The Dubai International Film Festival opened on Wednesday, December 9 with some of the world’s most glamorous stars face rolling cameras and take selfies with the throngs of fans who had flocked to Madinat Jumeirah.
Emirati filmmaker Ali F Mostafa walked the red carpet despite nursing a fractured leg. The From A To B director, dapper in a white tuxedo, got the injury because he fell.
“But not while making a film, I wish it was as cool as that!” he quickly added. “I’m part of the jury at this year’s festival, which is a great honour. Diff is like family so I love to come back every year.”
Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad, who won the Best Film award at Diff in 2013 for his Oscar-nominated Omar, said he was looking forward to the Friday, December 10 screening of his film The Idol, a biopic on the Palestinian winner of Arab Idol, Mohammed Assaf, after which the audience will be treated to Assaf performing his songs.
“We did it at the Toronto film festival, with Mohammed singing – it went down fantastically. The people loved it, and this is the most important thing,” said the filmmaker.
The brightest star on the red carpet was 9-year-old Jacob Tremblay, who had a starring main role in the festival's opening film The Room, about a boy and his mother who are held in a small room for five years before managing to escape. Trembay, decked out in a smart tuxedo, elicited lots of smiles from onlookers.
The writer and producer of The Peanuts Movie, Craig Schulz – whose father Charles M Schulz first brought the Peanuts characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy to life in his much-loved cartoon strips – walked the red carpet with his wife, Judy.
"It was really fun to transform Peanuts into 3-D," said Schulz, who spent his first day in Dubai playing golf. "The characters look wonderful, I'm thrilled by it. Snoopy has been everywhere in the world except for here, so I think Snoopy's happy to be here now."
Acclaimed Bollywood director Deepa Mehta, a jury member who is showing her crime drama Beeba Boys at Diff, walked the carpet in a stunning brown and cream salwar-kameez ensemble. "I don't wear designer clothes, this is made by my local tailor in Delhi," she said.
Actress extraordinaire Catherine Deneuve, who collected a Lifetime Achievement award, was a picture of French elegance in a loosefitting grey dress and matching grey fur coat.
Jordanian actress Seba Mubarak went for a sophisticated maroon crossover dress with gold leaf earrings, a gold metal purse, and elaborately braided hair.
Diff jury member Tunisian actress Hend Sabry dazzled in a see-through black, sequinned bodice and black skirt.
Michael B Jordan showed off his physique, still toned after playing a boxer in his latest film, Creed, in a spotted Givenchy suit. Jordan confessed to still feeling a little nervous on the red carpet, even after a 16-year career in films. "So many people and everyone taking pictures of you … but I'm kind of used to it now."
E! News presenter Terrence J looked comfortable in the limelight, livening the atmosphere by taking numerous group selfies with the crowds. But the star says he's not always the life and soul of the party. "I'm slowing down. Once you turn 33, as I have, you can't party like you used to – if I party like I used to now, I can't feel my legs the day after."
The TV host went on to rave about how much he was enjoying Dubai.
"Dubai is one of the funniest, most beautiful, safe cities I've every been to in my life, everyone has been really accommodating. And I'm here with the boys – six black dudes walking around the streets of Dubai, we're trying to stay out of trouble," he joked. "I'm looking forward to going back to E! News on Monday to talk about the incredible films we're seeing this week."
artslife@thenational.ae
