India's Top Female Film Star, Priyanka Chopra, to Receive the Nielsen Box Office Award, Presented by The Hollywood Reporter, at 3rd Annual Asian Film Awards

India's Top Female Film Star, Priyanka Chopra, to Receive the Nielsen Box Office Award, Presented by The Hollywood Reporter, at 3rd Annual Asian Film Awards

LOS ANGELES, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-five-year-old Indian cinema sensation and former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra, will receive the Nielsen Box Office Award. The award, which is given for outstanding contribution to Asian film, will be presented to Ms. Chopra by The Hollywood Reporter during the 3rd Annual Asian Film Awards on March 23rd. The Asian Film Awards, which recognizes professionals for outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema, will be held as part of the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

"Priyanka Chopra is India's number one female star. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her outstanding work since she began acting just a few years ago," said Eric Mika, Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter and Vice President, Nielsen Media and Entertainment Group. "It is truly amazing to acknowledge the breadth of her success, and we are honored to bestow the Nielsen Box Office Award on one who has done so incredibly much in so little time."

Chopra made her acting debut in the Hindi film industry, also known as 'Bollywood,' in the 2002 film "Andaaz" - A role that immediately won over critics and won her a "Best Female Debut" award (2003) from India's most respected film awards, Filmfare. With no friends or mentors in the film industry, Chopra, who is not afraid to experiment, followed her debut success with an unconventional part in "Aitraaz." That offbeat, negative role garnered her widespread approval and won Chopra "Best Female Villain" at the 2004 Filmfare Awards.

In 2008, the young talent appeared in six back-to-back releases. Chopra set screens ablaze with her performances in such films as "Love Story 2050," "Drona," and in two of Bollywood's biggest hits of 2008, "Dostana" and "Fashion." Not one to stick to conventions, each of these films saw Chopra in path-breaking roles which broke from traditional norms of Hindi Filmmaking including her starring turn in "Fashion," which recently won her Filmfare's "Best Actress Award."

Chopra is only the second recipient to receive the Nielsen Box Office Award. She joins Andy Lau, who received the inaugural award at the 2007 ceremony.

Now in its third year, the Asian Film Awards will be recorded in front of a live audience on March 23rd and will be telecast on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) to 30 million people in more than 30 countries, and on Star World to more than 79 million homes around the world.

About The Hollywood Reporter

Now in its 79th year, The Hollywood Reporter covers the business of global entertainment via a network of media outlets. They include the print daily and weekly editions, the web site, various electronic-media offerings, and high-profile events such as the annual Key Art Awards and Women in Entertainment. The Reporter's team of journalists and news editors numbers more than 60, with representatives in most of the world's major cities. The first Hollywood-based daily trade newspaper covering the entertainment industry, it began publishing September 3, 1930.

The Hollywood Reporter is published by Nielsen Business Media, part of The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company.

About the Asian Film Awards

Launched in 2007, the Asian Film Awards (AFA) is a pioneering program honoring filmmakers with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema. A panel of jurors composed of professionals whose experiences and expertise in cinema are internationally recognized will select from among eligible films produced in the region in that year. AFA awards will be presented to outstanding individuals or collective efforts in various categories. The AFA Presentation Ceremony takes place as part of the red carpet and star-studded Entertainment Expo Hong Kong Opening Gala. Eminent filmmakers and superstars from around the world are invited to bestow awards upon winners of each category, making the ceremony an elaborated extravaganza.

The 3rd Asian Film Awards will be held on March 23, 2009.
Website: http://www.asianfilmawards.org/

About the organizer - The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society

The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) is a charitable, non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to the discovery and promotion of creativity in the art and culture of film. Through its year-round programmes, the vision of the Society is to strengthen the appreciation of Chinese film culture to the world and to promote inspiring films from worldwide, thus enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong. Committed to the development of a vibrant film culture in Asia, the Society organizes three marquee events: The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and Asian Film Awards (AFA), held annually in March/April in Hong Kong.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

CONTACT: West Coast, Toni Thompson, +1-310-702-0926,
Toni_Thompson@dkcnews.com, or East Coast, Caitlin O'Neill, +1-212-981-5275,
Caitlin_O'Neill@dkcnews.com, both of Dan Klores Communications for The
Hollywood Reporter; Hong Kong, Ruby Ko, Hong Kong International Film Festival
Society Ltd, (852) 2102-7364, ruby_ko@hkiff.org.hk, or Alice Lai, Strategic
Management Group, (852) 2572-3430, alice@smg-asia.com

Web Site: http://www.asianfilmawards.org/2009/index.html

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