Dubai's 12th annual international film festival is well under way with a healthy offering of the best the cinema world has to offer. Launched on Wednesday in the presence of celebrities from across the world, the festival is open to the public and is a fixture on our winter calendar. A total of 134 films from 60 countries will be screened, telling stories from the region and beyond. This year, the plight of refugees is the subject of two productions, A Syrian Love Story and Dheepan, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
The buzz from Dubai is not only confined to the silver screen. Streaming fans will soon be able to watch the popular on-demand video service Netflix, which has confirmed at the film festival that it's planning to launch in the region by the end of next year. Other details have yet to be revealed, but Netflix fans have welcomed the news. Only time will tell whether regional Netflix will live up to the lofty expectations associated with the brand.
