Story of hope and despair from Mexico to Mongolia at DIFF’10

A compelling showcase of films, from as far afield as Mexico to Morocco to Mongolia, is among the highlights of the seventh Dubai International Film Festival, today (Wednesday, Dec. 15).

Director Sebastian Hiriart's debut feature, ‘A Stone’s Throw Away’ is an imaginative reflection on the desire and need of so many Mexicans to find their way, whatever the obstacles, to the promised land of the United States. Screening at 12.45pm at Cinestar 8, MoE.

Passion

‘The Dead Sea,’ another Mexican film by director Ignacio Ortiz Cruz, is shot in a grainy, noir style and is a powerful contemporary commentary on the age old concepts of sin, transgression and redemption. The film will screen at 4 pm at Cinestar 11.

In ‘The Qandil Mountains,’ Iranian director Taha Karimi sets his first, beautifully filmed, dramatic feature against the violent yet stunning backdrop of the mountains, casting veteran stage and screen actor Ghotbedin Sadeghi with a set of younger actors playing the sons and daughters of the conflict, attempting to draw on the common concerns that link Arabs with Kurds, Turkmen with Persians. The film will screen at 3.15pm at Cinestar 6.

Director Jillali Ferhati

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Mongolian landscape, Byamba Sakhya's 'Passion' is a fascinating look at Mongolian film history. The film will screen at 3.30pm at Cinestar 5.

In director Jillali Ferhati’s ‘At Dawn,’ Keltoum and her husband, Omar, live in a village in the heart of the Moroccan mountains. They are both actors, but do not have much work and have been dreaming of staging a play for years. The film screens today at 7pm at Cinestar 12, and at Dec. 17, 3pm at Cinestar 5.

Hard-hitting tales inspired from real life showcase at DIFF

Real life indeed can inspire compelling cinema narratives as Noise from India, State of Violence from South Africa and Mandoo from Iraq highlights at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival.

Director Khalo Matabane’s ‘State of Violence,’ is a hard-hitting drama set in the violent underbelly of modern South Africa. A rising star of the black business elite, Bobedi returns home after an evening celebrating his promotion to CEO of a large mining company. 'State Of Violence' resonates with suspense, intrigue and powerful social comment. The film will be screened Wednesday, Dec. 15, 7pm at Cinestar 1, the MoE; and on Dec. 18, 10.30pm at Cinestar 7.

An exhilarating and politically powerful road movie by Ebrahim Saeedi, ‘Mandoo’ tells the poignant tale of a family ripped apart by conflict. As a small Kurdish girl, Sheelan emigrated with her parents to Sweden, leaving behind her extended family and the turmoil of life in Saddam-era Iraq. After 20 years, Sheelan, a successful doctor in Sweden returns to Iraq and finds her family. In order to fulfill his old uncle’s dying wish to return to his childhood homeland of Iranian Kurdistan. The film will be screened today (Dec.15), 10.15 pm; and on Dec. 16, 2.30 pm at Cinestar 12.

Preeti Desai and Sendhil Ramamurthy in Noise

From India is a fresh, invigorating slice of contemporary storytelling, 'Noise' which exudes the energy, chaos and sheer noise of its featured city, Mumbai. In this darkly comic drama by Krishna DK and Raj Nidimoru, we plunge into the heart of Mumbai during a festival, rendering the city into a state of overdrive. The film screens today (Dec. 15), 6.30pm at Cinestar 2 and on Dec. 18, 12.15pm at Cinestar 1.

Colin Firth receives Variety’s ‘International Star of the Year’ Award at DIFF’10

Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan

Actor Colin Firth received the Variety ‘International Star of the Year’ Award from actress Carey Mulligan at a public ‘In Conversation’ session held at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival on Monday. Firth’s film ‘The King’s Speech’ was the opening gala of the festival on Sunday. Firth took part in an ‘In Conversation’ session, giving the audience insights on his career and discussed the role as King George VI in ‘The King’s Speech.’ He also answered questions raised by the audience in a freewheeling chat.

Firth, 50, hogged the limelight for his performance as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. The box office success of Bridget Jones’s dairy catapulted him to super-stardom. Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant co-starred with him in the film.

Last year, the DIFF presented Scottish actor Gerard Butler with the Variety ‘International Star of the Year’ Award.

