Date — 11 December, 2012
Luxury Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen and the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) presented the prestigious IWC Gulf Filmmaker Award at an exclusive ceremony at the One & Only Royal Mirage last night in the presence of celebrity guests such as Cate Blanchett and Kevin Spacey.
Cate Blanchett, President of the IWC Gulf Filmmaker Award jury, presented the Filmmakers Award to Maysoon Pachachi, director of “Nothing Doing in Baghdad”. Singer Bryan Ferry CBE provided the evening’s musical highlights.
“We believe new voices and viewpoints should be heard and are convinced that talent and stories from the Gulf region deserve an international stage. We are proud to be a partner of the Dubai International Film Festival, and through the IWC Gulf Filmmaker Award we are able to contribute to Arab storytelling in general and to the funding of a new film project for established and upcoming directors here in the Middle East in particular,” Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, says.
We are both humbled and thrilled that an esteemed brand such as IWC Schaffhausen has partnered with us to realise the laudable goal of facilitating the careers of regional artists.
—Abdulhamid Juma, DIFF Chairman
For the love of cinema
The IWC Gulf Filmmaker Award ceremony took place last night and was attended by 300 guests. Among them were IWC Friends of the Brand and Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Spacey as well as, British director and DIFF Lifetime Achivement honoree Michael Apted, CMG, Raja Al Jadawi and Sherine Adel. The Australian actress presented the IWC Filmmakers Award to Maysoon Pachachi, whose project is “Nothing Doing in Baghdad,” based loosely on a true story, set during one of the Iraqi capital’s most volatile modern-day chapters. The winning director was also presented with an IWC watch engraved with the wording “For the Love of Cinema”. Cate Blanchett and her jury colleagues Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of DIFF, Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director of DIFF and Olivier Père, General Director of the Paris based Arte France Cinema, were tasked with selecting the winner from various submissions. Finalists in a highly competitive field comprised London-based documentarian Maysoon Pachachi (“Iranian Journey”, “Bitter Water”); Bahraini writer Mohammed Rashed Bu-Ali; Fujairah-born Abdullah Al Kaabi (“The Philosopher”); and Dubai’s own Ali F. Mostafa (“City of Life”).
Exclusive concert by Bryan Ferry
At the Filmmakers Party which followed the dinner and was attended by approximately 300 additional guests, legendary singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry CBE – formerly of the group Roxy Music – treated the guests to an intimate performance. Afterwards DJ Jack E from Saint-Tropez kept the party going at full swing.
Caroline Poubelle
IWC Schaffhausen – Middle East
Marketing & Communication Manager
Mobile +971 4 307 46 15
E-Mail caroline.poubelle@iwc.com
Uwe Liebminger
IWC Schaffhausen
Branch of Richemont International SA
Department Manager Public Relations
Mobile +41 (0)79 957 72 52
E-mail uwe.liebminger@iwc.com
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