'Tron: Legacy’ to close out Dubai film fest

In a sign that the film industry is taking 3D technology seriously, the Dubai International Film Festival has announced that its closing gala will be “Tron: Legacy”.

Festivals are usually the preserve of independent or foreign films, but the 3D high-tech adventure, which is set in a digital universe and boasts some of the most spectacular visuals in recent cinema, will screen at DIFF on December 18, a day after its release in the United States and Canada.

Disney’s long-awaited, standalone follow-up to its 1982 classic “Tron” continues DIFF’s practice of integrating major 3D films into the festival and its tradition of closing with major international films including “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008 and “Avatar” in 2009, organisers said in a statement. 

The film reunites many of the original cast and crew, including Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner and producer Steven Lisberger. Bridges returns as Kevin Flynn, the world’s leading video game designer who was digitized into a computer grid where programmes living on pure energy take on human form. In “Tron: Legacy”, Flynn’s son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same grid where his father has been living for 25 years. 

Other cast members include Olivia Wilde as Quorra, the digital warrior who tries to help Sam find and save his father; Michael Sheen and TV star James Frain. 

The 1982 “Tron” was the first motion picture to make extensive use of computer imagery, and snippets unveiled by Disney last week suggest “Tron: Legacy” will wow audiences with its cutting-edge, state-of-the-art visuals. 
DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the selection of Tron as the closing gala demonstrates the eclectic range of films being screened at the Festival and its offer of cinema for all.

“Just as DIFF places emphasis on bringing the finest arthouse movies from around the world, we also incorporate the most modern trends in filmmaking to provide a total cinema experience for film enthusiasts. ‘Tron: Legacy’, presented in 3D, will be a revelation for filmgoers at DIFF.” 

Sheila Whitaker, Director – International Programme, DIFF, said: “‘Tron’ set benchmarks in computer-generated imagery back in 1982, and was a film ahead of its time, pushing the frontiers of visual effects. Since its release, the film industry has witnessed revolutionary changes, especially in special effects. ‘Tron: Legacy’ is expected to set another milestone in computer-generated filmmaking.”

The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will be held from December 12 to 19.

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