What is DIFF?

Launched in the year 2004, with the theme of ‘Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds”, the DIFF is a non-profit cultural event, organized and presented by the Dubai Techonology and Media Free Zone Authority, conducted under the Chairmanship of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

The festival with its wide choice of features, shorts and documentaries from across the world, depicts the true cosmopolitan and multicultural character of Dubai. DIFF forms an excellent platform for showcasing the excellence of Arab Cinema, while also contributing its bit to the development of the regional industry and talent, aiming to be a major international festival.

History

Ever since its launch, DIFF has lived up to its motto, ‘Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds”, and has introduced to Dubai a variety of films from each continent, apart from showcasing the best of Arab cinema. The films that were screened during 2004 and 2005, included latest Bollywood blockbusters, Hollywood thrillers, debut films by Arab filmmakers, thought-provoking documentaries, controversial short films and more, which caught the attention of audiences and juries at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance and the European Film Awards. The films threw light into diverse subjects like the after-effects of conflict or war, women’s emancipation, terrorism, desert ecology and other current social issues.

Easy Access

With the addition of the Grand Cineplex to the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Media City, and the Mall of Emirates screening venues, the Dubai residents can gain easy access to the festival, thereby easily incorporating the increase in festival activity. Between the 13th to 15th December, the audiences at the Grand Cineplex can see a range of DIFF films in screenings.

Date

The festival will run from 9th to 16th December 2007

Location

The Box offices are located at

• Souk Madinat Jumeirah
• Dubai Media City (in the CNN building lobby)
• Mall of Emirates (Cinestar)
• The Grand Cineplex

Timing

The CNN Building will be open from 10:00 to 18:00hrs, while all the other box offices are open from 10:00 to 22:00 hours

Ticket prices

Adults : Dh.25
Children, Students : Dh.20

Gala Screening prices

Adults : Dh.80
Children : Dh.50 (for children programming segment)

Rhythm and Reels tickets

Single evening : Dh.175
Three evening package : Dh.450

All other galas are open only to those above 16 years of age. In case the screening is sold out, there is an option of “Stand by” queue, wherein patrons are eligible to purchase tickets for any unfilled seats 15 minutes prior to show time.

Tickets can also be purchased online through the DIFF website www.dubaifilmfest.com, which includes synopses of all festival offerings and schedules, apart from venue information and other festival news.

Dubai Duty Free, Emirates, Dubai Pearl and Jumeirah are the principal sponsors of the festival.

First Edition of Dubai International Film Festival - 2004

The Dubai first film festival which was unveiled for the first time on 6th December 2004, with gala red carpet screening of Le Grand Voyage, was attended by a galaxy of international starts from Arab cinema, Hollywood and Bollywood. The event took place at the Madinat Jumeirah.

About 76 films from 27 countries were displayed under 10 themed sections, which was followed by panel discussions with stars and filmmakers.

The films, which drew particular attention and created excitement among movie buffs were Steven Soderberg’s Ocean’s 12, the African tale Bopha, Walter Salles’s road movie The Motorcycle Diaries, The Corporation, directed by Mark Achbar, the Hamburg Cell and Control Room, which offered unique insights into terrorism.

Audiences also got to enjoy a variety of popular American, British, Indian and Filipino movies on the Screen on the open-air amphitheatre, beside the lakeside in Dubai Media City. Special shows were held to honour Egyptian Hollywood Star Omar Sharif, Indian filmmaker Subhash Ghai and the Egyptian Director Daoud Abdel Sayed.

DIFF 2004 Top Films

• Ocean's 12
• Finding Neverland
• The Grudge
• The Motorcycle Diaries
• Super Size Me
• Bopha!
• Control Room
• The Hamburg Cell
• Shouf Shouf Habibi
• Raghu Romeo
• Khamosh Pani
• Monsieur Ibrahim

Here are a few of the celebrities who attended DIFF 2004:

• Orlando Bloom
• Morgan Freeman
• Nicolas Cazale
• Sarah Michelle Geller
• Anil Kapoor
• Subhash Ghai
• Elham Shahin
• Nelli
• Aiman Zeidan
• Kirron Kher
• Billy Boyd
• Daoud Abdel Sayeed
• Deepa Mehta
• Gurinder Chadha
• Rahul Khanna
• Desmond Tutu
• Feroz Khan
• Fardeen Khan

Second Edition of Dubai International Film Festival – 2005

The second edition of DIFF was held between the 11th and 17th December 2005 at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort.

