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Abu Dhabi to Host 23rd International Indian Film Academy Awards

The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on May 26-27
The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on May 26-27
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Abu Dhabi to Host 23rd International Indian Film Academy Awards

The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on May 26-27
The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on May 26-27

The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on May 26-27.

In a partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral, the celebration of Indian Cinema will be held at Etihad Arena.

Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Geziry, Director-General of Tourism, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Our relationship with India, which is based on shared cultural and economic interests, has been boosted even further by the fact that Abu Dhabi has served as the setting for a number of Bollywood blockbusters.”

Executive Director of Group Communication and Destination Marketing Miral Taghrid Alsaeed also expressed honor to host the awards. “This exceptional event, set to unite remarkable movie stars on the island, further reinforces our commitment to positioning Yas Island as a global destination for leisure and entertainment.”

IIFA 2023 will kickstart the celebration with Sobha IIFA Rocks on May26, hosted by Farah Khan Kunder and Rajkummar Rao and will feature performances by Amit Trivedi, along with several popular singers, Badshah, Sunidhi Chauhan, Nucleya, Sukhbir Singh.

The highly awaited special addition this year to the Sobha IIFA Rocks is the premiere of an exclusive showcase by leading celebrity designer, Manish Malhotra, who is celebrating 25 years in the fashion industry.

The Nexa IIFA Awards will take place on Saturday and will be hosted by Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal along with performances by Bollywood superstars Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Nora Fatehi and Rakul Preet Singh.

One of the highlights of the Sobha IIFA weekend is a set of masterclasses designed for film buffs, aspiring filmmakers and enthusiasts. The masterclass series features, ‘Director’s Cut’ with Kabir Khan and Omung Kumar along with a must-attend session by celebrity hair and makeup artist Nabila.

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‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ Rule First Weekend of 2025

Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
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‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ Rule First Weekend of 2025

Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)

The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa” claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.

The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn’t far behind.

“Sonic 3” stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. “Mufasa’s” running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.

In third place, Focus Features’ “Nosferatu” remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable.

“Nosferatu,” which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).

No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, “Moana 2,” claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.

The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in 2019.

A24’s drama “Babygirl," which added 49 locations, held steady at $4.5 million.

Another Thanksgiving leftover, “Wicked,” rounded out the top five. Universal’s movie musical was made available to purchase on VOD on Jan. 31, but still earned another $10.2 million from theaters. The movie is up for several awards at Sunday’s Golden Globes, including nominations for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, best motion picture musical or comedy and “cinematic and box office achievement,” which last year went to “Barbie.”

Also in theaters this weekend was the IMAX re-release of David Fincher’s 4K restoration of “Seven,” which earned just over $1 million from 200 locations.

The 2025 box office year is already off to a better start than 2024, up around 20% from the same weekend last year.