DUBAI // The curtains fell on the fifth Dubai International Film Festival last night, with organisers estimating 47,500 people attended screenings of more than 200 titles during the eight-day event.
The award ceremony continued last night after stars from around the world took a walk on the festival's final red carpet.
Among the celebrities that turned out for the closing were the Chinese lifetime achievement award winner Tsui Hark, the Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, the Egyptian actress Lebleba, the Bahraini actress Haifa Hussain and the Syrian actor Jamal Sulaiman.
The Bollywood presence included the actress and first-time director, Nandita Das, who attended with actors from her film, including Sanjay Suri and Shahana Goswami.
Das's debut film, Firaaq, won the Muhr Asia-Africa award for editing.
"I have got a very good response in all the screenings of my film," Das said before the awards ceremony began. "In every festival you hope to be appreciated for your work."
Although Firaaq screened on Monday, Suri said he wanted to stay until the end of the festival. "This is a great experience and I hope to be here for the next time too."
Hark said he loved being in Dubai and was proud of his lifetime achievement award.
"It is a big boost to my career," he said. "I hope to come here every year."
Haydar Mohammed was awarded the best UAE talent award, with Nujoom al Ghanem named the best UAE female filmmaker and Saeed Salmeen al Murry the best male Emirati filmmaker. The People's Choice award was a race between two films, Slumdog Millionaire and The Heart of Jenin, but finally went to the latter, which was directed by Leon Geller and Marcus Vetter.
The Muhr best film from the Arab films section went to Masquerades by Lyes Salem while in the Asia Africa category, Treeless Mountain by So Yong Kim was awarded the best film.
The widely discussed Deepa Mehta film Heaven on Earth won the award for best screenplay in the Asia-Africa section of the Muhr Awards.
Shivani Pandya, DIFF's managing director, said: "We are thrilled by the high participation from the public and industry members alike. We are looking forward already to the 2009 festival, and another five years with our warm, supportive and informed Dubai audiences."
Stars from Hollywood, Bollywood, Arab and world cinema who stopped by the festival this year included Ben and Casey Affleck, Salma Hayek, Nicolas Cage, Hassan Salwan, Ahmad al Saleh, Goldie Hawn, Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan. Organisers said that the festival attracted about 1,000 members of the international film industry to the second annual Dubai Film Connection and the workshops, networking events and panel discussions put on by the Industry Office.
pmenon@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come
Roll of Honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
Fixtures
Friday
West Asia Cup final
5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy final
3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles
Friday, April 13
UAE Premiership final
5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Company%20profile
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
