Dubai-UAE: – Dubai Properties Group (DPG), a member of Dubai Holding, today announced its partnership with Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to host a week-long series of ‘Rhythm and Reels’ screenings and concerts at The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR).

DIFF’s activities at The Walk commenced on 7 December with a live broadcast of the opening ceremony and red carpet events from the Madinat Jumeirah. The direct feed from the venue was accompanied with a live DJ providing entertainment.

‘Rhythm and Reels’ opened on 8 December with the screening of ‘Pandora’s Box’, a silent film, to the live accompaniment of the UAE orchestra. Other screenings will include ‘Neil Young Journeys’, ‘INNI’, ‘God Bless Ozzy Orbourne’ and the ‘Muhr Feature Award Winning Film’. The ‘Rhythm and Reels’ event will draw to a close on 14 December.

Introduced in 2007, the ‘Rhythm and Reels’ concept celebrates the mutually enriching relationship between film and music. In its fifth edition, it will feature a host of screenings that touch on this relationship.

The Walk at JBR is regarded as one of the most distinctive and popular entertainment and shopping destinations in the UAE. The unique 1.7km outdoor shopping boulevard boasts 305 shops, situated on both the plaza and ground levels. From its ideal beach front location to its wide-ranging retail and dining options, The Walk at JBR offers a unique experience for every age and every choice.

Dubai: Last night, four children from the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre were the
special guests of Dubai Pearl at the opening gala of the 8th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
Attending the world premier of ‘Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ the children, together with
their teachers, were part of an exhilarating night of pure Hollywood, Bollywood and International
superstardom in the company of such celebrities as Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan, director Peter
Weir and local talent Fakhria Khamis from Oman, Ibrahim AlHarbi from Kuwait and Abdul Mohsen M
Alnemer from Saudi Arabia.

Starting their evening in the ‘Fan Pit’, the children had the opportunity to greet some of the stars, get
autographs and take photos as they arrived on the red carpet. To add to the excitement the children
were then invited to the premier VIP screening of the opening film.

Mr. Abdul Majeed Ismail Al Fahim, Chairman of Dubai Pearl FZ LLC, said: “DIFF is an outstanding
example of what Dubai does so well and Dubai Pearl is committed to bringing a wide variety of
arts to the people so we are delighted to be a principal sponsor of the festival again this year. We
also wanted to do something special this year, and so to bring children from the Rashid Paediatric
Therapy Centre into the heart of the action alongside all the international superstars is indeed a
wonderful opportunity for all. This evening has been a truly unique experience for them and for us and
we are pleased to have been able to give them a night that they will cherish and remember for a long
time.”

Dubai Pearl is once again one of the principal sponsors of DIFF’ continuing its long association
with one of the leading film festivals in the Middle East. This year over 171 films from 56 countries
will be shown. Dubai Pearl will also be hosting Rhythm and Reels, a celebration of film and music
which traditionally accompanies DIFF each year. It will once again be free to the public at a specially
constructed outdoor venue to be built on the beach opposite The Walk in Dubai Marina at the base of
the Jumeirah Beach Residence.

Dubai, UAE; December 14, 2011: The 8th 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, concluded with a glittering award ceremony, where outstanding talent from the UAE and the Arab world, Asia and Africa were presented DIFF’s prestigious Muhr Awards.

Over the past eight days, the festival screened a vivid showcase of 171 films from 56 nations, hosted live music performances that attracted thousands of spectators, and celebrated the spirit of cultural solidarity through its central credo of ‘Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds.’

A strong statement on Dubai’s ability to host world-class events, the festival welcomed some of the towering names in cinema from Hollywood, Europe, India, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world. The festival also put the global spotlight on the city with the premiere of Mission:Impossible – Ghost Protocol, shot partly in Dubai.

DIFF’s comprehensive script-to-screen industry initiative, the Dubai Film Market, extended co-production, post-production and trade & distribution support, in addition to fostering open discussions on the current trends in cinema and encouraging the development of a new cadre of film journalists.

The presentation of the Muhr Awards, the only initiative of its kind with the clearly defined mandate of promoting filmmaking talent in the Arab world, Asia and Africa, brought a perfect culmination to the celebration of the finest in global cinema over eight days.

