MUMBAI: The Malayalam movie industry is going to enjoy first-of-its-kind global awards, which will be held in Dubai. The International Malayalam Film Awards (IMFA) 2007 will have the first ever expatriate audience choice awards recognising the performances and contributions in Malayalam film industry.

The debut show of the annual event will be held in Dubai towards the end of this year.

Advertising group ADVA will be organising this unique award along with Malayalam celebrity magazine TAKE: 1 and Dubai’s Malayalam radio channel HIT 96.7 FM.

A jury from the Malayalam movie industry will choose the movies to be considered for the nominations. Malayalam movie fans living across the world can cast their votes for the best performances in the Malayalam movies released between mid 2006 and mid 2007.

Fans can participate in the voting process through Internet, SMS and print media. They can also drop their voting brochures in IMFA Ballot Boxes that will be set up at selected centers. The jury will monitor the final round and the winners will be announced at the venue.

The concept of IMFA is inspired by the success of GMMA (Gulf Malayalam Music Awards 2006), the first-of-its-kind concept awards for the Malayalam music industry voted by the audience across the Gulf countries.

“We have been looking for an ideal, classy platform to honor and acknowledge the people behind the outstanding success of the films released in 2007 and what better way than to co-host an event like IMFA 2007. We have always brought out the best in Malayalam movie industry to our audience in the Middle East and likewise, IMFA 2007 will surely be a never-before witnessed event for the Malayalam movie industry,” says TAKE:1 magazine associate publisher Nadeem Hood.