'Dubai is fantastic': Colin Firth

Large crowds and a pre-Oscar buzz marked the opening ceremony of the seventh Dubai International Film Festival at the city's Madinat Jumeirah complex on Sunday. 

British actor Colin Firth was joined by Hollywood It girl Carey Mulligan and veteran Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé.
“I am fascinated with Dubai,” Firth told reporters at the event, which opened with the historical drama "The King's Speech". In the film, Firth plays the lead as Britain's King George VI.

“[Dubai] is a fantastic place. It’s geographically so far from where we made the film.... to tell this story about a cold winter in 1937 in this sunlit paradise shows just how far a film can take you. How far you can be transported by cinema.”

Firth has attracted tremendous critical applause for his portrayal of the reluctant king with a seemingly insurmountable disability, but in an earlier interview with a panel of UAE journalists that included Emirates 27.com, he played down his chances of an award. 

IN PICTURES: Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan walk the red carpet for the opening of DIFF

Also in attendance at the event were Egyptian actors Hussein Fahmy, Rania Shawki, Raghda and Poussy Shalabi.

Over 150 films are being screened over the eight-day event, with a strong focus on Arabic cinema, with several movies exploring the hardship of life in Iraq and Palestine.

"The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will be extra special not only for the powerful showcase of movies from around the world and impressive talent line-up of globally acclaimed actors and directors, but also for the largest selections of quality, contemporary Arab cinema anywhere in the world," festival director Abdulhamid Juma said before the opening.

Twelve full-length Arab films are in competition for the Muhr awards, including entries from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Morocco.

Seven of the films are making their screen debut at Dubai, including "Six, seven eight," director Mohammad Diab's latest film, which tackles the issue of sexual harassment in his native Egypt.

American actor and director Sean Penn, known for his political activism, will be recognised with a lifetime achievement award, as will Cissé and the Lebanese singer Sabah.

Prizes at the event total $600,000.

IN PICTURES: Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan walk the red carpet for the opening of DIFF