Some 90 shorts, documentaries and features, selected from over 1,700 entries from 106 countries, had competed for more than 36 Muhr Emirati, Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica Awards and over US$600,000 in prize money in addition to invaluable industry connections. They were also eligible for a variety of prestigious global awards including the FIPRESCI International Prize of the Critics Award and the Human Rights Film Network Award.

Earlier, DIFF presented its Lifetime Achievement Awards to veteran Egyptian actor and crossover star Gamil Ratib; Oscar- and Grammy-award winning Indian music composer A. R. Rahman and internationally renowned auteur Werner Herzog.

The festival also presented the ‘People Who Make a DIFFerence’ Award to Jafar Varzideh, for flying out from Los Angeles since the inaugural edition of DIFF to volunteer at the festival. The DIFF Young Journalist Award and Dubai Film Connection prizes were presented during the festival.

The du People’s Choice Award:  ALS DER WEIHNACHTSMANN VOM HIMMEL FIEL (WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH) by Oliver Dieckmann – Germany

The annual ‘Prize of the International Critics’ for Arab films from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), the world’s foremost body of film writers, academics and critics from over 60 countries, were awarded to:
• Best Documentary: MARCEDES by Hady Zaccak - Lebanon
• Best Short: SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE) by Uda Benyamina – France
• Best Feature: HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) by Susan Youssef - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE

The Human Rights Film Network Award, aimed at encouraging and promoting films that address human rights issues, was won by SHOJI TO TAKAO (SHOJI & TAKAO) by Yoko Ide - Japan.

Muhr AsiaAfrica
Muhr Asia Africa Shorts:
• Second Prize: MEHFUZ (SAFE) by Rohit Pandey - India
• Special Jury Prize: TINYE SO by Daouda Coulibaly - Mali
• First Prize: MO-EDON PAE-MIL-LI (MODERN FAMILY) by Kwang Bin Kim - South Korea

Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary:
• Special Mention: JAI BHIM COMRADE by Anand Patwardhan - India
• Second Prize: ENDING NOTE (DEATH OF A JAPANESE SALESMAN) by Mami Sunada - Japan
• Special Jury Prize: NEGERI DI BAWAH KABUT (THE LAND BENEATH THE FOG) by Shalahuddin Siregar - Indonesia
• First Prize: IN FILM NIST (THIS IS NOT A FILM) by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb - Iran

Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature:
• Special Mention: Chandani Senevirathne for her role in NIKINI VASSA (AUGUST DRIZZLE) - Sri Lanka
• Best Cinematographer: Gökhan Tiryaki for BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU’DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) - Turkey
• Best Editor: Takashi Sato for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) - Japan
• Best Composer: Christopher Khoo for TATSUMI - Singapore
• Best Scriptwriter: Shuichi Okita for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) - Japan
• Best Actress: Phung Ho Hai Lin for TÂM HÕN MĘ (MOTHER’S SOUL) - Vietnam
• Best Actor: Kôji Yakusho for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) – Japan
• Special Jury Prize: BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU’DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Turkey
• Best Film: TATSUMI by Eric Khoo - Singapore

Muhr Arab
Muhr Arab Shorts:
• Special Mention: ZAFIR (BREATHE OUT) by Omar El Zohairy - Egypt
• Special Mention: MAKAN YOUA’AD (A PLACE TO GO) by Wajdi Elian - Lebanon
• Second Prize: ARD AL ABTAL (LAND OF THE HEROES) by Sahim Omar Kalifa - Iraq
• Special Jury Prize: BRÛLEURS (BURNERS) by Farid Bentoumi - France
• First Prize: SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE) by Uda Benyamina – France

Muhr Arab Documentary:
• Special Mention: LA KHAOUFA BAADA AL’YAOUM (NO MORE FEAR) by Mourad Ben Cheikh - Tunisia
• Second Prize: ICI, ON NOIE LES ALGERIENS - 17 OCTOBRE 1961 (HERE WE DROWN ALGERIANS - OCTOBER 17TH, 1961) by Yasmina Adi - France
• Special Jury Prize: HALABJA - THE LOST CHILDREN by Akram Hidou - Iraq, Germany, Syria
• First Prize: SECTOR ZERO by Nadim Mishlawi - Lebanon, UAE

