DIFF 2015 opens on Wednesday night

Hollywood, Bollywood and Arab stars will mingle on the opening night of 8-day film festival

8 December 2015

Hollywood stars will join celebrities from the Middle East and Bollywood as the 12th edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) opens on Wednesday night.

Creed star Michael B. Jordan, hit TV show Empire lead Terence Howard, Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss, British actor Dev Patel and TV personality and actor Terrence J are among the stars confirmed to walk the red carpet on the opening night of the eight-day festival, along with Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah, Oscar nominated director Deepa Mehta, French acting icon Catherine Deneuve and acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Mendoza.

Jacob Tremblay, the young Canadian actor who stars in the opening night film Room will also be attend.

The celebrities will be joined by a host of Middle Eastern personalities including Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, Bahraini actress Reem Irhma, Tunisian star Hend Sabry, Syrian actor Qusay Khawly and award-winning Egyptian director Mohamed Khan.

Deneuve and Shah are among four personalities to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards on the opening night, along with French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila and veteran Egyptian actor Ezzat Al Alayli.

A total of 134 films from 60 countries will be screened across the festival.

Live performances will also be held at the free screening venues at The Beach, opposite JBR. Arab Idol Mohammad Assaf is scheduled to perform after the screening of The Idol, the film based on his rise to fame, on Friday. Musicians featured in the Pakistani documentary Songs of Lahore will also perform after the screening on December 15. Dreyfuss, who will also attend a special screening of Jaws at The Beach, to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary, and will be part of an interactive session.

DIFF’s official charity, The Global Gift Gala, will hold a separate invite-only event on December 12 at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai to raise funds for various projects. The gala’s honorary chair is Eva Longoria, who will attend along with Empire star Howard and British actor Rupert Everett.

DIFF runs from December 9 to 16. For tickets and schedules, go to diff.ae. The festival’s dedicated customer care number is 363 FILM (3456).