Mumbai will be the focus of the Toronto International Film Festival’s City to City program in September, organizers said Friday.

TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey, attending a conference in Mumbai, said the city-focused program will shift this year from a specific urban landscape, as in past City to City editions that spotlighted films made in Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Buenos Aires.

The 2012 City to City sidebar will instead showcase emerging directors that live and work in Mumbai, whatever the locations of their films.

“There’s been an exciting evolution recently that’s seen local independent films emerge to contrast with Bollywood’s dazzling commercial movies. Whether you call it Mumbai or Bombay, this city is a massive player in the global film world,” said Bailey in a statement Friday.

The City to City series, now in its fourth year, will unspool during the 37th Toronto International Film Festival, which is set to run from Sept. 6 to 16, 2012.

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