Best of contemporary French, British, Iranian, Filipino and Russian cinema slated for public screenings in early December

Dubai, November 27, 2004

Some of the best new films from around the world have been confirmed for the first-ever Dubai International Film Festival, with at least 30 making their Middle East premieres here, Festival organizers announced at Dubai Media City yesterday. An additional 13 films will be making their Gulf debut, and the Tunisian-French-German feature Bab'Aziz will be making its world premiere.

The critically acclaimed Hamburg Cell, a gripping re-enactment of the radicalization of the September 11 suicide bombers; the tense Iranian romantic adventure The Tear of the Cold; intense Russian arthouse feature The Return and Latin American smash hit The Motorcycle Diaries are among the award-winning films slated to screen during the six-day Festival.

The international selections represent a variety of genres, subject matters and cultures and have been picked to give UAE viewers a taste of contemporary world cinema, said Abdulhamid Juma, CEO of Dubai Media City.

"This is a great opportunity for the people of the UAE to see films they would not otherwise see in our mainstream cinemas," Juma said. "We want to broaden the horizons of the viewing public and have deliberately selected foreign films, art films and independent films with the goal of enhancing the breadth and depth of films shown here."

From Sweden to China, more than 25 countries are represented in the Festival films. The international offerings have been grouped into several sections, including Contemporary World Cinema with 12 new features, "Operation Cultural Bridge" with seven films, Cinema from the Subcontinent with four features, and a five-film Bollywood Meets Hollywood segment.

The world cinema aspect of the Festival is an integral part of its overall strategy, added Festival CEO and Director Neil Stephenson.

"One of the overriding objectives of the Festival is to promote cultural dialogue, and build a new cultural bridge linking the Arab and non-Arab worlds," said Stephenson. "That bridge has two lanes: an inbound road to Dubai that will allow the global film community to make a cultural journey to Arabia, and an outbound one for the UAE and regional film community to connect with the outside film world."

"By having a strong component of world cinema in our Festival, we are declaring that both of these lanes are open for traffic," he said.

Hamburg Cell, which made its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival in August, garnered rave reviews for its illuminating direction and neutral, thought-provoking storyline. The Motorcycle Diaries, which traces the making of the revolutionary Che Guevara, has become almost legendary since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January and subsequent jury award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Closer to home, the mysterious and intense drama The Return has become the most celebrated Russian film in years, and Tear of the Cold, a romantic epic of a guerilla Kurdish shepherdess and an Iranian bomb disposal expert, has received accolades in Iran and around the world.

While full details of each section have not yet been released, it is known that the public will have two opportunities to see almost every film during the six-day Festival.

The Dubai International Film Festival will be held between December 6 and 11, 2004, and will feature 77 films including 55 features as well as retrospectives and short films. The festival is divided into 10 distinct programs, each focusing on a particular festival theme. DIFF is presented by Dubai Media City and its presenting sponsors are Dubai Duty Free, Emirates, Madinat Jumeirah Arabian Resort-Dubai, and Nakheel.

-Ends-

About Dubai Media City
Strategically located in Dubai at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Dubai Media City is rapidly emerging as the region's media hub.  The City provides an advanced infrastructure and supportive environment for media-related businesses to operate globally out of Dubai.  Dubai Media City is the place where every kind of media business, specifically - Publishing & Printing, Music, Film, New Media, Leisure & Entertainment, Broadcasting, Media & Marketing Services, and Information Agencies will thrive. The facility offers an environment that allows companies and individuals to operate with collective synergy and freedom. 

Since its official opening in January 2001, Dubai Media City has grown tremendously to become a thriving media community of over 850 companies and more than 75 freelance media professionals. Several global media giants and promising entrepreneurial ventures have joined the Dubai Media City community. Three quarters of the media community represents regional and international media companies.   Dubai Media City - Freedom to Create

For further information, please contact:
Deepa Asnani
Dubai Media City
Tel: +9714 391 4548
Fax: +9714 391 4589
Email: deepa.asnani@dubaimediacity.ae
www.dubaifilmfest.com

Or

Mare Elston
ASDA'A Public Relations
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971-4-3344550
Fax: +971-4-3344556
M: +971-50-6521236
E-mail: M.Elston@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2004