Dubai's international film festival opens next month, featuring films meant to bridge East-West differences in the presence of stars led by Morgan Freeman and Greek-French cult director Costa-Gavras.
The December 11-17 festival will feature 98 films from 46 countries and showcase Arab contemporary films, said festival director and CEO Neil Stephenson.
Along with Freeman and legendary Indian producer Yash Chopra, the event will honour Egyptian superstar actor Adel Imam by screening two of his films, including this year's "The embassy is in the building" which tackles the sensitive issue of Egyptian-Israeli ties.
Besides Costa-Gavras, due to attend the Middle East premiere of his black comic fantasy "Le Couperet" (The Ax), other celebrities include US actors Albert Brooks and Dylon McDermott.
Arab stars attending the festival include Egyptians Noor Sherif, Yusra, Hanan Turk and Mona Zaki, Tunisian star Hind Sabri as well as renowned French-Algerian rai singer Faudel.
British activist and musician Bob Geldof will also be present at a gala dinner to raise funds for the Nelson Mandela fund for aid to Africa, Stephenson said at a press conference.
The programme of the festival is divided into 13 themed programmes, including "Arabian Nights", "Arabian Shorts", "Cinema from the Subcontinent", "Insights from Asia", "In Honour of Africa" and "Cafe Europe".
The line-up is aimed at encouraging production in the Arab world, with dozens of movies and short films mostly made possible through funding from Europe.
Amina al-Rustamani, executive director of Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, told AFP that the "festival is meant to showcase and encourage Arab filmmakers, especially in the United Arab Emirates."
The festival also includes "Operation cultural bridge" because the "significant rise in conflict and distrust between the Islamic world and the broader Western world ... has generated a critical need for dialogue," said the festival guide.
Films in the section include Albert Brooks' new comedy "Looking for comedy in the Muslim world", Dubai's first world premiere of a Hollywood studio film.
The festival's opening night gala screening will be Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad's controversial film "Paradise Now" about suicide bombers which won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival 2005.
The festival, meant to establish a crossroads where Hollywood meets Bollywood, will also feature movies from the Asian subcontinent, mainly from India which produces 900 features a year.
The films include the world premiere of director Dhruv Dhawan's documentary "From Dusk" about Sri Lankan survivors of the devastating 2004 tsunami, Chopra's "Veer Zaara" film about love across the Indian-Pakistani divide and prominent Oscar-winning Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's "Howl's moving castle."
The first edition of the Dubai film festival last year screened 77 films from more than 25 countries.