ARN, Atlas Telecom, DRN, E-Vision and Motivate Publishing Back Dubai's Inaugural Film Festival

The five silver sponsors, who make up the third tier of corporate participation in DIFF, are from a variety of media-related backgrounds from publishing to entertainment and technology providers.

Abdulhamid Juma, CEO of Dubai Media City, said the Festival organizers are pleased to receive such enthusiastic participation and support from local companies, particularly in the first year of the Festival.

"We are very grateful to the Silver Sponsors not only for their support but also for believing in this Festival and its aims even in its early days," he said. "This is a community festival, and we need the support of everyone in the community to realize its full potential."

Abdullatif Al Sayegh, CEO of the Arabian Radio Network and Dubai Radio Network, said: "We are all proud to be part of this magnificent event that will open doors for Dubai to become a hub for the film industry in this part of the world. This is another leap of faith for 'Dubai Eye' and a great achievement for it to have such international recognition by stepping into the world of the Seventh Art."

Motivate Publishing and What's On magazine, the Official Publisher and Official Magazine of the Festival, expressed similar sentiments.

"The Dubai International Film Festival is presenting the very best in international and regional cinema to a multicultural audience in Dubai, and as the UAE's best-read monthly magazine and the leading guide to entertainment and leisure, What's On is delighted to lend its support to this exciting inaugural event," said Roslynne Hayes, Marketing and Promotions Manager.

Hamaid Rashid Sahoo, Chief Executive Officer of E-Vision, said the Festival's ability to contribute to the dynamic cultural mix of the UAE was a strong incentive for the cable company.

"Our programming caters to the multi-cultural nature of the UAE, so we understand the cultural exchange an event like this can produce and how important it will be in the effort to place Dubai and the UAE as one of the international focal points for culture and the arts," Sahoo said. "Cinema, after all, is one of the most popular art forms existing today."

The management of Atlas Telecom also said they were committed to the Festival as a way of supporting the UAE's continual efforts to communicate with the world.

"Atlas Telecom wholeheartedly believes in and supports this project as part of the UAE's effort to communicate with the entire world," the company's representatives said. "The Dubai International Film Festival is definitely another new landmark to add to the UAE's amazing record."

"We have no doubt that His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum will succeed in demonstrating to the rest of the world another example of what Dubai and the UAE can achieve. The Festival is a reflection of this country's success and excellence," they added.