 DUBAI: The Dubai International Film Festival kicked off its fifth addition on Thursday with stars from Hollywood, Bollywood and the world of Arab cinema. The eight-day-long festival, which will feature 182 films from 66 countries, was launched with the screening of W. This latest movie by director Oliver Stone, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, chronicles the rise to power of outgoing US President George W Bush. Stone slammed Bush saying he is “not a nice man”, who has “a giant ego and arrogance. I empathise with him, but I don’t sympathise with him.” Hollywood actors Ben and Casey Affleck arrive for the opening ceremony
Hundreds of cameras flashed at the luxury beachside resort Madinat Jumeirah, as Oliver Stone and Goldie Hawn and Ben Affleck appeared on the red carpet. Oscar winner Nicolas Cage, Salma Hayek, Oscar nominee Laura Linney, Casey Affleck, Brendan Fraser and Danny Glover top a long list of celebrities expected to attend the festival.
They are expected to be joined by Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan and Nandita Das, as well as Egyptian stars Adel Imam and Hesham Selim. Bollywood star Preity Zinta and Indian-born Canadian film director Deepa Mehta arrive at the opening night of the Dubai International Film Festival
Other highly anticipated films are Baz Luhrman’s Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, and Steven Soderbergh’s Che, a film that narrates the life of Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara.
After launching the Muhr Award for Excellence in Arab Cinema in 2006, organisers this year included African and Asian movies to the awards, with prizes reaching $500,000.
Award-winning filmmaker Jean-Luc Ayach’s Souvenirs D’Alger (From Algiers with Love) and Lyes Salem’s Mascarades, which won the Best Arabic Film at the Cairo International Film Festival last month, are among the festival’s highly anticipated films.
Terry Gilliam, a US-born British filmmaker, is being honoured for his lifetime achievement. The 68-year-old writer and animator has directed well-regarded films including Twelve Monkeys (1995) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
On December 17, the festival will feature an open day for aspiring filmmakers to learn secrets about the industry and how to break into it.
The festival is one of Dubai’s attempts to become a tourist attraction in the region. It also aims to be the main production hub, competing with Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates which launched its own film festival last year.
Dubai also attempts to compete with the Egyptian capital Cairo, dubbed the Hollywood of the Middle East, which hosted its own festival last month. - Agencies http://www.gulf-times.com
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Saturday, 2012-05-19, 7:10 AM
