“Microphone” directed by Ahmed Abdalla

(Best movie in Kartaj Film Festival  , Best Arabic movie in Cairo International Film Festival - CIFF , Best Film Editing in Dubai International Film Festival - DIFF) , Best Film in  Istanbul Film Festival.

www.Microphone-film.com

About DIFF

The correct name is 'Dubai International Film Festival', or DIFF, but it is often just called the 'Dubai Film Festival'. The DIFF is held annually, under the auspices of Dubai Media City, in early December. The first Dubai Film Festival in 2004 was regarded as very successful by the organisers and cinema-goers. In 2005, the DIFF saw the popular films sold out well in advance and it was attended by a range of industry personnel and celebrities. The 2006 film festival was just as successful, with long queues of hopeful patrons waiting for spare tickets at major screenings (and usually missing out - book early for the good ones).

The film festival is one of those events that is really worth making an effort to attend, with the opportunity to see films you're unlikely to see as a normal release, especially as there are almost no independent cinemas in Dubai. You also get to listen to some commentary from one or more of the directors, actors, actresses, producers as many of the films have them attending in the flesh and answering questions before and after a showing. An excellent, sober, cultural, memorable alternative to the usual booze-fuelled events like the Dubai Rugby 7s (also good fun, but for different reasons), which is on a week or two before the Dubai Film FestivalThe austere and highly respected journal of current affairs (ahem), The USA Today, included the DIFF in a July 2007 article called 'Where in the World are the Hottest Film Fests?'. Other events that made it into the list with DIFF included Cannes, the Locarno Festival, the London Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, and Sundance. We're at a loss to explain how such obscure events made it on to the same list as the DIFF.

As Dubai Media City (DMC) is a free zone in Dubai, films are not subject to censorship (even though most films are shown in locations outside the free zone). Apparently. Anyway, astute viewers will notice that, whatever the reason, uncut versions of films are shown. Don't expect to see anything hard core though.

Some film screenings are at the Madinat Jumeirah or Dubai Media City, but most are shown at the Mall of the Emirates (MOTE) cinema complex.

For residents of Dubai with an interest in the film industry and some spare time, the DIFF needs volunteers to help run the film festival. Volunteers are unpaid but get to see the films and go to other DIFF events. Apply via the DIFF website a month or two before the event.

There is usually a focus on attempting to showcase regional Arab and Iranian films in addition to internationally acclaimed new releases. DIFF also serves as an event to inspire and encourage the Dubai and UAE film industry (although Dubollywood is not quite up there with Hollywood and Bollywood yet, and no one will ever be able to pronounce UAEollywood).

The associated organisations, DIFF Industry Office and the Dubai Film Connection, support and encourage regional Arab film producers and directors with various initiatives and information exchange platforms, with links to ART (Saudi Arabia), Good News Group (Egypt), Royal Film Commission (Jordan), Sundance Institute (USA), Meda Films Development (Morocco), Berlinale (Germany), the World Cinema Fund, and the Producers Network in Cannes.

• Shivani Pandya has been managing director of the Dubai International Film Festival since it started in 2004.

• Chairman of the DIFF is Abdulhamid Juma.