Muhr Arab Feature:
• Cinematographer: Raphael Bauche for SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS)                         - Morocco
• Best Editor: Susan Youssef and Man Kit Lam for HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE
• Best Composer: Le Trio Jubran for AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY)                        Jordan, UAE
• Best Scriptwriter: Hakim Belabbes for SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS) - Morocco
• Best Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi for HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE
• Best Actor: Ali Suliman for AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY) - Jordan, UAE
• Special Jury Prize: AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY) by Yahya Alabdallah - Jordan, UAE
• Best Film: HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) by Susan Youssef - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE

Muhr Emirati
• Special Mention: LONDON IN A HEADSCARF by Mariam Al Sarkal - UK
• Second Prize: AKHIR DECEMBER (END OF DECEMBER) by Hamad Al Hammadi - UAE
• Special Jury Prize: CHILDREN by Mohammad Fikree - UAE
• First Prize: AMAL by Nujoom Alghanem - UAE

The award-winning films will be screened on December 16 at the Mall of the Emirates Vox Cinemas. 

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival, held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and 

Dubai, UAE; December 13, 2011: Academy Award nominated German filmmaker Werner Herzog, one of the founders of the ‘New German Cinema,’ announced at the 8th Dubai International Film Festival that he plans to film the life of Gertrude Bell, the English writer, traveler and archeologist, described as the ‘female equivalent of the Lawrence of Arabia’ in the Arab world, with Dubai being a potential location.

Herzog, who received the Lifetime Achievement Honour of DIFF this year, said he is yet to scout location for the film, and “the wonderful deserts” in Dubai could make it a potential location.

“It is not only the landscape; a film needs the infrastructure, and Dubai with its modernity, connections and functioning systems provides the right infrastructure for filmmaking,” he said, adding that the new project being a period film will not be set in the city itself but that he hopes to cover Dubai in a different way.

Describing Dubai as phenomenal and unbelievable, “a complete dream that materialized in 10 years,” Herzog compared it to St Petersburg, created by Peter the Great, which put Russia on the map.  “This city is a dream invented by a poet; it is a poetry that all of a sudden materializes.”

Herzog said that the epic film on Gertrude Bell is currently in pre-production, and that by venturing to make the film, he learnt about “Islam, Bedouin life and the dignity of the Arab world.”

Urging emerging filmmakers to stick to their own vision and not to dream the dream of others, Herzog reminded them to be true to their cultural identity. “Even when I filmed in America, it was not a Hollywood film. In spirit it was a Bavarian film, it was my own cultural identity. In planning a film in the Arab world, I don’t pretend to be an Arab. I see things here with great fascination and sympathy.”

Herzog said that independent film is a myth and asked young filmmakers to be self reliant. He recalled his early days when he worked at a steel factory at night as a welder, even as he attended school during day, and made his first film with the money thus made.

“Filmmaking is not complicated; its essence is simple – it is about camera, sound and actors. One doesn’t need a film school to learn about films; you learn the basic techniques in a week or two and you should go out and make the film,” said Herzog, who has founded the Rogue Film School, where he doesn’t advocate the teaching of elaborate techniques in filmmaking.

He said that the documentary Into the Abyss, which is screening on Wednesday (December 14) at 2 pm at Mall of the Emirates Vox Cinema 12, is not as much about the death row. Based on a triple homicide that took place in Texas, the film, Herzog said, is “about a senseless crime and its ramifications.”

Herzog said he is only half-way through his film career and the lifetime achievement honour “is not my funeral.” He clarified that Into the Abyss is not his latest film; he is already working on several films currently, and is busier than ever before. His mini-series of four one-hour films for television will be mixed in the next few days, and he is in Dubai having acted with Tom Cruise in Pittsburgh.

On Wednesday (Dec. 14), Herzog will take part in an ‘In Conversation’ session as part of the Dubai Film Forum of DIFF, from 11.30 am to 1 pm that will touch upon many aspects of his career as film director, producer, screen writer, actor and opera director.

