Exclusive F1 after-party brand Podium Lounge is upping the ante by moving to a bigger venue for next month's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Regarded as the reserve of the A-list elite, previous years have hosted intimate parties on the Yas Viceroy rooftop. This year, Podium Lounge is expanding to host three big concerts at the 3,000-capacity, trackside du Forum. Headlining the opening evening on November 27, will be dance vocalist Katherine Ellis – best known for singing the title theme to the blockbuster Gravity – and house DJ duo Freemasons. One half of LMFAO, party starter 8ky 6blu (previously Sky Blu) will take the mic a night later. The party wraps on November 29 with house DJs Joey Negro and Dimitri from Paris. Pre-sale tickets, starting at Dh400, are on sale now from podiumlounge.com/ae. – The National staff
DIFF reveals Arab short film line-up
The full list of short Arab films competing at this year's Dubai International Film Festival have been announced. Fifteen films from the region will vie in the ninth Muhr Short Competition, which recognises regional filmmakers. The winning entry will qualify for consideration at the 2017 Academy Awards. The final eight films to compete were announced by DIFF yesterday. Among the additions are the world premiere of a new work from Palestine's previous Muhr winner Nasri Hajjaj. The Purple Field follows a young refugee fleeing war-torn Syria through Turkey into Western Europe. Meanwhile, Jordanian filmmaker Yahya Alabdallah, who won three awards at DIFF in 2011 for the feature film Last Friday, will debut 5th Floor Room 52, a silent film about a woman searching 52 rooms. The 12th edition of DIFF runs from December 9 to 16. See www.dubaifilmfest.com. – The National staff
Tintin comic sells for Dh6 million
A double-page Tintin comic strip by the renowned Belgian cartoonist Herge has fetched a record US$1.72 million (Dh6.3m) at an auction. The October 24 sale at Sotheby's in Paris saw 65 original items from the biggest names in European and American cartoons go under the hammer, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua. The items belonged to Belgium's biggest comic strip collector Jean-Arnold Schoofs. The auction raised a total of $2.97m (Dh10.9m), with five lots breaking world records. The double-page from Herge's The Adventures of Tintin – King Ottokar's Sceptre was published in Le Petit Vingtième in 1939. – IANS
