With a steadily growing reputation, this year the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will once again host some of the best premieres, producers, writers and actors across the industry.
The 13th edition of DIFF will take place between December 7 and December 14, 2016, and will showcase 156 films from 55 countries, 57 world premieres, alongside a diverse program of special presentations, Q&As and red carpet galas.
With so much going on, we thought we’d get the ball rolling and pick out 5 films showing at this year’s DIFF that you really ought to go and see.
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Gaza Surf Club
This handsome and heartfelt documentary takes us into the world of the Gaza Strip’s surfing enthusiasts, and reveals a formidable resilience pulsing within a beleaguered population.Trapped in “the world’s largest open-air prison” a new generation fine their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean
The Worthy
The third feature film from Emirati director (and the cover star of our December issue) Ali F Mostafa, sees a bleak vision of a dystopian future, where water is scarce and a group of unlikely Arab survivors struggle to stay alive. The compound they live in decends into madness, leaving the question: who is worthy to live and to lead?
The Bleeder
Liev Schreiber delivers a powerfully unshowy and gritty lead performance in this boxing biopic as the “Bayonne Bleeder”, downbeat minor boxer Chuck Wepner, who in 1975 went a bruising 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title only to lose the fight on a technical knockout just 19 seconds short of the final bell.
Jackie
Natalie Portman shines in one of the films of the year, with a performance that embraces the complexities and charms of the US’ First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
Manchester by Sea
A beautifully made and powerfully moving film featuring a magnificent performance by Casey Affleck.
LaLa Land
Directed by Whiplash‘s Damien Chazelle, this feel-good musical sees Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone reunited in a film that is tipped to clean-up at the awards shows next year.
The Founder
It’s rather telling of the world we live in that the golden arches of McDonald’s are one of the most recognisable symbols on earth. This film tells the story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), the man who turned McDonald’s from a small burger restaurant, into a globe-conquering symbol of capitalism.
Hotel Salvation
Faced with his father’s untimely and bizarre demand to go and die in the holy city of Varanasi and attain Salvation, a son is left with no choice but to embark on this journey.
Miss Sloane
Willing to bend the rules for her clients, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) remains one of the most sought-after lobbyists in Washington, D.C. When asked to help oppose a bill that imposes regulations on firearms, she instead joins a scrappy boutique firm that represents the backers of the law.
Certain Women
The lives of three women (Kirsten Stewart, Michelle Williams and Laura Dern) intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail.
A beautifully made and powerfully moving film featuring a magnificent performance by Casey Affleck.