All-around film professional, author and adventurer, Herzog has to his credit some 18 feature films, over 30 documentaries, seven short fiction, 18 opera productions and three theatre productions. He is credited with being the only director in the world to have made a film on every continent.

Herzog helped bring about a qualitative shift to the flagging fortunes of the German film industry through the 1960s to the 1980s, when he joined like-minded directors to make compelling ‘short’ motion pictures that were appreciated by arthouse audiences. This in turn enabled the directors to receive big budget funding, and spark a revival for German cinema, without compromising on quality.

He was nominated for the Academy Awards in 2009 for his documentary, Encounters at the End of the World, which presents a never-before-seen perspective of Antarctica, its people and landscape.

Herzog joined veteran Egyptian actor Gamil Rateb and Indian music composer A. R. Rahman to receive DIFF’s top honour at its eighth edition.

The eighth edition of DIFF concludes on Wednesday (Dec. 14, 2011) with an Awards ceremony where the winners of the festival’s prestigious in-house honours, the Muhr Awards, will be presented.

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival, which is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and

Dubai, UAE; December 13, 2011: The eighth 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, has joined hands with MIPTV, the leading international content market and showcase for television and digital entertainment, to strengthen the visibility of emerging filmmakers in the Middle East region by exposing their works to a wider, international audience.

Ted Baracos, Director Market Development at MIPTV, said “As part of this new partnership, the winners of the documentary and feature sections of the in-competition Muhr Awards – DIFF’s prestigious in-competition honours - will have their films screened at the 49th annual MIPTV (Palais des Festival – Cannes). This will provide the winning filmmakers with a perfect opportunity to access the largest gathering of buyers globally, as well as benefit from networking sessions with international distributors and other industry professionals who attend MIPTV and the MIPDoc screenings.

Scheduled to run from April 1 to 4, 2012, MIPTV brings together over 11,000 media and television industry professionals from 100 countries.

Shivani Pandya, Managing Director, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “MIPTV’s global standing as a premier entertainment industry showcase offers DIFF’s Muhr Award winners the opportunity to reach a wider global audience. The partnership will further add to DIFF’s proven commitment to support filmmakers from the inception of their project to trade and distribution; in short, the entire production and post-production cycle.”

Bassil Hajjar, Middle East Representative, MIPTV, said: “At MIPTV, we truly believe in DIFF’s mandate of bringing the most promising filmmakers to an international audience. We are positive that this collaboration will lead to a wider understanding and appreciation for Arab producers and the Arab film industry.”

From shaping deals to making new connections, MIPTV unravels new business opportunities for Arab filmmakers. More information on MIPTV is available on www.miptv.com

The DIFF box office is open at www.dubaifilmfest.com. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival. The eighth edition of DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and

Dubai, UAE; December 8, 2011: Friday (December 9, 2011) promises a world of fun for the little ones and music lovers at the eighth Dubai International Film Festival. While the young and young at heart can revel in the world of The Muppets, which makes its red carpet gala at 3 pm at the Madinat Arena, music lovers can discover the world of the legendary Peter Gabriel returning to the stage with an innovative performance with Peter Gabriel: New Blood – Live in London, to be screened in 3D, at 10 pm, at the same venue.

The musical journey takes a new realm at The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, the venue of DIFF’s Rhythm & Reel screenings with the live performance of The Silence Project, following the world premiere of Silence: All Roads Lead to Music at 8 pm. Directed by Haider Rashid, the film charts the genius of an unusual combination of musicians who meet for the first time for a one-off music concert to be held during an Arab film festival in southern Italy. The musicians’ journey takes viewers through the intense search for a unique sound that blends Sicilian, Arabic, jazz and world music into the realm of the purest music. The film will be screened again on Dec. 13, 12 pm, at MoE 4.

While on music, DIFF also brings Grammy Award winning recording artist Madonna’s directorial venture – W.E. The film charts two parallel love stories separated by more than six decades but connected by two fragile but determined women. It will screen at 7.45pm at First Gulf Theatre at Madinat Jumeirah.

