Hollywood meets Bollywood: Tom Cruise, SRK to headline DIFF

Dubai Business News — Move over Tom Cruise; you have stiff competition during the 8th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, including Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

In fact, Bollywood will shine this Diff with Farhan Akhtar and Priyanka Chopra, all attending for the first look of 'Don 2', which releases globally during Christmas.

The actors will also be attending a special public open forum at the Madinat Arena for a special meet and greet with fans.

Owen Wilson will also be attending.

Meanwhile, Indian actor Anil Kapoor will walk the red carpet with Cruise and Paula Patton for the world premiere of their film, 'Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol', on December 7.

Other Bollywood celebrities pencilled in include Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Rahul Bose and AR Rahman, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement, along with Egypt's Gamil Raheb.

The top names continue, albeit this time from the Hollywood and British cinema, with Simon Pegg, Alexander Payne, Helena Christensen, Simon Curtis and more.

Germany's top film personality, Werner Herzgog will attend Diff as part of the celebration of cinema from Germany.

Being an Arab film festival, celebs from the region will also shine with Yousra, Libliba, Abir Sabry, Sabrine, Nicole Saba, Maged Al Masry, Hani Slama and many more.

The festival will open on December 7 with 'Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol'; with the following evening seeing the world premiere of the Yash Raj film, 'Ladies vs Ricky Bahl', that will see Sharma and Singh walk the red carpet.

Also been announced is the feature film, 'The Muppets' as the Cinema for Children Gala on December 9, which will be screened on the same day as the Cultural Bridge gala, 'Terraferma'.

Fans will be delighted to see the Cinema of the World selection, the Geroge Clooney starrer, "The Descendants."

The Arabian Nights pick on December 11 will be 'A Whole One', while the closing film came as a surprise with a tribute to Hollywood's legend, Marilyn Monroe, with 'My Week With Marilyn'.

Diff this year had over 1,700 submissions of which 171 films have made the final cut, from 56 countries, across 32 languages.

This year will see 46 world premieres, with 25 international premieres, 78 Middle East premieres, 65 Arab films and 13 from the UAE.

Reports from Emirates247.com.