The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced this year’s festival will honour Oliver Stone, Nabil El-Maleh and Shah Rukh Khan for their outstanding contribution to cinema, as part of the DIFF Salutes programme. DIFF Salutes is a retrospective tribute that celebrates the work of distinguished film makers from Asia, the Arab world, and Hollywood. This follows last year’s In the Spotlight segment, which honoured Oscar-winning American actor Morgan Freeman, the Egyptian "king...

The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced this year’s festival will honour Oliver Stone, Nabil El-Maleh and Shah Rukh Khan for their outstanding contribution to cinema, as part of the DIFF Salutes programme. DIFF Salutes is a retrospective tribute that celebrates the work of distinguished film makers from Asia, the Arab world, and Hollywood. This follows last year’s In the Spotlight segment, which honoured Oscar-winning American actor Morgan Freeman, the Egyptian "king o...

As the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) gathers momentum for its third edition this December, it is inviting submissions in the categories of features, shorts and documentaries to its new Arab Film Competition. “DIFF has launched an Arab Film Competition in order to fulfill one of its core objectives – showcasing and promoting excellence in Arab cinema,” commented Festival CEO, Neil Stephenson.The Competition satisfies this objective through carefully composed criteria - films must...

A series of key changes highlight the development of the Dubai International Film Festival. The festival’s credo of bridging cultures and meeting minds will be particularly prevalent during its December 10-17 run this year when it will be taking further serious steps to tackle controversial issues while facilitating and stimulating intelligent dialogue. One step toward this goal is the introduction of the Sheikh Zayed Award, a lifetime achievement award to be given to a member of the film in...

Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced a new segment that will allow filmmakers to compete for jury prizes.Providing details of the competition categories and submission dates, Neil Stephenson, CEO, Dubai International Film Festival said, “DIFF’s decision to add a competitive component is part of the Festival’s strategy to evolve into an important destination for creative excellence in Arab cinema. “DIFF is developing into a major film event and has a responsibility to ...

Dubai is set to play host to the third edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) from December 10-17, 2006, the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (TECOM) announced today.The Dubai International Film Festival is held under the patronage of the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Director of Civil Aviation, Dubai and President o...

Bosta (Autobus), the third of five free family films being screened at the giant purpose-built amphitheatre at Dubai Media City during the ongoing Dubai Film Festival, is a fun and upbeat story of what happens when modern and alternative ideas clash with the traditional Dabkeh dance of Lebanon. The film, which will make its UAE premiere at the amphitheatre at 8pm on Wednesday, December 14, follows the story of Kamal, who returns to Beirut after 15 years of exile in France determined to revive hi...

HH Sheikh Ahmed inaugurates the Dubai International Film Festival 2005Dubai is now a world destination for cinema and culture says Festival DirectorHH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman of the Emirates Group inaugurated the Dubai International Film Festival here yesterday.HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: “The Dubai International Film Festival is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown P...

The second Dubai International Film Festival begins on Sunday, December 11, and will feature 98 films including features, retrospectives and short films until Saturday, December 17The award-winning films are from a variety of genres and traditions, from American independent to African contemporary, Chinese drama to German-Lebanese documentary. An additional seven films are also on the short-list for next year’s Academy Award (Oscar) nominations. The Festival’s Opening Gala film, Paradise Now...

International and regional film stars, industry leaders and filmmakers from around the world expected to grace tonight’s red carpet opening gala Months of planning and preparation will culminate in grand style tonight as international celebrities, regional stars and UAE VIPs walk up an 80-metre long red carpet and into the Madinat Jumeirah Arabian Resort at 8pm Sunday (December 11, 2005), to officially open the second Dubai International Film Festival. Lit up by sky trackers and a state-of-the...

Morgan Freeman, Adel Imam, Yash Chopra Named as 2005 Honorees for Dubai International Film Festival Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman, Egyptian comedy superstar Adel Imam and distinguished Indian producer-director Yash Chopra will receive the Dubai International Film Festival’s 2005 honors for distinguished service to the film industry during the December 11 – 17 Festival this year. The three stars have been named as the Hollywood, Arab and Asian honorees in the Festival’s ‘In the Spotligh...

The Dubai International Film Festival announced the silver sponsors of DIFF 2005 – Filmworks, Motivate Publishing and Sony. The three silver sponsors, who make up the third tier of corporate participation in DIFF, are from a variety of media-related backgrounds from film production and publishing to technology providers. Festival Director and CEO Neil Stephenson said the DIFF management team was pleased to receive such enthusiastic participation and support from dynamic local companies.“We a...

Dubai Film Festival a Vital Platform in Improving Portrayal of Arabs, Muslims in Mainstream Cinema, Says US ExpertNegative stereotypes unchanged since 9/11, according to Arab-American scholar Dubai, December 5, 2005 – The Dubai International Film Festival can play an integral role in shattering the negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims that permeate mainstream American cinema, the world’s leading authority on media stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims has said. Dr. Jack Shaheen, author of t...

Organizers Deliver on Promise of Bigger, Better Second Dubai International Film Festival: DIFF team announces 6 world premieres Seven days, 98 films from 46 countries and a galaxy of the film elite from the Arab world, Asia, Europe and the Americas – the building blocks of the second Dubai International Film Festival generated much excitement today when Festival organizers unveiled the entire 2005 line-up for the first time at DIFF epicenter Madinat Jumeirah. Building rapidly on the success of...

The second Dubai International Film Festival (“DIFF”) will be bigger and better than its predecessor, with more and diverse films, a strengthened team of programmers, and changes in ticketing procedures and scheduling, Festival organizers announced at a press conference at the Madinat Jumeirah today. Apart from the enhancements, the 2005 Festival, which will run from December 11 to 17 this year, will retain most of its successful inaugural framework. Mr. Ahmad bin Byat, the Director General ...

First Dubai Film Festival Ends on High Note, Impressing Industry Guests, Local Festival-goers, More than 18,000 screening tickets issued during six-day Festival The first Dubai International Film Festival ended on an upbeat note yesterday, with international celebrities and industry executives complimenting DIFF organizers on a promising and successful first Festival, and Festival-goers praising the diversity of cinema brought to these shores for the first time. More than 13,000 people from arou...

I am delighted to welcome everyone aboard as the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) embarks on its maiden voyage on December 6, 2004. I extend a warm welcome to two very special groups of people: our visiting guests who have travelled to Dubai from all over the world, perhaps for the first time, to participate in our festival, and also, my fellow members of the Dubai community. This festival has been created for these two all-important constituencies.Over the last two years, we at Dubai Me...

Inaugural festival guests expected to attend include Prince Albert of Monaco, Archbishop Tutu, Morgan Freeman, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Harvey Weinstein, Amitabh Bachchan.The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced the program for its inaugural event which will take place December 6-11, 2004.The festival will be held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister and the Chairmanship of His Highness...

The first Dubai International Film Festival [DIFF] is being organized by the Dubai Media City and will start on Monday December 6th and end on the evening of Saturday December 11th 2004. The festival will feature 80 films, which include 55 main features, 10 sidebar screenings and 15 Arab short films, which will showcase contemporary and classic global cinema. The main venue of the Dubai Film Festival will be the new Madinat Jumeirah, The Arabian Resort of Dubai, but other screenings will take pl...

Inaugural Dubai International Film Festival aims to build cultural bridgesCultural understanding and international harmony will be the themes of the inaugural Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai Media City’s newly launched film festival scheduled for December 2004 6-11, 2004.To be held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, the festival will showcase a wide selection of contemporary and classic glo...