A gripping drama from South Korea, Come Rain, Come Shine will offer a new cinema experience for audiences at 9.15 pm at Mall of the Emirates Vox Cinemas 9. Directed by Lee Yoon-Ki, the film is about a young woman who talks to her husband about leaving him for another man, but fate forces them to spend another day together. A second screening of the movie will be held on Dec. 14, 11.15 am at MoE 8.

Several powerful documentaries and feature films from the Arab world will also be screened on Friday. Director Taghreed Elsanhouri’s Our Beloved Sudan makes its world premiere at 5.30 pm at MoE 6, followed by a second screening on Dec. 11, 4.15 pm at MoE 4. It documents the political destiny of the Sudanese nation- from its birth in 1956 to its eventual partition in 2011.

Another world premiere is that of Marcedes by Lebanese filmmaker Hady Zaccak. It is a feature biopic chronicling the history and transformation of the country through the perspective of a car and its family. The film will debut at 10.30 pm at MoE 6 followed by a second screening on Dec. 11, 12 pm at MoE 6.

Also making its world premiere is director Simon El Habre’s Gate #5, which retraces the lives of Lebanese truck drivers through the 1960s to the present day. The film will be screened at 8 pm at MoE 6 followed by a second screening on Dec. 11 at 2.30 pm at MoE 6.

Palestinian director Laith Al-Juneidi’s The Invisible Policeman, makes its international premiere at DIFF at 3.30 pm at MoE 5, and will be screened again on Dec. 12 at 8.15 pm at MoE 7. The film is about a policeman who shares walls with his adversary.

Boiling Dreams, a feature by Moroccan director Hakim Belabbes makes its world premiere at DIFF at 10.15 pm at MoE 12. The story of a young father of two who plans an illegal crossing into Spain, the feature film will be screened again on Dec. 11, 1 pm at MoE 12.

Indian film lovers will have a full day to celebrate the diversity of the country’s cinema. At 2 pm, First Group Theatre will screen the international premiere of director Srijit Mukherji’s 7th August, a Bengali film that explores the dark underbelly of Kolkata; and at 5.15 pm, the same venue will host the world premiere of Akam, a Malayalam film directed by Shalini Usha Nair, on a man’s perfect life turning upside down when a terrible accident traumatizes him. 7th August will also screen on Dec. 10 at 2.15 pm at MoE 2, and Akam at 11.30 pm at MoE 12.

Accomplished filmmaker Anand Patwardhan’s Jai Bhim Comrade (2.30 pm at MoE 12); the international permiere of Kaushik Ganguly’s Laptop starring Rahul Bose (10.30 pm, First Group Theatre); a second screening of Maithanam, directed by Muthuswamy Sakthivel (7.00 pm; MoE 12) and the Amir Khan-starrer Lagaaan, the Academy Award nominee in the Foreign Film category, screened to mark the DIFF Lifetime Achivement Honour for music composer A.R. Rahman (2.45 pm, MoE 10) are among other Indian film selections on Friday.
 
For those who the adventure of dark thrillers that send a shiver up the spine is Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto’s Kotoko, a terrifying psychological thriller about a deeply disturbed young mother who suffers from overpowering frightening fantasies. The film will be screened at 11.59 pm at MoE 1 followed by a second screening on Dec. 10 at 9.30 pm at MoE 5.

Marking the tribute to German cinema in its In Focus segment, DIFF will screen director Verena S. Freytag’s Burnout at 4.30 pm at MoE 7, followed by a screening on Dec. 10 at 8.30 pm. The film is a powerful portrait of motherhood in which a single mother tends to the needs of three children by three different fathers.

The DIFF box office is open online at www.dubaifilmfest.com and at the DIFF box offices in Dubai Media City, JBR The Walk, Mall of the Emirates and Madinat Jumeirah. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival, which is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and 

Dubai, UAE; December 6, 2011: The search for dreams, internal peace, and the challenges in managing personal relationships are central themes of the films from the Philippines at the eighth Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the leading festival of its kind in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, DIFF will be screen two films from the Philippines that will appeal to the large Filipino community in the UAE.

