Dubai International Film Festival Kicks off with Dazzling Red Carpet Gala

The tenth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) began with a bang on 6 December at the Madinat Jumeirah with a Red Carpet Opening Gala screening of Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar, the Palestinian entry for the Foreign Language Oscar. Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad led the line- up of stars gracing the red carpet as he attended alongside the films cast members Adam Bakri, Eyad Hourani and Waleed Zuaiter.

Omar is a film that takes a tough look at love, friendship and betrayal among a group of Palestinian friends living on different sides of the Israeli ‘Separation Wall.’ The film has been praised around the world at prestigious venues such as the Cannes film festival.

The prestigious DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award was presented during the Opening Night ceremonies. This year’s recipients were Egyptian journalist and film historian Samir Farid, who pioneered film criticism in the Arab world, and Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Martin Sheen.

The DIFF box office is open online on at www.dubaifilmfest.com. Additional information is also available through the Festival’s customer care number, 363 FILM (3456).