The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) brought its opening night to a close on Wednesday night with a glitzy party on Madinat Jumeirah’s Fort Island.
However many times you’ve attended the festival there’s always a strangely surreal entertainment value in watching guests in flowing sequinned ball gowns strutting their stuff to a Black Eyed Peas song by a cover band on the AstroTurf.
Many of the A-listers who had earlier graced the red carpet seemed to have taken the wise decision to opt for an early night – it was only the first day of an eight day movie marathon, after all – although John Madden, director of the opening night's film Miss Sloane, was in attendance and seemed delighted by the turn out.
He had earlier introduced his film to a packed out Madinat Arena auditorium. It was the first time the film had screened outside the US, and festival organisers were forced to to add a last-minute, simultaneous screening at Madinat Theatre, such was the clamour from movie lovers to check out Jessica Chastain and Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service) in the political lobbying drama.
Sadly, Madden revealed that he had just been for a meal with friends, so he didn’t get to check out the delectable mini shawarmas on offer.
Although the rest of the Hollywood crowd seemed to be either tucked up in bed, or perhaps lurking in some shadowy VIP section away from the prying eyes of nosy fans (and journalists), the local industry was well represented, with everyone from distributors, producers and film makers represented among the crowd.
The only disappointment to the evening was perhaps that, following the opening ceremony and a two and a quarter hour film, the party seemed to finish as quickly as it had begun.
But let’s not be too downhearted, there are seven days still to go and DIFF often packs it own share of surprises.
For more information of events and movie timings go to www.dubaifilmfest.com and see our special page dedicated to all things DIFF
cnewbould@thenational.ae
