to see their favorites? Before the events and guests were even announced, 15,000 tickets were sold. Don’t worry – there’s plenty of seats for the public since the show (televised globally) is at Raymond James football Stadium.

Most of the events are taking place April 24th and 25th at the downtown Tampa Convention Center, but there are numerous banquets, music concerts, fashion shows, and even IIFA Master Class Panels available to the public. I’m interested in a Panel hosted by American actor Kevin Spacey and Indian star Vidya Balan.

This is the first time that the massive Indian film industry will present their product directly to American audiences as well as the gigantic worldwide Indian audience. One thing is certain. It will be an interesting time in Tampa.