After six years of bridging cultures, developing Arab talent, and entertaining and enlightening thousands of guests, the Dubai International Film Festival today unveiled its brand new 'Friends of DIFF' initiative, offering arts and culture supporters, philanthropists and visionary business leaders an opportunity to be a part of its growth.
Developed from the feedback of individual, family and corporate Festival-goers over the years, the 'Friends of DIFF' programme offers a select few the opportunity to contribute to the development of Arab filmmaking, the promotion of independent and art cinema in the UAE, and the bridging of cultures through cinema.
Companies, families or individuals can participate in any of the three exclusive and limited tiers - The DIFF Gold Circle, Patron of DIFF, DIFF Supporter. In return, patrons will receive insider access to the Festival as an acknowledgement of their support for one of the most anticipated and important events on the UAE's cultural calendar.
Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said the 'Friends of the Dubai International Film Festival' programme grew in response to requests and feedback from DIFF fans and supporters across the UAE and around the world.
"Throughout history, the development of the arts has depended on the support and encouragement provided by the community and by community leaders," he said. "Since the debut of the Dubai International Film Festival in 2004, the business leaders, leading corporations, cultural and academic organizations, artistes and philanthropists of the UAE, and our fans have sought out a way to contribute directly to our goals, and we are pleased to launch this initiative for them."
"At the same time, we have ensured that every one of our supporters receives special access to the Festival in return, to allow them to get better acquainted with our achievements. Each of the tiers is optimally priced to ensure our supporters receive much more than the face value of their contributions," he added.
The DIFF Gold Circle level offers red carpet tickets for DIFF opening and awards nights along with access to the pre- and post-receptions held on both nights; access to Festival headquarters and special screenings; a special viewing area for red carpet arrivals; reserved seating; priority film selection; four screening tickets a day and a bouquet of ticket vouchers to share with friends. Gold Circle members will also receive VIP parking facilities, acknowledgement in the DIFF catalogue; invitations to DIFF's year-round events and 10 free movie passes to Cinestar and Reel Cinemas. The DIFF Gold Circle is limited to 100 individuals.
The Patron of DIFF level includes access to the awards night and reception, reserved gala seating, VIP parking, four screening tickets a day, a packet of 10 ticket vouchers for friends, acknowledgement in the DIFF catalogue and 10 free movie passes to Cinestar and Reel Cinemas. It is limited to 75 patrons.
DIFF Supporters can also avail of four screening tickets a day, reserved seating section at the DIFF gala venue, acknowledgement in the DIFF catalogue and 10 free movies each at Cinestar & REEL Cinemas. The DIFF Supporters tier is limited to 100 people only.
All 'Friends of DIFF' participants will receive special DIFF badges denoting their participation.
The tiers range from AED 1,500 per person to AED 3,500 per person. A DIFF Gold Circle package is available for AED 3,500 for an individual or AED 6,500 for two. A 'Patron of DIFF' can expect to pay AED 2,500 and the DIFF Supporter package is priced at AED 1,500.
The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19. DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. Accreditation for DIFF 2010 is now open, and the DIFF box office will open on November 24.
