56th Idea Filmfare Awards 2008 - South The most celebrated Film Awards Ceremony for the South to be held at HICC, Hyderabad on July 31st, 2009

56th Idea Filmfare Awards 2008 – a mighty congregation of pure talent, and portrayal of the true spirit of good cinema from Southern India, is here again. The 56th Idea Filmfare Awards 2008 – South, which signifies the ultimate public reward for excellence for South Indian Cinema will be held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) at Hyderabad on July 31st, 2009.

Worldwide Media Pvt. Limited, a Times Group & BBC Worldwide joint venture has partnered with IDEA Cellular, one of the leading telecom operators in the country, to present the biggest and most celebrated award ceremony in the region - The 56th Idea Filmfare Awards 2008 – South.

IDEA Cellular Ltd, an Aditya Birla Group Company, has extended its association with Filmfare by becoming the Title Sponsor of the Filmfare Awards’ South edition as well, this year. Earlier in the year, IDEA sponsored the 54th Idea Filmfare Awards which recognized the creative talent of the Hindi Film industry for the year 2008.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Tarun Rai, Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Media Pvt Ltd. said, "Filmfare recognized very early the depth and talent of South Indian cinema. Which is why for 54 years we have had a separate Filmfare awards function to celebrate this talent. The industry here continues to grow and set new benchmarks for Indian movies. We are proud of our five decades association with the South Indian film industry.”

Speaking about the tie up, Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, IDEA Cellular Ltd. said, “IDEA is a strong telecom operator in the South. Our association with South India’s most premium Film Awards Ceremony – The 56th Idea Filmfare Awards – will help us further strengthen our connect with prospective and existing subscribers from the South. IDEA subscribers will benefit from a range of innovative value added services, and other customer engagement programs designed on the theme of Idea Filmfare Awards - South, this year.”

About Filmfare awards:
The Filmfare Awards (South) was born in 1953 and used to be held at the prestigious Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai. Eventually it shifted to the cosy Music Academy. It epitomizes the true spirit of good cinema, the guts, the glory and the glamour and signifies ultimate recognition and consistent encouragement of talent. It’s a mighty congregation of talent, kinship and camaraderie all under one massive canopy. Initially only Tamil and Telugu were considered and in 1966, Malayalam films were added and finally Kannada films became part of the event in 1969. Over time the show and the awards have gone through a plethora of evolutionary changes especially in the number of categories. The spirit of the awards lies in its popularity not just among the masses but also among the film fraternity. This is apparent from the overwhelming attendance each year, a great show of not just sporting spirit but also of unending support.