Making its world premiere at DIFF 2011 is director Arnel Mardoquio’s Crossfire, screening on Dec. 8 at MoE 11, with a second screening on Dec. 12 at MoE 5. The film illustrates how the government declared war on hundreds of thousands of internal refugees in the city of Mindanao. A decade later, these refugees or “bakwits” have accepted their fate to avoid being trapped in the crossfire of the armed forces.

Members of the cast including two-time Gawad Urian Award nominee for his role in Melancholia (2009) and Sheikha (2010), Perry Dizon and AC Macheca, will accompany director Arnel Mardoquio at DIFF 2011.

Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr’s Fable of the Fish interweaves natural and magic realism elements with folk tales, urban myths and traditional faith, explores a woman’s faith in miracles being tested when she becomes pregnant despite her age. She, however, gives birth to a fish, and now her marriage is tried by strange and surreal incidents. The film, which stars Bembel Roco and Cherry Pie Picache, has been described as a clear example of ‘one of the most adventurous national cinemas of the last decade.’

Director Adolfo Borinaga and leading actress Cherry Pie Picache, two-time winner at the Durban International Film Festival for her roles in Summer Heat (2006) and Foster Child (2008), among other accolades at from the Golden Screen Awards, Philippines, and the Gawad Urian Award, are scheduled to make an appearance at the Festival.

DIFF 2011 will screen 171 films from 56 nations representing the best of national, regional and world cinema between December 7 and 14 at the Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Jumeirah and The Walk at JBR.

The DIFF box office is open at www.dubaifilmfest.com. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival. The eighth edition of DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and 

Dubai, UAE; December 4, 2011: Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, actor-director Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani will participate in a public interactive session and Q&A on Thursday, December 8, 2011, as part of the eighth Dubai International Film Festival, as part of the Dubai International Film Festival’s celebration of Indian cinema.

The Bollywood team will also present a special preview of their much-anticipated movie Don 2: The Chase Continues, at 4pm at the Madinat Arena in Madinat Jumeirah. The conversation will be moderated by Anuradha Sengupta.

With a wide fan-following across the Arab world, Shah Rukh’s appearance is his second outing at the Dubai fest, having earlier been honoured for his contribution to cinema by DIFF.

Farhan Akhtar is also a popular actor noted for his roles in the superhit films Rock On and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. A former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra is the winner of the Indian National Award for Best Actress (Fashion), and has numerous titles to her credit including Dostana, Anjaana Anjaani and 7 Khoon Maaf.

Ritesh Sidhwani, who joined hands with Farhan Akhtar to launch Excel Entertainment, is the co-producer of several award-winning and critically acclaimed films such as  Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On, Karthik Calling Karthik, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The ‘Afternoon With’ conversation session precedes the Thursday night world premiere of Bollywood romantic comedy Ladies V/s Ricky Bahl starring Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma, and directed by Maneesh Sharma. The cast and crew will walk the Festival red carpet from 7pm.

Tickets for the event can be purchased for AED 30. The DIFF box office is now open online at www.dubaifilmfest.com and at the DIFF box offices in Dubai Media City, JBR The Walk, Mall of the Emirates and Madinat Jumeirah. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival, which is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and 

Films from Palestine, Egypt, Maghreb, France and Canada included in lineup

Dubai, UAE; December 3, 2011: A powerful documentary on Palestinian leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Yasser Arafat, the return of Paradise Now director Hany Abu-Assad with a short take on Istanbul, the struggle of a group of women to save the dying art of traditional belly dancing in Cairo, and several heart-wrenching as well as heart-warming stories of ordinary people in the Arab world are on showcase in the Arabian Nights programme of the eighth Dubai International Film Festival.

The Arabian Nights line-up at DIFF 2011, consisting of 20 films, all of which are open to the public, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, includes one world premiere, two international premieres, and seven Middle East premieres, which will be screened from December 8 to 14, 2011, a day after the festival’s official opening on December 7.

Antonia Carver, Programmer for Arabian Nights, said: “Our Arabian Nights programme is a window into the Arab world by filmmakers based in the region and from across the world. The growing number of global collaborations is a testament to the interest internationally in the Arabic film industry. We are delighted to showcase such an eclectic collection of films that capture the varied facets of life in the region.”

