DIFF 2016: Stars walk red carpet, sweep Dubai off feet

Dubai - The film stars who walked the red carpet included Egyptian director Khalid Yousseff, actresses Illham Shahine, Hala Sarhan and Yura and composer Gabriel Yared.

A star-studded red carpet welcome kicked off the 13th edition of the Dubai Film Festival (DIFF) at Madinat Arena on Wednesday night.
The film stars who walked the red carpet included Egyptian director Khalid Yousseff, actresses Illham Shahine, Hala Sarhan and Yura and composer Gabriel Yared.
Iconic actor Samual L. Jackson, who received a lifetime achievement award, said at the opening day that he would love to make a film in Dubai.
Director John Madden's film Miss Sloane starring Jessica Chastain was the opening film of this year's festival. Chastian was present along with one of the stars of the film, Jake Lacy. They hoped the film will strike a chord with the viewers in the region.
"I want people to see as many films as possible this year. The programing people worked very hard. We have a great selection and many locations," said DIFF chairman Abdulhamid Juma.
"I want people to see movies in the open cinema free of charge and we are so excited about virtual reality and where that's going to go and how it's going to shape the industry," he added.
This year's selection of films shows a push from the international and regional film industry to more of an effort to depict more diverse roles on the screen.
This year's festival will have a surfeit of offerings with 156 films and documentaries shown from December 7 to 14.
Many of the international films this year are considered to be contenders for next year's Academy Awards.
These include Miss Sloane and La La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds and Collateral Beauty starring Helen Mirren and Will Smith.
maan@khaleejtimes.com
Watch: A starry night as DIFF 2016 raises curtains in Dubai (Video by Sunita Menon)

 

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