Mumbai, Aug 18 - The forthcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), starting Sep 10, will have a strong Indian presence -- while two mainstream Bollywood films 'Dil Bole Hadippa' and 'What's Your Rashee?' will have their world premieres, Dilip Mehta's 'Cooking With Stella' has been selected for a screening in the prestigious Gala section.
Jon Amiel's 'Creation', a bio-pic on Charles Darwin, is also being premiered in the same section where Dilip's film is being screened and he says he is thrilled by the honour.
'The Toronto International Film Festival is, after Cannes, undoubtedly the most significant festival worldwide. To have one's film participate in it is glory enough, but to have a gala screening and a world premiere is mind-blowing,' Dilip, brother of Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, told IANS.
'For me, as first-time feature director this was such a tremendous high to have our film in the company of such an amazing film. 'Creation' nipped us all in the post but we were right up there. TIFF selected 'Cooking With Stella' for a gala screening for our world premiere on September 16th.
'The numbers are daunting. Approximately 3,000 plus films are submitted for the festival. Of these about 350 are selected of which 15 or so have the distinction of a gala screening at the amazing Roy Thomson Hall,' he added.