Sitting across from Abu-Assad, one quickly realizes he is unlike most filmmakers, and that's why Omar is such a multi-layered, touching and wonderfully complex film.

What does it mean to belong to a country, to be a certified, true citizen somewhere? Haider Rashid, a multicultural filmmaker who was born in Florence of an Iraqi father and an Italian mother, asks that question in his new film It's About to Rain, and in the process raises many more.

Pascal Diot's knowledge is a stupendous resource to tap into for any filmmaker but also for a journo with a passion for world cinema. Following are four reasons why.

During a magical afternoon, while sitting on a terrace in Madinat Jumeirah with birds chirping all around us, I caught up with The Sapphires handsomely understated director Wayne Blair and beautifully smart actress Shari Sebbens, who plays Kay.

This year's expertly-run festival gave the indies room to breathe, focusing on the massive treasure trove of new talent from the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Of course it wouldn't be Dubai without some outrageous parties.

There are two very distinct sides to Egyptian actor Amr Waked.

As I write this, it's Sunday morning and I'm sitting on a train rolling along the Hudson River under gloomy skies in chilly weather, heading into Manh...

Groundbreaking is definitely an overrated word these days. Yet there are some instances when nothing else will do. Haifaa Al Mansour's Wadjda for example, is a film that demands the multiple use of this word.

At 71, director Michael Apted feels he's far from finished working in film -- though it gets increasingly difficult to make the kind of movies he most wants to make.

Tuesday felt like a journey from the past into the future, as we spent the day wandering the old city souks in Dubai and spent the evening dining among the clouds in the highest restaurant in the world.

No two film festivals are alike -- and those of us who attend them professionally tend to judge them by different standards than the average festival-goers.

Whenever I mention to a friend that I'm heading off to a film festival -- which usually refers to Sundance or Toronto, the two I travel to each year -- the usual response is, "That sounds like fun." As though I were going on vacation.

With some great ball gowns packed already -- one thing DIFF does not do is casual! -- a thirst for discovering new favorites and watching once again a few films near and dear to my heart, I look forward to the 9th Dubai International Film Festival.