Harvey Weinstein, noted U.S. producer and co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, will be master of ceremonies for the closing banquet at the inaugural Toronto International Film Festival Asian Film Summit at the Shangri-La Hotel.

The news came Monday as TIFF announced its guests and programming for the event, which will take place in Toronto on Sept. 10.

“We’ve received tremendous support and interest from the industry and we’re confident that this event will help foster deeper relationships and generate new business opportunities between key film players in the East and West. And as Canada reaches out across the Pacific, we’re glad to have officials such as Telefilm Canada’s executive director Carolle Brabant and Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Karen Thorne-Stone to join us for the Summit,” said TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling in a statement.

“In a year when our Opening Night Gala Looper is a U.S.-China co-production, we’re pleased to provide a platform in Toronto for industry leaders in both Asia and the West to get to know one another better,” said TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey in his own statement.

The packed programming is set to include panels featuring Canadian and Asian industry heavyweights, including a discussion on film financing featuring Bruno Wu of Seven Stars Entertainment, Stuart Ford of IM Global and Kenneth Tan from Media Development Authority Singapore; an exhibition panel with Cineplex Entertainment’s Ellis Jacob, IMAX’s Larry O’Reilly and Beijing Galloping Horse’s Ivy Zhong. Additionally a panel entitled India: Bollywood and the Independents is to feature filmmakers Mira Nair, Guneet Monga of Anurag Kashyap Films, and Shailja Gupta of Indian production and distrib co Red Chillies.

TIFF first announced the summit in July, with the goal of creating a platform to generate new ideas and foster business opps.

At that time, the festival confirmed attendance of Motion Picture Association of America chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd, and actor, producer and director Jackie Chan as guest of honour.

The Summit’s programming is slated to include:

• Discussion on film policy featuring Motion Picture Association of America chairman Senator Chris Dodd
• Discussion on film financing featuring Bruno Wu of Seven Stars Entertainment, Stuart Ford of IM Global and Kenneth Tan from Media Development Authority Singapore
• A global talent panel featuring ICM’s David Unger, Echelon’s Andrew Ooi and Loeb & Loeb’s Stephen Saltzman
• Discussion on production with Ellen Eliasoph, Village Roadshow Asia, Bona Film Group’s Jeffrey Chan, Isabelle Glachant and Lemore Syvan
• Japanese culture panel with Asmik Ace Entertainment’s Kayo Yoshida
• Discussion on sales with CJ Entertainment’s Kini Kim, Moonstone Entertainment’s Etchie Stroh and Fortissimo Films’ Michael Werner
• Study on genre films with Edko Films’ Bill Kong, filmmaker Eli Roth, Radius-TWC’s Tom Quinn and Diversion Pictures’ Stephen Fung
• Conversation with Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment
• Exhibition panel with Cineplex Entertainment’s Ellis Jacob, IMAX’s Larry O’Reilly and Beijing Galloping Horse’s Ivy Zhong
• India: Bollywood and the Independents panel, featuring filmmakers Shailja Gupta of Red Chillies, Guneet Monga of Anurag Kashyap Films and Mira Nair

Panel moderators announced Monday include Patrick Frater from Film Business Asia, Zaib Shaikh (Little Mosque on the Prairie) from Governor Films, Wendy Mitchell and Jason Gray from Screen International, Mike Goodridge of Progatonist Pictures, the Toronto Star’s Peter Howell, Meenakshi Shedde, Sean Farnel, and from TIFF, Cameron Bailey and Colin Geddes.

The TIFF Asian Film Summit will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto on Sept. 10.