Kaleem Aftab

The 12th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival gets under way on Wednesday with a gala screening of Room, we speak to the stars.

So it comes as no surprise that Guggenheim was the name on the lips of producers Laurie MacDonald and Walter F Parkes when they were discussing who would be the ideal candidate to make a film about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban because of her prominent campaigns demanding the right for girls throughout the world to have an education.

Stephen Frears says he had no great ambition to make a true-life movie or a sports film. Instead, he says of the tale: 'It’s an interesting crime story. There is so much material, and what I didn’t want to do was make a biopic.'

Sam Mendes returns to the director’s chair after having put the fun back into Bond with the brilliant Skyfall.

The fifth edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival is the first to take place since the launch of Qumra, a DFI event aimed at fostering regional filmmaking talent.

The Idol producer Ali Jaafar said a general UAE release could happen as early as December.

The Indian superstar has moved into the American consciousness as the lead in the new TV drama Quantico, becoming the first Bollywood A-lister to take such a high-profile leap.

Based on a memoir by Dalia Sofer, Septembers of Shiraz is about a secular Jewish family caught up in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Irrfan Khan talks about the complexities of his role in the real-life whodunit.

Speaking to The National the day after the triumphant debut, Abu-Assad, the director of ­Oscar-nominated thrillers Omar (2013) and Paradise Now (2005) said that he was overwhelmed by the reception, the best he has received for any of his films at the festival.

Hany Abu-Assad’s The Idol is based on the incredible true story of Palestinian singing sensation Mohammed Assaf.

Madame Courage is a movie that exposes the rough edges of the African country's society.

For the Love of a Man is a documentary about fans. In particular, it is about the legions of devotees of the renowned Tamil actor Rajinikanth.

Set in a Tunisian ­under ground scene of hip bars and bands that fuse Mezwad with pop, it follows Farah (Baya Medhaffar), a teenage girl who just wants to be able to go out, drink and play in her band.

News of Pitt's impending arrival in Abu Dhabi to shoot War Machine has created more of a buzz than the plot of the film, which was inspired by the career of controversial US general Stanley McChrystal.