Making its world premiere is Ala’ Abu Ghoush’s Goldfish, which narrates the story of a nine-year-old Palestinian refugee Bashar, who decides to take his goldfish to a bigger home. The film will be screened on Dec. 9 at Mall of the Emirates (MoE) 11, and Dec. 12 at MoE 1.

Marcus Vetter’s German film, Cinema Jenin – The Story of a Dream follows the life of Ismael, whose son was shot by an Israeli sniper. In the agony lies the story of the birth of Palestinian cinema, which Marcus, Ismael, and Fakhri, a local from Jenin, discover through the complex cultural and political relationships that surround it. The film will make its Middle East Premiere on Dec 12 and Dec. 13 at MoE 7.

Richard Symons’ The Price of Kings – Yasser Arafat, documents the legacy of Yasser Arafat, the only president in the world without a fully recognised country, through interviews with his closest relatives and friends, and his widow, Suha. A series of honest anecdotes help us understand the story of the man who fought to bring peace; a goal he was unable to realise during his lifetime. The film will be screened on Dec. 8 at MoE 12, and Dec. 10 at MoE 9.

From France is The Brown Line, in which filmmaker and father-to-be Rachid Djaidani follows his wife’s pregnancy every step of the way, documenting their changing lives on a camera phone, which will be screened on Dec. 9 at Mall of the Emirates (MoE) 11, and Dec. 12 at MoE 1.

Dave Osbourne’s The 99 Unbound, is based on the characters created by the Kuwaiti Dr Naif Al-Mutawa. In the film, 99 young superheroes from around the world are recruited to create an invincible team dedicated to fight evil. It will be screened at the First Group Theatre in Madinat Jumeirah on Dec. 13, and at MoE 7 on Dec. 14. The Brown Line and The 99 Unbound are making their international premiere at DIFF 2011. 

From Canada and making its Middle East Premiere at DIFF 2011 is Romeo Eleven (Roméo Onze) in which director Ivan Grbovic and actor Ali Ammar narrate the story of Rami, a Lebanese boy based in Montreal. As Rami battles his daily life with a disability and his desire to meet family expectations, he finds solace in his online persona ‘Romeo Eleven,’ only to lose the fine line between the two. The film will be screened on Dec. 8 and Dec 10, at MoE 9.

An intimate portrait of women whose goal is to save the disappearing art of belly dancing, their lives, and the magic of Cairo, is presented in Isabelle Lavigne and Stephane Thibault’s At Night, They Dance (La Nuit, Elles Dansent) to be screened on Dec. 9 at MoE 5 and on Dec. 11 at MoE 11.

France’s Arab community comes to life in Philippe Faucon’s Disintegration (Désintégration), which narrates the tale of three 20-something boys, Ali, Nasser, and Hamza, who befriend Djamel, perceived as a charismatic intellect, only to find that Djamel manipulates the boys into revolting against the society they are a part of. The film will be screened on Dec. 9 at MoE 10, and Dec. 10 at MoE 9.

In the equally tender and delightful Turtles Do Not Die of Old Age, three Moroccan octogenarians – a master fisherman, an innkeeper and a street musician - still work to earn a living and are determined to continue living to the best of their ability. The documentary, directed by Hind Benchekroun and Sami Mermer, will be screened on Dec. 12 at MoE 7, and Dec. 14 at MoE 6.

DIFF 2011 will screen 171 films from 56 nations representing the best of national, regional and world cinema between December 7 and 14 at the Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Jumeirah and The Walk at JBR.

The DIFF box office is open at www.dubaifilmfest.com. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival. The eighth edition of DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and 

Rockumentaries on Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young; free jazz, world music concerts

Dubai, UAE; November 30, 2011: From evocative biopics on Grammy Award winners Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young and Peter Gabriel to electrifying concerts, and inspiring stories of female jazz musicians, and a journey into the unique fusion of Arabic, Sicilian, jazz and world music, the eighth Dubai International Film Festival is this year showcasing a series of films and concerts that blend music and movies in its popular Rhythm & Reels segment.

