Jake Gyllenhaal to make appearance at Dubai International Film Festival

Jake Gyllenhaal will appear at next month’s Dubai International Film Festival.

The Donne Darko and Southpaw actor is the first A-list guest announced as attending the city's annual celebration of film. He will receive an award at the event from entertainment trade magazine Variety, which will name the 34-year-old its International Star of the Year.

Gyllenhaal is also expected to meet fans at a ticketed Q&A event, and will doubtless stroll a few red carpets while in town.

His appearance follows widespread speculation that the actor visited Abu Dhabi last month, after reports he had been spotted at a Corniche hotel with a film crew in tow.

Variety presents the award annually at Diff in recognition of a personality's outstanding contribution to the world of film.

Previous recipients include Colin Farrell in 2010 and Owen Wilson in 2011.

Gyllenhaal rose to fame after playing the eponymous lead in Richard Kelly's 2001 cult favourite, Donnie Darko.

Other celebrated roles include the lead in Sam Mendes's Jarhead (2005) and a BAFTA-winning performance in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain (2005). He was most recently seen in this year's true-life mountaineering drama, Everest.

"Jake Gyllenhaal's promise as an actor was clear almost from the beginning of his illustrious career," said Steven Gaydos, Variety's vice president and executive editor.

"Donnie Darko is a cult classic and his work in films such as October Sky, The Good Girl and Moonlight Mile signalled the emergence of a major new acting talent. While his Oscar-nominated turn in Brokeback Mountain delivered on that promise, the last few years have witnessed an explosion of great work that matches the best actors of any generation."

Gyllenhaal's other film credits include in David Fincher's Zodiac (2007), Jim Sheridan's Brothers (2009), Duncan Jones' Source Code (2011) and Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners (2013).

Gyllenhaal won numerous accolades for his part in last year's Nightcrawler, directed by Dan Gilroy. This year, he appeared in Everest and gritty boxing biopic Southpaw.

Diff chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Jake Gyllenhaal is a huge talent and undeniably one of the most accomplished actors of his generation.

"We are absolutely delighted to honour his extraordinary talents with Variety magazine's International Star of the Year Award at this year's festival."

• The DIFF box office is open now at www.dubaifilmfest.com

rgarratt@thenational.ae