Films which appeared in the line-up at the Dubai International Film Festival 2014 have received numerous Oscar nominations. The event hosted from 10 to 17 December 2014 showcased some of the most acclaimed films of the year including DIFF’s opening night film The Theory of Everything, Birdman and The Imitation Game which are all in the running for Best Motion Picture of the Year.
DIFF’s “Cinema of the World’ segment one of the festivals most popular sections showcased films from very talented directors, actors, producers and scriptwriters globally. The segment attracted thousands of cinemagoers to the festival’s screenings.
Leading the pack was Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman with 9 nods including nominations for Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role For Michael Keaton, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Edward Norton and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Emma Stone.
Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game trailed close behind with 8 nominations including nods for Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Benedict Cumberbatch and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Keira Knightley.
DIFF’s opening night film The Theory of Everything garnered 5 nods in the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score categories, with Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones earning nominations for best actor in a leading role and best actress in a leading role respectively.
Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, also picked up 5 nominations for Steve Carell (Best Actor) and Mark Ruffalo (Best Supporting Actor), Best Director (Bennett Miller), Original Screenplay and Makeup and Hair Styling.
DIFF’s closing night film Into The Woods directed by Rob Marshall scored 3 nominations for Meryl Streep in a Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Achievement in Production Design and Best Achievement in Costume Design.
Reese Witherspoon was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her movie Wild directed by Jean-Marc Vallee with co-star Laura Dern securing a place in the running for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Competing in the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, representing Argentina is Damian Szifron’s hugely successful Wild Tales.
Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma commented: “Every year, the aim remains the same to showcase the very best of films from around the world to audiences in the UAE. In a city of over 200 nationalities we endeavor to deliver a programme that represents different cultures and voices. We are thrilled to see that so many of the compelling films from our 11th edition have received Oscar nominations which were widely considered as one of DIFF’s most impressive programmes to date.’
