Dubai International Film Festival: Which movies to watch, where

The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will showcase an interesting line-up of world-class cinema over eight days starting December 10.

Of the 118 films that will be presented, it will be Stephen Hawking’s extraordinary journey in ‘The Theory of Everything’ that will open the festival. Based on his wife’s (Jane Hawking) memoir ‘Travelling to Infinity – My Life with Stephen’, the movie is helmed by James Marsh and stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

The festival will host 55 world and international premieres. The line-up includes cinematic work from 48 countries in 34 languages.

The movies will be screened at Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah and Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates. Tickets will be available at the DIFF box office, at www.dubaifilmfest.com.

Cinemagoers can also buy tickets at Vox Cinemas MoE. On December 10, the tickets will be available at all other venues.

There will also be free screenings at The Beach, JBR.

The red carpet gala line-up will include a spectacular spread.
 

December 11

Russell Crowe’s anticipated directorial debut ‘The Water Diviner’ will launch the festivities, followed by ‘Dearest’, a deeply moving Chinese true-story drama from Peter Ho-sun Chan.

December 12

It will be a triple bill of galas with ‘Paper Planes’ a touching family drama from Robert Connolly kick-starting the proceedings. It will be followed by ‘Boychoir’, a crowd-pleasing musical from François Girard starring Dustin Hoffman. Emirati director Waleed Al Shehhi’s ‘Dolphins’, , which won the IWC Filmmaker Award (2013), will close the day.

December 13

DIFF’s second Children’s Red Carpet Gala, ‘Santa Claus’ is a festive film for the whole family directed by Alexandre Coffre will begin the proceedings. The evening gala will start with the directorial debut of Andrea Di Stefano ‘Escobar Paradise: Lost’, starring Benicio del Toro. It will be followed by Mohammed Rashed Buali’s ‘The Sleeping Tree’, which was short-listed for the 2012 IWC Filmmaker Award.

December 14

It will put the focus on prolific Egyptian director Daoud Abdel Sayed’s much talked about feature ‘Out of the Ordinary’.

December 15

There will be two screenings. ‘Wild Tales’, from director Damián Szifrón, which has been selected as the Argentine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film; and ‘Cairo Time’ from Amir Ramses, starring cinematic legend Nour El-Sherif who will this year be honoured with the DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award.

December 16

Morten Tyldum’s highly anticipated ‘The Imitation Game’, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, will be showcased.

Closing the grand DIFF will be acclaimed director Rob Marshall’s fun musical ‘Into the Woods’ that blends children’s classics Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel. Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine will bring to life this humorous and heartfelt musical.

For more information, log on to www.dubaifilmfest.com; or call 04 363 FILM (3456).
 

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