At the sixth annual Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) held at the luxurious Madinat Jumeirah resort, Hollywood and Bollywood actors, directors, producers and movie makers from around the world met to celebrate the world of film, despite Dubai's recent alarming debit crisis and challenges from nearby Abu Dhabi and Doha film festivals, reports Agence France-Presse.

Among the celebrities who attended this year's festival were Matt Dillon, Christopher Lambert, Mandy Moore, Christina Ricci, Omar Sharif and Arab stars like Khaled Al-Sawy, Mostafa Fahmi, Ilham Shaheen and Sumaia Al-Khashab. Indian cinema legend Amitabh Bachchan also received a lifetime achievement award honoring his four decades in the movie industry, reports Zawaya. He remarks that "The award is not just recognition of [his] talent but also of Indian cinema."

Perhaps one of the defining components of the DIFF is the Dubai Film Market. The Director of the Dubai Film Market Ziad Yaghi tells Dubai City Guide that the Market “offers unprecedented industry visibility and exposure." He adds that the new category "Dubai Film Connection – Work in Progress" offers a chance to be spotted by potential distributors and leading industry companies, which "can make all the difference for filmmakers."

Last year, the event made over 50 deals possible across various broadcasting channels. In order to further facilitate this buyer-seller interaction this year, the organizers created a Market Lounge whereby industry professionals could network and discuss potential deals, as well as Cinetech, a digital video library equipped with touch-screen technology and private booths for on-site viewing and presentation.

Festival president Abdul Hamid Juma expressed the event's ambition of becoming a link "between different cultures" as this year's show featured 168 films from 55 countries. It opened with the screening of the new musical "Nine," starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren and Marion Cotillard. The festival also screened the new science fiction movie "Avatar," three days before it was released in US movie theaters.

Another film featured in the Arabian gala screening was "City of Life," directed by the Emarati Ali Mostafa. The movie follows the experiences of three characters; an Emarati, an Indian taxi driver, and a Western lady as they embark on life in Dubai's multi-cultural society. Emirates Business 24/7 anticipates that the film will appeal to international audiences because of the use of multiple languages among its multinational cast showcasing real life in Dubai.

One of the prominent faces at DIFF was Queen Noor of Jordan, who gave a keynote speech about the role of media in breaking down cultural barriers. Juma was delighted by the Queen's participation and praised her as "an inspirational role model across the Arab world and globally admired as a humanitarian."

The festival also included a gala dinner, organized for the third year and considered one of the staples of DIFF, followed by an auction to raise funds for the American Foundation for AIDS Research and awareness for AIDS prevention.