Indo-Canadian filmmakerDeepa Mehta will be named 'Director of the Year' at this year'sCineAsia exhibition convention. The presentation will made at the event'sopening night December 3 to be followed by a screening of her latest film, Bollywood/Hollywood, a comedic amalgam of Bollywood romance andHollywood musical.

Set in Toronto, the filmfeatures Bollywood songs, Hollywood choreography, a Hollywood plot and aBollywood morality play and stars Indian actor Rahul Khanna and Canadian-bornIndian supermodel Lisa Ray. The film has taken $770,000 (C$1.2m) on release inCanada and has been sold in 21 countries including the US, France, Germany andthe UK

Mehta will not attend thepresentation as she is in Toronto shooting her next feature, Republic OfLove, based on the novel by CarolShields and produced by Anna Stratton for Toronto's Triptych Media. Bollywood/Hollywoodproducer David Hamilton will acceptthe award on her behalf.

Next for Mehta is a $10mEnglish-language India-Canada coproduction about the 1914 epic journey byPunjabi immigrants from India to Canada.