Film icon Samuel L. Jackson is recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at DIFF 2016

American film icon Samuel L. Jackson, long-celebrated as one of cinema’s most talented and intuitive actors, will be the recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). In recognition of his distinguished service to the film industry, Jackson is set to accept the accolade during the opening ceremony of the 13th Festival on December 7th.

In conjunction with the prestigious award, fans and industry members alike will also have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear the actor’s unique story with an ‘In Conversation’ event on Friday, 9 December at 4pm in the Madinat Souk Theatre. This rare event provides an unmissable opportunity for audiences to gain an insight into Jackson’s life, cinematic career and achievements, with an exclusive question and answer opportunity for audience members. Tickets are available now online at diff.ae and at the box office at VOX Cinemas Mall of the Emirates.

Marking the beginning of a long and prosperous career, Jackson entered the world of cinema in ‘Together for Days’ (1972). Following a plethora of varied character roles he made a mark on the film community with his breakout performance in Spike Lee’s drama ‘Jungle Fever’ (1991) as drug-addict Gator, for which he was recognized with a special prize for Best Supporting Actor from the Cannes International Film Festival. Jackson would go on to grow into one of Hollywood’s most respected and prominent actors, reaching a new height with his 13th film ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994) and earning international recognition with a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, for his defining performance as Jules Winnfield.

Over more than four decades in the industry, Jackson has crafted a diverse and successful career in Hollywood and beyond and earned multiple awards for his efforts. He set an industry record when he became the highest-grossing actor in film history, an extraordinary result down to his commitment and consistently outstanding performances. Working alongside highly celebrated directors and actors such as Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta, Kevin Spacey, Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis and Robert Downey Jr., Jackson has had ample opportunity to display his supreme acting abilities, appearing in more than 100 films and lending his iconic voice to television series, animated films and video games. His upcoming films in 2017 include ‘Kong: Skull Island’ and ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’.

DIFF’s Chairman, Abdulhamid Juma commented: “Samuel L. Jackson is, quite simply, an icon. His talent and recognition span well beyond cinema and we are very much looking forward to welcoming him to DIFF for the first time. Our Lifetime Achievement Award is a testament to the dedication and talent of individuals whose abilities are unmatchable and Samuel L. Jackson is the epitome of that. Not only are we proud to be able to honour his outstanding career, but to be able to introduce him to the UAE film community through a public in conversation event is very special.”

Samuel L. Jackson commented on the prestigious award: "It's a great honor to be given the Dubai International Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award. It's wonderful to be included into the Emirates' film community, and I look forward to meeting all of its amazing filmmakers and making many new friends."

Jackson joins renowned Indian actress Rekha and award-winning French Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared as recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Festival. The award is devoted to honouring the globe’s finest film industry actors, writers, directors and producers. Previous honourees include Omar Sharif, Catherine Deneuve, Faten Hamamah, Adel Imam, Jameel Rateb, Sabah, Morgan Freeman, Sean Penn, Shah Rukh Khan, Daoud Abdel Sayed, Youssef Chahine, Rachid Bouchareb, Martin Sheen, Nabil El-Maleh, Oliver Stone, Danny Glover, Terry Gilliam, Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and Sami Bouajila.

The must-see ‘In Conversation’ event is an exclusive experience for any cinema lover with tickets available for 35 AED.

The 13th edition of DIFF will see films screened over eight days at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah and VOX Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates and THE BEACH – opposite JBR. Cinemagoers will be able to buy tickets from the DIFF box office, which is now open www.dubaifilmfest.com and at the box office at VOX Cinemas Mall of the Emirates. Tickets will also be available from the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah from Tuesday, December 6th and from the Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday, 7th December.