Last night marked the opening of the 12th Annual Dubai International Film Festival 2015. Held at Madinat Jumeirah and running until December 16th, the festival will showcase 134 features, short films, documentaries, and world premieres from 60 countries. Kicking off the eight-day festival was the screening of the movie adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s international bestselling novel, Room. The movie tells the story about a mother and son who are held captive for seven years.
The opening night saw Hollywood heavyweights and regional celebrities walking the red carpet. Kuwait-based Lebanese actress Laila Abdallah; Emirati directors Ali F. Mostafa and Nayla Al Khaja; and Turkish actress Tuba Büyüküstün were joined with Fantastic Four star Michael B. Jordan; TV personality Terrance J; and Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss, who will be attending the special tribute celebrating the movie’s 40th anniversary later in the week.
Also on the red carpet was the grande dame of French cinema, Catherine Deneuve, who along with Egyptian actor Ezzat El Alaili, French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila, and Indian film icon Naseeruddin Shah, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by HH Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
