DUBAI, 26 November 2007 — The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which is to be held from Dec. 9 to 19, will have an impressive lineup of Asian films this year with Cinema of Asia being a key component. “This year we will include not just East Asia, but also the countries of the Subcontinent with selections from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” said Simon Field, DIFF’s artistic director of International Programming.

Past festivals has seen the showcasing of over 250 films, documentaries and short films from more than 48 countries. For the first time, the Asian section of the festival includes a special focus on China and will feature films from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the Philippines. “The selection is diverse, ranging from the epic ‘The Banquet’ to small treasure ‘In the Season of the Horse,’ which like the prize-winning ‘Tuya’s Marriage’ is filmed in the awe-inspiring landscape of Mongolia,’ said Field.

From Bangladesh, Golam Rabbany Biplob’s “Swopnodanay” (On the Wings of Dreams), an international festival favorite, is the story of a villager who finds a wad of cash and has no way of exchanging it or even finding out how much it is. Enamul Karim Nirjhar’s “Aha!” pits old-fashioned values against modern-day racketeers in the story of Malik, an old man living in a mansion in Dhaka that is coveted by real estate dealers.

From Sri Lanka comes Salinda Perera’s “Dheevali” (Fisherman’s Daughter), with a strong central performance by Sangeetha Weeraratne. Valli, a young orphan, returns to her village and rebels against the inequities of its harsh feudal way of life. In addition, the DIFF will have a distinct Indian flavor this year, with movies by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Mira Nair finding a place in a specially created section for films from the country.

The festival starts with the unveiling of “A Celebration of Indian Cinema,” a separate segment for the first time. The segment will also feature filmmakers from Chennai, Calcutta and Kerala. The full range of Indian cinema will be apparent in this year’s dizzying cross-section of genres featuring a range of the region’s top talents.

AIDS Jaago, an artistic collaboration between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and filmmaker Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding), presents four short films by some of India’s best contemporary directors that dismantle myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS in India.

Another timely presentation will be “Shoot On Sight,” a political thriller, by famous director Jag Mundhra. The film deals with the consequences of underground bombings in July 2005, highlighting the dilemma of peace loving Muslims, when cosmopolitan cities, like London, were clutched by the fear of extremism and racial profiling.

“Naalu Pennungal” (Four Women) is the tenth feature from internationally acclaimed director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, released recently in Kerala to an enthusiastic response. It portrays the struggles of women in a male-dominated society.

Manish Acharya’s debut feature “Loins of Punjab Presents” is a rollercoaster, rib-tickling story of seven strangers whose lives collide over three days in a small New Jersey town as they take part in a Bollywood-styled singing contest.

Another rare contribution “Lal Pahare’r Katha” (A Story of the Red Hills) makes its world premiere in Dubai.