The festival saw the participation of 46 countries with 98 films, which were screened with six world premiers, seven international premiers and numerous regional premieres, which was 30% bigger than the previous year. New programmes which showcased movies from Asia, Africa and Europe were added, and two new Arab sections, titled Emerging Emiratis and Dubai Discoveries provided a platform for upcoming talent from Arab world and UAE.

The highlights of the event were the premiere of Albert Brook’s “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, the Middle East premiere of “Being Osama” and Palestinian Hany Abu Assad’s “Paradise Now”, which won the best foreign film at the Golden Globe Awards.

The programme also included “Yesterday”, the winner of the Golden Beat at Berlin, which was also the first South African film to be nominated for Oscar, the Chinese film “Peacock” which won the Silver Bear at Berlin, and the Cannes Palme-D’Or-winning Belgian drama, “L’enfant”. Other films that were included in the series were the controversial Arabic film “Dunai”, which threw light into social issues of Arab World, and “Water” by Deepa Mehta.

Another noteworthy episode was the first-ever feature film made in Yemen, called ‘A New Day in Old Sana’a. Similarly, the first-ever UAE 70mm screening format in the film ‘Baraka’ at the Screen on the Green, caught attention of the audiences. Two documentaries, which highlighted issues of Arabian wildlife and humanitarian role played by armed forces in Kosovo in UAE, too were noteworthy.

The Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman, Egyptian Superstar Adel Imam, and the Indian Stalwart Yash Chopra, were honoured for their contribution to international cinema, and a tribute was paid to late Syrian producer Moustapha Akkad.

The event also included various seminars and discussion on a variety of issues associated with filmmaking.

DIFF 2005 top films

• Paradise Now
• Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
• Water
• Maine Gandhi ko Nahi Mara
• Pride and Prejudice
• The Constant Gardener
• Walk the Line
• Joyeux Noel
• Dunia
• Barak
• Elizabethtown
• L'enfant
• Edison
• Mad Hot Ballroom

DIFF 2005 Celebrity Attendants

• Morgan Freeman
• Yash Chopra
• Adel Imam
• Deepa Mehta
• Laurence Fishburne
• Diane Kruger
• Hugh Dancy
• Alan Ladd Jr.
• Hanan Turk
• Mona Zaki
• Subhash Ghai
• Sumner Redstone
• Hind Sabri
• Constantin Costa –Gavras
• Michael Caton-James
• Albert Brooks
• John Abraham
• Anupam Kher

Third Edition of Dubai International Film Festival – 2006

Back again in its third year, the annual Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) was held from 10th to 17th of December 2006 at Madinat Jumeirah Resort. The festival was the largest year, with a comprehensive range of international cinema, Arabic films from Gulf states, the North Africa and the Levant. There were 115 films on the whole from 47 countries, out of which 38 were UAE premeires.

The DIFF 2006 opened doors to a film competition, wherein the participating films are made by a Director of Arab origin, with subject and storyline of the film reflecting history of Arab world or culture. This was categorized into three categories: Features, Documentaries and Shorts. In the end Gold, Silver and Bronze winners were announced in each category with prize money ranging from US$50,000 to US$ 10,000. The award was titled ‘Muhr Awards’.

DIFF 2006 Celebrity Attendants

• Joshua Jackson
• Laurence Fishburne
• Ivana Milicevic
• Diane Kruger,
• Barrie Osborne
• Oliver Stone
• Shah Rukh Khan
• John Abraham
• Mohan Lal
• Mahmoud Abdul Aziz, Salah Saadany
• Ahmed Bider
• Hani Salama,
• Hind Sabri
• Mona Zaki
• Laila Elowi,
• Mervat Amine.
• Hayat al Fahad,
• Abdul Hussain Adbulredha,
• Saad al Faraj,
• Ghanem al Saleh,
• Mohammed al Mansour,
• Ghanem al Salaifi
• Abdul Aziz al Jassim.