The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) opened its 12th edition yesterday (December 9) in a stellar Red Carpet Opening Gala that saw the presence international stars.

The festival was honoured by the presence of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

 Stars that graced the Red Carpet on the opening night include Naseeruddin Shah, Catherine Deneuve, Ezzat Al Alayli, Laila Elwi, Elham Shahin, Hend Sabry, Possy, Hany Abu-Assad, Michael B Jordan, Deepa Mehta and Anu Menon, who wowed on the Festival’s Red Carpet.

The opening was marked with the screening of Lenny Abrahamson’s suspenseful and heartrending drama ‘Room’ based on Emma Donoghue’s 2010 best-selling novel of the same name.

Jacob Tremblay, the young star of ‘Room’, was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for the film.

With film greats such as Jake Gyllenhaal expected to grace the festival with their presence over the coming days, recognition of the contributions from such film industry pioneers is at the forefront of DIFF and through DIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Indian actor and legend of the silver screen Naseeruddin Shah, esteemed Egyptian actor Ezzat Al Alayli, award-winning French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila and the grande dame of French cinema Catherine Deneuve were the recipients of the Award on the opening night.

The 12th edition of DIFF will take place from December 9 to 16. – TradeArabia News Service