Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett will mark her return to the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) red carpet as she heads the IWC Filmmakers Jury, which will award $100,000 (Dh367,500) to one cinematic talent from the region to bring their project to the silver screen.
The two-time Oscar winner and brand ambassador for Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen, will mark her third appearance at the festival.
Winners over previous years include Emirati directors Abdullah Hassan Ahmed and Layla Kaylif, along with Kuwaiti director Abdullah Boushahri and British-Iraqi director Maysoon Pachachi.
Speaking about this year’s event, Diff Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Each year, the bar is set higher by the scripts we receive for the IWC Filmmaker Award and our expert jury members have tough decisions to make. We are privileged to welcome back an icon of the silver screen to Dubai to lend her insight to the distinguished jury and inspire new emerging talent from the region.”
IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr said: “Filmmaking is an integral part of cultural creation — it is an art form that allows us to look in the mirror and gives us an important opportunity for reflection. Being storytellers ourselves, we deeply appreciate the creativity, courage and passion that talented filmmakers invest in their work to enchant and captivate their audiences.”
The award for the winning entry will be presented on December 7. The 14th edition of Diff runs from December 6 to 13.