An appeal against all forms of violence: 678

While the central theme of the Egyptian film ‘Six, Seven, Eight (678), is the plight of women facing sexual harassment, the director, acclaimed scriptwriter Mohamed Diab said the film is an appeal against all forms of violence.

Director and artistes of the film Six, Seven, Eight

Diab and leading cast members of the film were addressing a press conference at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival, where the film marked its World Premiere. The cast and crew also joined other celebrities for a red carpet ceremony of the film’s gala screening.

Condemning violence of all forms, Diab said the film also highlights the need for personal space and privacy, saying that one needs to have a definite individual distance for peaceful co-existence. “We are a young generation that strives to write about issues of social relevance. In that sense, ‘Six, Seven, Eight’ is not only thoroughly contemporary but it also tries to convey a message that will resonate with every man who has a mother, wife or daughter.”

“Harassment is not only sexual – there is also harassment of feelings, privacy and emotions. We are proud to discuss such a universal issue in the Egyptian cinema. I stress that we can’t treat violence with violence, but as we can see, social boundaries drive individuals to tackle every issue differently.”

Actors Bushra, Maged El Kidwany, Nelly Karim, Bassem Samra, Omar Al Saeed, Nahed Farid, and producer Bushra Rozza were present at the press conference.

‘Six, Seven, Eight’ is competing for the Muhr Arab Feature Award, and will be screened on Dec. 15, 3.45pm at Cinestar 9 at Mall of the Emirates.

Diff showcases must-watch tales from the Arab World, Africa and Asia

The seventh Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) is showcasing an array of hard-hitting tales from the Arab world, Africa and Asia, their gripping social narratives making them a must-watch film experience. Among the must-watch films at Diff'10 are Baghdad Film School, Koundi and the National Thursday, Yongsan and Zelal.

Screening on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 10 pm at Cinestar 9, Mall of the Emirates (MoE), is director Shuchen Tan’s ‘Baghdad Film School.’ The film is about Iraqi born filmmakers Maysoon Pachachi and Kasim Abid who developed the challenging idea to open up the first independent film school in Iraq. 'Baghdad Film School' is a story about film making in a post-war environment and what it takes to be an independent filmmaker in a country tormented by violence.

Director Ariane Astrid Atodji’s ‘Koundi and the National Thursday,’ screening on Dec. 14 at 3.15pm at Cinestar 6 of MoE, is about Koundi, a large village with around 1,200 inhabitants. Gorgeously shot, the film is a heartfelt look at life inside a communal society that seeks to balance the demands of globalisation and the search for uniquely African solutions.

Screening on Dec. 15, 7pm, at Cinestar 8 is director Jeong-hyun Mun’s ‘Yongsan,’ a stirring tale. On 20 January 2009, five tenants of the Yongsan district, who were forcefully evicted from their homes staged a sit-in and were burned to death in their apartment block. This personal essay documentary recalls the many movements of Korean civil rights and activism and asks where all the idealism went, even as the atrocities return today.

From the Arab world is ‘Zelal,’ a quiet masterpiece of hard-hitting reportage by directors Mustapha Hasnaoui and Marianne Khoury. Filmed in two large asylums, the film reveals the horrific conditions in which patients are expected to live - squalor and neglect is endemic, staff are stretched beyond breaking point, therapy and treatment seems non-existent.

Diff’10 to host public conversation with Sean Penn

DIFF ALERT: IN CONVERSATION WITH SEAN PENN EVENT

Note:- The Dubai International Film Festival informs its fans that Lifetime Achievement Honoree Sean Penn is unable to attend DIFF 2010 due to the political situation and upheaval in Haiti following the recent election. Penn has flown to Haiti to check on his staff and camp.

Penn has issued the following statement to all DIFF fans:

“I am honored to receive the Dubai Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and had every intention of being there to accept it in person. Regretfully, the situation in Haiti has worsened and it was of the utmost importance that I be there to ensure the safety of my staff and the J/P HRO camp. I look forward to attending Dubai’s Festival in the future.” – Sean Penn

Fans who bought tickets to the public audience are being contacted by the DIFF Box Office; they can either exchange their tickets for other DIFF screenings or get a refund.

For more information about the work Sean Penn and his organization are doing in Haiti, go to www.jphro.org.

