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By: Vessy Nick


  After a flying start in 2004, the organizers of the second edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) managed to deliver in December 2005 a bigger and better event, which was a resounding success with both, cinema goers and film industry professionals.

  The festival managed to attract a significantly larger audience compared to the last year. More than 30,000 admissions were recorded during the seven-day festival, which ran from 11 - 17 December, with admission numbers more than doubling compared to the inaugural edition. Some 23 films, nearly a fourth of all 98 movies shown, were completely sold out. In addition to the enthusiastic support of UAE residents and visitors, the festival attracted audiences from abroad with ticket sales being reported from as far away as Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, as well as Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

  “The response to our second festival has been very positive, and these high numbers are only one part of the picture,” a press release distributed by the organizers quoted Festival Director and CEO, Neil Stephenson. “We’ve received great feedback from our international and regional guests, our filmmakers and local festival-goers, who were thrilled not only with the diversity of films and opportunities to interact with the filmmakers and industry representatives, but also with the breadth of their experience in Dubai.”, added Stephenson.

  A diverse selection of features, retrospectives and short films from 46 countries from all five continents explains why the festival appealed to such a large audience. DIFF audience had the chance to enjoy an excellent selection of European films, including Michael Haneke’s Cache (Hidden) and the Cannes Festival Palme D’Or winner L’Enfant (The Child).

  An excellent selection of movies from India, Sri Lanka and the rest of the Indian Subcontinent as well as a selection of African films, such as The Hero and Carmen in Khayelitsha, also added to the festival’s global appeal. Some of the films that generated a high degree of interest were those presenting original viewpoints. Examples include the documentary Women of the Algerian War (Algeriennes), which looks at the Algerian war of independence against France through the memories of three women who fought for the Algerian National Liberation Front. Attention, a short film from Saudi Arabia about the impact of terrorism on children, also attracted a great deal of attention, as did the haunting British drama Shooting Dog, which tells the tale of the early days of the Rwandan genocide.

  Moviegoers responded particularly well to the Arabian Nights selection, which featured films from the Middle East region. The bold festival opener, Palestinian drama, Paradise Now, saw halls packed with people. The award-winning film tells the story of two Palestinian childhood friends who had been recruited for a suicide strike. The plot focuses on their last days together.

  The impact of war and conflict on women and children, the role of the modern woman in traditional Arab society and other issues of contemporary concern were tackled in the array of compelling Arabic films.

  Films such as Massaker, a chilling documentary about the slaughter of Palestinians in Lebanon’s Sabra and Chatilla camps, received enthusiastic support from viewers. Cinemas were also packed for the screenings of A Perfect Day, a film about contemporary Beirut and One Night, the directorial debut of famed Iranian actress, Niki Karimi. Audiences were also treated to Alliance, the first short science fiction film produced by an Arab which made its debut during the festival. These movies satisfied the thirst for good Arabic cinema and also led critics to believe that DIFF could emerge as an alternative to the Cairo Film Festival and a hub for Arab cinema.

  Hollywood superstar, Morgan Freeman, even went as far as saying that he expects that the festival would become big enough to rival Cannes in the years to come. “The festival is only going to get bigger and better, and it will keep growing until it rivals the Cannes film festival,” he told a local newspaper, adding that in a few years down the line people would be scrambling over to be present in Dubai. Freeman had come back to Dubai after attending the inaugural festival in 2004. This year, he was in Dubai to promote his new film Edison, in which he plays a jaded newspaper editor. The movie stars musicians Justin Timberlake and LL Cool J as well as his Seven co-star, Hollywood heavyweight, Kevin Spacey.

  In addition to Freeman, Hollywood stars Orlando Bloom and Sarah Michelle Gellar attended 2004’s event. This year the celebrity line-up was equally impressive featuring close to 100 celebrities from around the world, in addition to 420 filmmaker, talent and industry guests. This year Freeman was joined by Egyptian superstar Adel Imam and Indian cinema doyen Yash Chopra, among many others.

  The festival also emerged as a good place for cinema industry professionals to network and to do business. A series of interactive panel discussions between the public, filmmakers and industry specialists were held at the Knowledge Village auditorium.

  “In its second year, our festival has really registered with some of the top people in the international film industry,” Stephenson was quoted as saying. “Some of the biggest industry executives in the world – including Barrie Osborne, Sumner Redstone and Alan Ladd Jr - are very interested in DIFF, and will be watching our next steps keenly.”

  More than 150 guests from the leading film festivals around the world as well as distributors, sales agents, film institutes and production companies were present at DIFF. Key producers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt were out in force, liaising with their counterparts from the region at the specialized networking events organized as part of the festival.

  Organisers appeared to have come one step closer to their goal of nurturing the growth of the UAE’s film industry.

  “The Festival was very well received by both, the UAE and international community, and has been a very strong catalyst for the future of filmmaking and production here in Dubai,” Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Media for the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, was quoted as saying.

  International filmmakers and distributors who attended the Festival have also expressed interest in using Dubai as a shooting location and a base of operations for this part of the world, she said.

  “We at Dubai Studio City have already received six proposals for film production here in Dubai, including two from Hollywood and two from Egypt, in addition to strong interest from investors in establishing facilities here in Dubai,” she said.

  Dubai-based documentary film maker, Dhruv Dhawan, agreed with Dr. Al Rustamani, saying he was confident that the fast-growing talent pool of UAE-based film makers could be the catalyst that develops the film industry in the UAE. All the movie making stages from concept to story-boarding to post-production could be easily accomplished by the talent and facilities within the UAE, he said. “My film has been made with UAE-based talent from start to finish. I did not need the skills or expertise from any external cinema centre. In fact, when artists here realised that mine was an independent project, a non-commercial venture, they came forward to help with their skills and expertise. I am sure that many more films will be made by the UAE this year,” he said.

  Dhawan was talking on the sidelines of a screening of his documentary, From Dust, which tells the story of three men who endured the full impact of the Tsunami in Sri Lanka.

  A lot of effort went into making sure the event ran smoothly. More than 350 volunteers worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the festival a success. They included students, professionals and budding actors from the UAE and across the world. Their tasks included greeting festival goers, arranging seating and booking tickets but also exciting and rare chances to meet some of the stars attending the festival. The volunteers were joined by 250 members of staff, among whom there were 20 volunteers from the inaugural festival who were this year hired as paid staff.

  Visitors also praised the festival’s venues – the Madinat Jumeirah and Mall of the Emirates. The third venue, the Media City amphitheatre, where the free open-air screenings were held, was also enthusiastically received from audiences. More than 3,000 people attended the ‘Screen on the Green’ series of family films shown at the amphitheatre over five festival days, with capacity crowds every evening. Another incentive programme was the Six-Tix special scheme which offered six tickets for the price of five. The programme was particularly well received, with 2,800 festival-goers enrolling in it.

  The event also made headlines around the world, with more than 650 members of the press covering the festival. The international media turned out in full force, spreading word about the festival to readers, listeners and viewers from as far a field as Sri Lanka, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, India, France and the United States.

   

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