DUBAI, 17 May 2006 — The inauguration of the Sheikh Zayed Lifetime Achievement Award will be the highlight of the Third Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to be held in December. It will be presented to a prominent personality from the film industry for outstanding contributions for building cultural bridges on the world stage. Three other Lifetime Achievement Awards will be awarded to prominent film artists from Asia, Hollywood and the Arab world.
“The theme of the festival, ‘Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds.’ will be strongly in evidence this year,” said Neil Stephenson, CEO of Dubai International Film Festival.
He added that the DIFF would endeavor to stimulate dialogue between the Arab and Western worlds through a series of forums and events reflecting the festival’s objectives.
“DIFF 2006 will be a celebration of the plurality of world cultures. Our commitment this year will be to advance inter-cultural understanding, promote respect and facilitate broader interaction between societies through the medium of film,” Stephenson added.
Programs at the festival have been designed to bring together film enthusiasts and professional filmmakers in a mission to promote films as catalysts for reflection, discussion, and responsible action toward the social and cultural well-being of the region and the world.
Expectations from the regional and international film community are predictably high this year after the festival’s strong run in 2005. Festival organizers said they hoped to build on the success of the festival’s two previous editions with plans to improve upon last year’s excellent public participation, for example by extending the festival’s reach to remoter parts of Dubai.
DIFF 2005 presented 98 films including features, retrospectives and short films, of which 23 met with commercial success. The films that premiered at the festival included Water, L’Enfant, U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha, West Bank Story, Joyeux Noel, and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World — all of which went on to capture global interest following their screening at the Festival.
With more than 100 celebrity guests, 440 filmmakers, and representatives from leading film festivals, distributors, sales agents, film institutes and production companies, industry participation reached a new high at the 2005 festival. Specialized networking events organized as part of the festival brought together key producers from the UK, US, Canada, France, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.
Oscar-winning American actor Morgan Freeman, Adel Imam, the Egyptian “king of comedy,” and Indian producer-director Yash Chopra were among those honored at DIFF 2005 for their distinguished work.
Last year, DIFF took place from Dec. 11 to 17, against the magnificent backdrop of the Madinat Jumeirah Arabian Resort. The festival’s registration figures increased dramatically and the audience grew from approximately 18,000 in 2004 to over 30,000 in 2005. DIFF will be held in Dubai from Dec. 10-17, 2006, Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (TECOM) announced yesterday.