A-list American actor and director and international social and political activist Sean Penn will participate in a public ‘In Conversation With,’ question-and-answer session with fans from across the nation on Dec. 13 at the First Group Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah, from 7pm to 8pm. Tickets to the event, priced at Dhs25, are on sale now.

Into the Wild

Penn, whose career spans nearly three decades, more than 45 films and notable successes as producer, actor, director and screenwriter, is one of the Festival’s three Lifetime Achievement honorees this year. Two-time Academy Award winner and five-time nominee Penn is best known for his performances in Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, I Am Sam, Mystic River, Milk and older genre classics Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Carlito’s Way.

Sweet and Lowdown

His performances have also been singled out by the Cannes and Berlin film festivals and critics associations around the world, as has his directing work on films including Into the Wild, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge.

Penn’s humanitarian work — including his reportage from Iran and Iraq in recent years, and tireless campaigning on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake-ravaged Haiti – has also won numerous admirers around the world. In January 2010, Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which focuses on medical aid, protection, and re-location.

Diff’10 is screening two path-breaking movies from Penn’s extraordinary repertoire: Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and Into the Wild (2007).

Diff’10 opens on Dec 12

Dubai will once again roll out the red carpet for the world’s luminaries in cinema on Dec.12 to mark the opening of the seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival. Billed as ‘the most exciting and accessible Diff ever,’ the eight-day feast of world cinema includes a line-up of 157 films from 57 countries.

The Sunday night opening will be marked by a glittering red carpet event at the Madinat Jumeirah to be headlined by British actor Colin Firth, the male lead of The King’s Speech. Fresh from significant awards sweeps in Toronto and Britain, the Oscar favourite also stars Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, and Helena Bonham Carter.

The King’s Speech

In a significant first, audiences across the UAE will be able to watch the glitz and glamour of the red carpet as well as the opening film live and for free at Diff’s newest outdoor venue, The Walk at JBR. The venue will also host the Festival’s popular Rhythm & Reels segment, the beachfront venue is open from 6pm.

Subsequent red carpet events over the next week include the Arabian gala screening of Six, Seven, Eight, the controversial Egyptian love story Cairo Exit, the Polish film Tomorrow Will Be Better, The Nutcracker in 3-D, Emirati short The Philosopher and Chinese martial arts extravaganza Reign of Assassins.

The Festival’s standout Arab films, representing the length and breadth of the Arab world from Iraq to Morocco, are primarily distributed among its in-competition Muhr Arab and Muhr Emirati Awards segment and its out-of-competition Arabian Nights and Gulf Voices segments. All screenings are open to the public.

The Festival also features the best of cinema from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Australia, including 41 world premieres and 13 international premieres. Every genre, from thriller to comedy, drama to documentary, is included.

From the Arab world, celebrity guests include Khaled Abol Naga, Menna Shalab, Bushra, Nelly Kareem, Majed Kidwany, Saba Mubarak, Mohammed Qabbani, Ayman Zeidan, Samar Sami, Marah Jabr, Fares Al Helo, Nabil Toume, Mohammed Ramadan, Maryhan, Sanaa Muzian, Hala Sarhan, Sherine Adel, Raghda and Rima Khcheich.

GCC stars Khaled Amen, Khaled AlBreki, Dawood Hussein, Shojoon AlHajri, Lamia Tareq, Maraam AlBlooshi, Hind AlBlooshi, Elham Alfadalla, Ali Algreer, Haifa Hussain Yousif, Shahed Alyaseen, Ahmed Al Jasmi, Habeb Gholom, Mare’e Al Halyan, Jamal Salem, Juma Al Leem, Ahmed Alansari, Abed Almhasan Alnmr, Naseer Al Qassbi, Najwa Alqbesi, Abdul Aziz Jassim Al Jassim and Buthayna Alraesy will also make an appearance.

Hollywood, Asia, and Africa, stars expected to grace the carpet this week include Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jean Reno, Andrey Konchalovskiy, Julia Vysotskaya, Kelly Brook, Emma Caulfield, Maya Sansa, Carey Mulligan, Beau Garrett, Jim Sturgess, Peter Weir, Karan Johar, Johnnie To and Aparna Sen.

Diff’10 will honour Lifetime Achievement Honouree from Africa, Souleymane Cisse, Hollywood A-lister Sean Penn, and Arab icon Sabah with Lifetime Achievement Awards this year.