Six of seven Rhythm & Reels films will screen free to the public at the Festival’s outdoor venue, The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence from December 7 to 14, 2011. The Walk at JBR screenings will also be complemented by live musical performances by international and regional music groups.

On Thursday, Dec. 8, the 60-member UAE-German philharmonic orchestra takes centrestage at The Walk accompanying the screening of one of the classics of world cinema – GW Pabst’s Pandora’s Box. The 1929 silent melodrama, screened in the In Focus: Germany segment of DIFF, is based on Wedekind’s play Lulu, and stars the mesmerizing Louise Brooks as a thoughtless young woman who brings ruin to herself and those who love her. The print was restored by Martin Koerber of the Deutsche Kinemathek - a project of over 12 years. The live orchestra will be conducted by Philipp Maier, the founder and director of the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra.

Friday, December 9, will see two R&R screenings, beginning at 8pm at The Walk at JBR, with the world premiere of Haider Rashid’s Silence: All Roads Lead to Music. The film pushes the frontiers of music to bring together the sounds of Sicilian, Arabic, Jazz, and World, in this music-without-borders documentary. Following the screening, Rashid, whose film Tangled Up in Blue screened at DIFF 2009 and GFF 2010, will take to the stage for a special performance along with Australian virtuoso pianist Tom Donald, Sicilian Bagpipes, sax player and flaustist Tanino Lazzaro, accordionist Giancarlo Parisi, and Harp, Didgeridoo and Tambourine player Luca Recupero.

Later that night, at 10pm, the only indoor Rhythm & Reels screening will be held at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena: the spectacular Peter Gabriel: New Blood Live in London 3D concert. Showcasing the accomplished musician’s musical flair in conjunction with the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra, the film will make its Middle East premiere at DIFF. A seamless blend of graphics, animation, and imagery, the film is both a visual and audio feast. The concert footage features classic tracks from Gabriel’s repertoire of work including ‘Biko,’ ‘Don’t Give Up,’ and ‘Mercy Street,’ among others. Tickets to the dynamic rockumentary are on sale now.

On Saturday, December 10, The Walk at JBR will be home to the free screening of Neil Young: Journeys, directed by Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme. The film captures the Canadian singer-songwriter’s solo tour to Toronto’s Massey Hall, and features classic songs from Young’s collected works as well his new album Le Noise.

The critically acclaimed live motion picture Inni, based on the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, will be screened at The Walk at JBR at 8pm on Sunday, Dec. 11. Featuring concert footage directed by Vincent Morisset from the Alexandra Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, the film contains live tracks from every album produced by the band, including ‘Sæglópur,’ ‘E-Bow,’ and ‘Festival,’ among others.

On Monday, Dec. 12, director Mike Fleiss, whose credits include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostel and Poseidon, brings the musical documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne to UAE audiences. The rockumentary takes viewers inside the eccentric mind of one of rock music’s greatest icons, uncovering stories from the musician’s past, and featuring interviews with musicians such as Tommy Lee and Paul McCartney. The film is a tribute to the artist’s career that spans over four decades. The film will screen free to the public at 8 pm.

Finally, making its international premiere in DIFF’s ‘Cinema of the World’ segment on Tuesday, Dec. 13, the American biopic The Girls in The Band directed by Judy Chaikin, is an inspiring story about female jazz musicians and big band instrumentalists from the 1930s jazz era. Accompanying the screening is a special performance by Parisian band Certains L’Aiment Chaud (Some Like It Hot), an all-female French band, comprising Kiki Desplat, Sylvette Claudet, Shona Taylor, Nathalie Renault, and Claude Jeantet, that celebrate the sound of early jazz.

Shivani Pandya, Managing Director, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “The Rhythm & Reels programme is one of the highlights of DIFF, bringing together movies centred on music and live musical performances in a seamless combination. This year’s selection of movies and live performances mark the universal appeal of music to cross over all geographic and social divides.”

The DIFF box office is now open at www.dubaifilmfest.com. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s dedicated customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).

The Investment Corporation of Dubai is the title sponsor of the Dubai International Film Festival. The eighth edition of DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on     and