Tom Cruise to stroll up the red carpet at Dubai International Film Festival

”Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise, will open this year’s Dubai International Film Festival.

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Best films at 8th DIFF’s ‘Cinema of the World’ showcase

UAE audiences will be able to see the year’s best films from around the world next month, as part of the 8th Dubai International Film Festival’s ‘Cinema of the World’ showcase.

The award-winning films, selected by industry veteran and former London Film Festival director Sheila Whitaker, include features and documentaries from the United States, Mexico, Italy, Finland, France, Argentina, Spain and Turkey as well as the best from Hollywood. Read more

Free screenings, university workshops from Sept 30 in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Dubai

The Dubai International Film Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, is partnering with the American Mission to the UAE to present eight powerful documentaries from the American Documentary Showcase to audiences across the emirates. All screenings are free of charge and open to the public.

The showcase, an array of award-winning contemporary American documentaries, offers an uncommon view of American society and culture as seen by its independent filmmakers. The films explore diverse topics from civil rights, the loss of native cultures and the difficulties experienced by immigrants, to slam poetry, wildlife and education. Read more

DIFF honourees shine at Cannes Film Festival

Talented filmmakers from Egypt, who won honour and recognition at various editions of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), are leading the country’s first-ever special tribute at Cannes Film Festival.

To be held from May 11 to 22, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival is hosting Egypt as its first-ever annual country of honour setting a new tradition of welcoming a guest country every year. To celebrate the Egyptian presence at Cannes, the festival will host a screening of 18 jours – a series of short films by leading Egyptian directors, actors and writers, based on the January 25 uprising in Egypt. The screening will be held on May 18, and all proceeds from the film will be donated for promotion education missions in the rural areas of Egypt. Read more

DIFF empowers 12 filmmakers from the Arab world with over US$110,000 in Dubai Film Connection Awards

• DIFF announces Producers Network Award, Film Clinic Award, Screen Institute Beirut Award, Desert Door DIFF Work In Progress Award, Arte France Cinema Award and DIFF Award

The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced the winners of the Dubai Film Connection Awards, which opens doors to directors of Levant, Maghreb, Gulf or North African origin more than US$110,000 in seed funds and valuable industry connections.

In addition to the three DIFF Awards of US$25,000 each, the festival also presents the Euro6000 ARTE Award presented by ARTE France; the US$25,000 Desert Door DIFF Work in Progress Award; the US$10,000 Film Clinic DIFF Debut Feature Award; and the US$15,000 Screen Institute Beirut DIFF Documentary Award. Additionally, at DIFF, the Producers Network, Cannes Film Market awards registration to five producers from the Arab world to attend the prestigious Producers Network meetings at Cannes Film Festival. Read more

DIFF’s Dubai Film Connection 2010 selects 15 projects for production support from 130 submissions

• Three DFC projects part of the festival film programme
• Since launch in 2007, DFC has supported over 52 projects – 15 of them completed

The Dubai Film Connection, the co-production market of the Dubai International Film Festival, has selected 15 new regional film projects for potential production support from over 130 submissions from Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria, Syria and Iraq, among other regional markets.

The 15 films selected for the 2010-2011 cycle include 12 projects in development and three works in progress. The former include: Ali the Goat and Ibrahim by Ibrahim El Batout (Egypt/France); The Eagle and the Butterfly by Philippe Aractingi (Lebanon/France); The Bag of Flour by Khadija Leclere (Belgium/Morocco/France); Housekeeping by Mazen Khaled (Lebanon/Egypt); Gulf entry I am Nojood, 10 years old and Divorced, directed by Khadija Al Salami (Yemen/France); One Day and 124 Nights by Sabine El Chamma (Lebanon); The Replacement by Gilles Tarazi (Lebanon) and Standstill by Majdi El-Omari (Canada). Read more

DIFF announces the winners of the first Poster Competition

The Dubai International Film Festival, ongoing through Dec. 19, has announced the winners of the poster competition, which invited individuals around the Gulf region to ‘Capture the Essence of DIFF.’

The winners, selected by a panel of experts based on creativity, originality, and relevance, are: Midori Yoshino, Hala Gebran, Harold Bravo Cabansag, Shamsa Al Nabooda, Hadeel Walid, Ishita B. Saha, Romy Ravinoran, Salim Stephan, Basma Hamdy and Zeenathul Dhahlan. Read more

‘The Way Back’ at Dubai International Film Festival

Cast of the film ‘The Way Back’ at the Dubai International Film Festival (from left to right): Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, director Peter Weir and Ed Harris with Adel Al Redha – Executive Vice President, Emirates.

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority underscores patronage for film industry at Dubai International Film Festival 2010

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, arts, and heritage, is supporting the seventh Dubai International Film Festival, in keeping with its commitment to drive and strengthen the growth of the city’s cultural and artistic scene.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “A powerful medium of cultural expression, the film industry of Dubai is fast-evolving. The Dubai International Film Festival has created a groundswell of interest in filmmaking, promoted local content creation, and has stimulated the development of the cultural scene of Dubai. Most importantly, the festival highlights the spirit of patronage that thrives in Dubai for culture and the arts.” Read more

Dubai International Film Festival celebrates Emirati talent

In a powerful demonstration of the evolution and growth achieved by the UAE film industry, the seventh Dubai International Film Festival on Tuesday hosted 15 Emirati filmmakers whose films – including features, documentaries and shorts – are being screened at the festival.

“These directors are also competing for the first Muhr Emirati awards introduced at the festival this year. Their films include 12 world premieres, and were shortlisted from over 30 entries, underscoring the growing interest of Emiratis in films and in creating a home-grown film industry powered by initiatives like DIFF,” said Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director, Dubai International Film Festival.

The filmmakers who attended a special photo call and later addressed a press conference are: Abdulla Al Kaabi (The Philosopher); Nayla Al Khaja (Malal); Ali Al Jabri (Solo); Saeed Aldhaheri (Rajulan Wa Anza – Laylat Ma Qabl Al Eid); Rashid and Ahmed Bin Shabib (Brownbook Urban Series – Ten Episodes of People Transforming the Region); Muna Al Ali (Ea’ada); Waleed Al Shehhi (Reeh – Wind); Ahmed Zain (Etma – Darkness); Moath Bin Hafez (Hayat Min Sakhar -Life of Stone); Saud Mohammed Merwesh (Soweer); Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith (Ghawas Gaza – Gaza Diver); Rashid Al-Marri (Rasa’el Ela Falasteen – Letters To Palestine); Khalid Al Mahmood (Sabeel) and Nujoom Al Ghanem (Hamama). Read more

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