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Dubai highlighted as film-making hub at Cannes

DUBAI — The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) concluded its participation at the 61st Cannes Film Festival with a series of successful events and networking opportunities that brought together global film personalities and industry representatives interested in doing business in the region and promoting Dubai's emerging movie talent.

The DIFF and Dubai Studio City had a dedicated pavilion at the International Village of the Cannes Film Festival.

The pavilion aimed to establish the UAE as a regional film-making hub and attract the global industry players to the UAE as a one-stop destination for all their filmmaking needs.

The festival management also played host to a series of productive industry gatherings, including a reception for festival directors that witnessed representation from 30 of the most prolific film festivals in the world, including Cannes, Rome, Berlin, Beirut, Sundance, Stockholm, Venice and Durban.

Two other industry gatherings — the Producers Network reception and the Dubai Film Connection (DFC) lunch — brought together film executives from the international filmmaking community, introducing them to the various initiatives at the DIFF that aim to increase the presence of Arab films on a global level.

Shivani Pandya, DIFF's managing director, was the guest of honour at the Producers Network's breakfast meetings where she shared her views on the DIFF's evolution as an international platform that seeks to bring both the eastern and western cinematic cultures closer.

Abdul Hamid Juma, chairman of DIFF, said, "The events at Cannes carry forward our credo of 'Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds' as the DIFF grows into its role as a cultural ambassador of the UAE on a global level.

"Dubai has so much to offer as a production hub and centre of emerging talent and the interest at Cannes has been overwhelming. We hope that our festival can serve to facilitate a constructive global discourse on important world issues, using the medium of film."

The fifth edition of the DIFF will be held from December 11 to December 18.

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