Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) The brand ambassador of International Indian Film Academy (IIFA), Amitabh Bachchan set in motion the voting process for IDEA-IIFA Awards 2008 by casting the first vote Friday.The industry voting for the IDEA-IIFA Awards nominations would be open March 28-30. Industry stalwarts, actors, directors, producers, technicians and composers are expected to cast their votes during the IIFA voting weekend to decide nominations for the main awards.

T his year the star-studded glamorous IIFA weekend is being held June 6-8 in Bangkok.

Speaking on the occasion, Bachchan said, "Casting my vote is important as it gives me a chance to participate in the decision-making process with my peers in the Indian film industry. It is heartening to see IIFA grow in scale and prominence over the years."

He said the fact that IIFA has entered its ninth year is a testament to its endurance and importance in the industry.

"The credible and distinct place that IIFA enjoys in the Indian film industry is due to the professional and confidential election process that ultimately decides the nominations and awards."

The IIFA weekend and the IDEA-IIFA Awards, spearheaded by Wizcraft International Entertainment, is a movement dedicated to promoting Indian cinema and business across the world and providing a global pedestal to encourage international interaction.

With a viewership of almost 600 million, the IIFA awards are among the world's most-watched entertainment events.

The IIFA voting process is a stringent and methodical procedure that is closely monitored by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, the official auditors for the event.

To begin with, the film industry is invited to cast their votes and shortlist nominations in the category of Popular Awards. The Technical Award winners and the Popular Award nominations are derived from this voting weekend.

The popular category nominations are put up on iifabuzz.com for the global audience to participate in the voting process. The final winners of the IDEA- IIFA Awards are revealed by PriceWaterHouse Coopers only on the night of the awards ceremony when the envelope is opened on stage in front of the live audience.