Curtain closes on Dubai International Film Festival

The nine-day Dubai International Film Festival comes to a close with American Hustle

TILL THE LAST minute before the gala screening of David O. Russell’s American Hustle brought the tenth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to a close, fans who had gathered at the Madinat Jumeriah on Saturday were hopeful that there would a surprise appearance from any of the stellar cast of the movie as rumoured.

Dubai and especially DIFF is known for its surprises when it comes to the attendance of big faces. Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams or Christian Bale - guests were trying to spot one of these popular faces at the red carpet gala.

Once the credits started rolling, the gathered audience knew they would have be content with the presence of David O Russell, director of American Hustle.

The closing night of DIFF might have been low-key but the selection of American Hustle, a movie which has garnered much acclaim from all quarters, as the closing gala film was widely applauded.

The film has garnered seven nominations at the Golden Globes so far. It was no surprise therefore to see designer-clad attendees queuing up to watch the screening - DIFF is the first festival to screen American Hustle.

The presence of Homeland’s baddie Navid Negahbad who plays Abu Nazir in the popular television series, brought some cheer to the waiting fans.

Once the gala screening began it was easy to forget the disappointment of not seeing any of the cast on the red carpet because every frame of this star-studded drama is a treat to watch. The highlight of the screening was the scene in which the character played by Robert De Niro launches into fluent Arabic. The master actor made it sound so convincing that the scene was greeted with a massive round of applause from fans.