The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) which takes place from 19 to 29 July, with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, has announced the introduction of a new multi- and block booking facility through GoingPlaces SA, a Durban-based entertainment and leisure website with a shopping portal.
“We are pleased that we are able to offer our festival goers, the opportunity to plan and book for the entire festival in advance” says Peter Rorvik, Director of DIFF...
The Durban International Film Festival has announced a significant increase in attendance for its 32nd edition which concluded on 31 July. The festival which is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, recorded total attendance of 29 792 including attendance of 2 452 at the festival’s workshop and seminar programme. T...
The Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the prime meeting places for film professionals from all over the map. So, not only are films seen, bought and sold, but the Festival is also an important place to make important new announcements about upcoming productions and initiatives.
Therefore, it was completely appropriate that the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the largest and most ambitious film event in the Middle East, use the Toronto setting to m...
The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, the definitive film festival of the Arab world, Asia and Africa, will be held from December 12 to 19, 2010.
The latest edition of the film festival is being planned to showcase an even diverse selection of movies from around the world across a dozen themed segments including Arabian Nights, Gulf Voices, Cinema of the World, Cinema for Children, Cinema of AsiaAfrica, Lifetime Achievement and Cinema from India.
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As the curtain falls on the landmark fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the foremost cultural event on Dubai's yearly calendar, organizers have released figures that indicate that the 2008 event was the most successful yet.
A total of 47 500 movie-goers streamed into DIFF's screenings as of Wednesday, December 17, representing a significant increase in festival attendance over 2007. Coveted seats went in a flash, particularly for the festival's Gala...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) yesterday hosted a remarkable award ceremony in which Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage presented DIFF’s Outstanding Filmmaker of the Year Award to long-time collaborator, prolific producer Charles Roven.
Roven is one of America’s highest-grossing producer this year, with The Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger, Brothers Grimm, Get Smart, and the upcoming Season of the Witch to his credit.
DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: ...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) yesterday hosted a remarkable award ceremony in which Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage presented DIFF’s Outstanding Filmmaker of the Year Award to long-time collaborator, prolific producer Charles Roven.Roven is one of America’s highest-grossing producer this year, with The Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger, Brothers Grimm, Get Smart, and the upcoming Season of the Witch to his credit.DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Charle...
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director of the Dubai International Film Festival, has been selected as a jury member in the upcoming Durban International Film Festival.
The Durban International Film Festival will be held from 23 July - 3 August at Durban in South Africa. Under the banner Love Film, Hate Xenophobia, the festival will showcase over 200 films from nearly 95 countries. Opening the festival is the African Premiere of Ralph Ziman’s Jerusalema, a gritty gangster thriller set ...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced that the documentary feature film, The Day After Peace, has been chosen as part of the Rhythm and Reels line up for 2008. This is in support of worldwide peace.
The film has a cultural bridge theme furthering the Festival’s mandate to create intercultural understanding through the language of Cinema. The screening at DIFF will be held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mo...
Cinema in all its diversity will once again be celebrated at the 29th Durban International Film Festival which runs from 23 July to 3 August.Featuring more than 200 films from more than 95 countries, spread over more than 300 screenings at 26 venues across the city, the festival will bring together established masters of cinema and innovative new talents from around the world. Alongside the presentation of the some of the year’s finest films, the festival will run an extensive workshop and sem...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced the conclusion of its successful ‘OneMinutesJr’ video production workshop for youth in Mumbai, with plans for future sessions in Dubai and Cairo, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Participants at the 5-day workshops received guidance in camera skills, shot and sound choices, story development and basic editing.The result is a collection of 60-second videos by artists of ages 12-20, showing the needs...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today introduced its new initiative, ‘The Scene: Your UAE Film Network,’ a series of monthly screenings at the DUCTAC auditorium at Mall of the Emirates, facilitated by UAE National filmmaker Nayla al Khaja. The first screening will be held November 30, and will showcase three award-winning films by Arab filmmakers. The series is dedicated to films that have not been commercially released in the UAE. Director and producer al Khaja, whose short f...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced its new initiative ‘Rhythm and Reels’ presented by Dubai Pearl. The three-day event during DIFF 2007 will bring unusual and cutting-edge film together with live musical performances; the festival has introduced the open-air series at the Dubai Media City amphitheatre to celebrate the mutually enriching relationship between film and music.The first screening, to be held on December 13, 2007, will bring 5-time Grammy Award-winning ...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DI...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced that the critically acclaimed thriller MICHAEL CLAYTON will open this year’s festival. Lead actor George Clooney (Oscar winner Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, Ocean’s 11, 12 & 13) will attend the star-studded Opening Night Gala. Tony Gilroy’s feature film debut draws from the political undertones of the Bourne series to tell the story of Michael Clayton, a corporate lawyer who is increasingly disillusioned with his life as a...
As the countdown for the fourth Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) begins, organizers are seeking a temporary workforce to assist in operational aspects of the festival. To this end, DIFF will hold a job fair on Sunday, 2nd September, 2007 from 10am to 8pm at Dubai Knowledge Village. Over 200 temporary staff are needed in such vital areas as the Industry Office, Box Office and Customer Service, accreditation & registration, theatre operations and marketing, all of which offer an opport...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today facilitated a talk with Dubai-based filmmaker Ali Faisal Mustafa, as part of a community outreach initiative to demystify cinema for young people and inspire them to pursue careers in the creative arts.The workshop was organized as a part of the activities for the Kids Press Club, Dubai Press Club’s annual summer camp for kids.Mustafa’s short film “Under the Sun” screened at DIFF 2005 and won the Emirates Film Competition in 2006. It has...
Three leading Arab film festivals today agreed that the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will chair the proposed Arab Film Festival Guild, the first of its kind in the Arab world. The purpose of the proposed guild is to increase cooperation and exchange of expertise between festivals in everything from selection of stars to programming, position the Arab film industry internationally, and coordinate with international festivals to increase the presence of Arab films. Bi-annual meetings w...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced that the second annual Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab Cinema is now open, and will be accepting submissions until 31st August 2007. As part of the festival’s mandate of promoting Arab cinema, winners in three categories—feature films, shorts and documentaries—will receive handsome prizes that amount to over AED 1 million.Competing films must be made by a director of Arab nationality or origin, and the subject and storyline of...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced this year’s festival will honour Oliver Stone, Nabil El-Maleh and Shah Rukh Khan for their outstanding contribution to cinema, as part of the DIFF Salutes programme.
DIFF Salutes is a retrospective tribute that celebrates the work of distinguished film makers from Asia, the Arab world, and Hollywood. This follows last year’s In the Spotlight segment, which honoured Oscar-winning American actor Morgan Freeman, the Egyptian "king...
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced this year’s festival will honour Oliver Stone, Nabil El-Maleh and Shah Rukh Khan for their outstanding contribution to cinema, as part of the DIFF Salutes programme. DIFF Salutes is a retrospective tribute that celebrates the work of distinguished film makers from Asia, the Arab world, and Hollywood. This follows last year’s In the Spotlight segment, which honoured Oscar-winning American actor Morgan Freeman, the Egyptian "king o...
International and regional film stars, industry leaders and filmmakers from around the world expected to grace tonight’s red carpet opening gala Months of planning and preparation will culminate in grand style tonight as international celebrities, regional stars and UAE VIPs walk up an 80-metre long red carpet and into the Madinat Jumeirah Arabian Resort at 8pm Sunday (December 11, 2005), to officially open the second Dubai International Film Festival. Lit up by sky trackers and a state-of-the...