Silver sponsors shine on Dubai International Film Festival

The fourth edition of DIFF takes place between December 9 and 16, 2007.

Silver Sponsors are: ArtWorks, Chalhoub Group, Filmworks, Gulf News, Hewlett Packard, International Creative Management (ICM), Lammtara Pictures (Freej), JBM, Motivate Publishing and Volvo.

Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of DIFF, stated,

"Our Silver sponsors' support is very much appreciated. In our efforts to put Dubai on the international map, we could not ask for better backers. Many of these firms are engaged in raising Dubai's profile in their own right, and together we can create the cultural future of this emirate."

ArtWorks' spokesperson Patricia Palmer spoke about the company's involvement: "We are and always have been convinced of the latent creative talent in Dubai, and are behind DIFF's efforts to nurture that talent and promote it in the regional and international industry. This is an exciting time to be in Dubai and to be associated with a project that is growing so quickly and strategically into an event of international import."

Patrick Chalhoub, CO-CEO of the Chalhoub Group, commented on their commitment to promoting Arts and Culture in the region "With its theme of "Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds", the Dubai International Film Festival is an ideal platform for the convergence of some of the finest films from both international and regional arenas. The Chalhoub Group's mission is to build a bridge between the cultures of East and West and we are therefore very pleased to be apart of this exchange process through cinema".

Prominent production company Filmworks is a third-year Silver sponsor. Tim Smythe, the company's Managing Director, said, "We share DIFF's goal of promoting the growth of Dubai's production sector, which we are confident will result in an increase in industry professionalism, caliber of crew, and quality of infrastructure. Dubai is set to become a production hub in this region, and DIFF is at the forefront of that development."

Gulf News, a second-year Silver sponsor, will be a valuable source of information during the festival run. Duleep George, Marketing & Sales Director for Gulf News, stated, "we are very pleased to be part of DIFF once again. As Dubai's leading English daily, we wanted to partner with Dubai's most important cultural event - DIFF."

"HP is honored to support one of the most prestigious film festivals and the premier film event in the region," said Serdar Urcar, General Manager, Personal Systems Group, HP Middle East. "Technology is expanding the ways in which entertainment is created, managed, distributed and enjoyed around the world. This is why HP enjoys being so involved in every aspect of the entertainment industry," he added.

International Creative Management (ICM), seven distinguished firms in the Emirates, as well as one of the world's largest talent and literary agencies, all of whom are dedicated to helping said Hal Sadoff, ICM's Head of International & Independent Film. International Creative Management (ICM), one of the world's largest talent and literary agencies, commented on the company's support: "We are pleased to support DIFF in their pioneering efforts to develop and promote filmmaking in the Arab world," said Hal Sadoff, ICM's head of international and independent film. "The festival is quickly becoming an important global market in the film business."

Animation company Lammtara Pictures; creators of the Middle East's pioneering animated series FREEJ, is a second-year DIFF backer. Mohammad Harib, the company's Managing Director, stated, "We commend DIFF for providing the jolt that film production needs in Dubai. Lammtara, like DIFF, is dedicated to sustained creative growth and to promoting Dubai and Khaleeji culture and talent on the world stage. There is so much latent creativity in this region, and DIFF is fast becoming the preferred conduit for its reaching the rest of the world."

Benjamin Monié, Managing Director of JBM, the full-service production company, stated that the company's decision to support DIFF was "a natural synergy. We are confident that the drive to promote filmmaking in the region, spearheaded by DIFF, will benefit companies like JBM that provide a broad array of services to the production community. We are looking forward to increased production and a Dubai-based industry to rival the best in the world."

Motivate Publishing has been a DIFF Sponsor since the festival's inception. Ian Fairservice, the company's Managing Partner & Group Editor, stated, "One of our major mandates is diversifying Dubai's cultural scene, and in that effort we find DIFF to be the perfect partner. We have known for a long time that Dubai has the potential to become a leading city of culture, and DIFF is helping to make that a reality."

Volvo is a new sponsor for DIFF 2007. Roula Beiruty, Volvo Cars Marketing Manager, said: "we are proud to support such a fast-growing and important community event, that welcomes international guests to Dubai, a city that is always welcoming, always exciting, and ever-changing. We are happy to have grown with Dubai over the past few years, and will do our utmost to be able to sustain our growth in the future. We salute DIFF's efforts to create another reason for all eyes to look toward this emirate."

The Dubai International Film Festival runs from December 9 to 16, 2007.