The 7th annual Dubai International Film Festival continues to highlight the importance of Arab films and filmmakers as the largest film festival in not only the Middle East, but also Asia and Africa. This year’s event is scheduled from December 12-19, 2010. The theme of the film festival since it’s inception in 2004 has been “Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds.”
Independent and established talent is featured at the annual event. The film festival encourages and nurtures in a competitive format, rewarding outstanding films by giving them a global platform.
The event also serves as a meeting point for regional filmmakers and has been the site of important regional collaborations. A major goal of the film festival is to promote a global understanding of the Arab culture’s contribution to and participation in the film industry.
“The King’s Speech” starring Colin Firth as the younger son of King George V is among the film’s already announced as being a part of the film festival. Others include “The Philosopher,” “Will Be Better” and “Reign of Assassins” from China.
The film festival presents more than 400 films, including short films and documentaries from over 50 primarily Arab, Asian and African countries. 157 films from 57 countries have already been lined up for this year’s festival. 41 films are set to make their debut during the festival.
To visit the festival, check here for the best prices on Dubai Hotels. The Dubai International Film Festival is attracting some big names this year, including Sean Penn (who will be the recipient of the DIFF 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award) and Ed Harris, Peter Weir and Jim Sturgess. There will also be screenings of “Tron: Legacy” and “The Nutcracker 3D.” Red carpet screenings will include the Egyptian film “678.”
French star Jean Reno has confirmed attendance plans, along with Arab stars Raghda, Khaled Abol Naga, Nelly Karim, Bushra, Saba Mubarak, Samar Sami and Ayman Zeidan. DIFF chairman Abdulhamid Juma is hailing the event as the world’s largest showcase for the Arab cinema.
Winners of last year’s show included the films “Meotijn Haru,” directed by Yoon-ki Lee, about a jobless, single woman who sets out to find her ex-boyfriend who happens to owe her $3,500 and “Mere-Bi,” a documentary about Senegal’s first female journalist Annette Mbaye d’Erneville. “Well Done, Abba,” and “Janala” are among the other winners from the 2009 film festival.
Additional efforts are being made this year to make the wide selection of films readily available to the public. There are a number of related events scheduled leading up to the festival. Shivani Pandya, the event’s managing director, expressed a goal to bridge the gap between the films and the public and to help expose the featured films to new audiences worldwide.
This festival makes an excellent opportunity to convince the family / company to let you check out the options for Dubai Business Hotels.
The festival will include several venues offering selections directed at specific audiences. The Walk at JBR venue, for example, will feature DIFF’s Rhythm and Reels concerts and screenings. Several family-friendly screenings will also be featured.
An interactive website and new mobile features will also make clips of the films and details of the festival available to a larger audience. To book Dubai Car Rental and more information about the city visit here http://www.Dubai.com
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