Dubai will witness one of the biggest film festivals across the world from Dec 6-13 and will be attended by about 4,000 media delegates and industry experts.
The days from December 6 to December 13 will see the city unroll the red carpet to welcome not just the who’s who of actors and filmmakers but also 120 compelling films from the Arab world and beyond, thus introducing audiences to new and original talent across all sections of film-making.
The Dubai International Film Festival’s (DIFF) 14th edition will be held at the Madinat Jumeirah, which is the home of the festival. It will be conducted under the patronage of the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The DIFF was founded in 2004 and has played an important role in helping the film culture within the region to thrive. It also helps provide better opportunities to Arab filmmakers, apart from showcasing brilliant films and thus enriching the psyche of the people of Dubai. In addition to this, DIFF also promotes open dialogue between nations as films of over 40 languages are showcased here.
To ensure healthy competition, various contests will be held in sections such as the Arab world, virtual reality and cinema, out-of-competition segments dedicated to children.
The highest of competitions is the Muhr contest for the best feature fiction and non-fiction and short films originating from the UAE and Arab World. This competition will see over 60 films fight it out to crowned the best.Winning the Muhr Short Competition will automatically qualify the films for Oscar nominations as the DIFF is officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
DIFF will also have Q&A sections and special appearances from actors and filmmakers.
Some of the films that will be featured in the Cinema of the World segment include Jonas Carpignano’s A Ciambra, Sergei Loznitsa’s A Gentle Creature, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Loveless and Anup Singh’s The Song Of Scorpions.
In connection with the DIFF, the Dubai Film Market (DFM) is also held, which is a gateway to the biggest film and TV markets in the world. It provides people access to the buyers, sellers, service providers and industry professionals.
About 4,000 media and industry delegates from across 62 countries are expected to attend the DIFF. Ticket packages are available through Diff.ae, starting at Dh275.
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