The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) yesterday hosted a remarkable award ceremony in which Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage presented DIFF’s Outstanding Filmmaker of the Year Award to long-time collaborator, prolific producer Charles Roven.

Roven is one of America’s highest-grossing producer this year, with The Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger, Brothers Grimm, Get Smart, and the upcoming Season of the Witch to his credit.

DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Charles Roven’s long career is an extraordinary achievement and an inspiration for young, aspiring filmmakers throughout the world. I am proud to present Mr. Roven with our Outstanding Filmmaker of the Year award in recognition of his far-reaching contribution to cinema.”

Nicolas Cage handed the award to Roven, who was awarded a ‘Premier Tri-Retrograde Chronograph’ watch as a token of appreciation by sponsor Harry Winston.

Roven has over the years generated a succession of box office smashes and independent classics that add up to billions of dollars in revenues. His credits include such memorable films as ‘Final Analysis’, the Oscar-nominated ‘Twelve Monkeys’, ‘Fallen’, ‘City Of Angels’, and the highly-acclaimed post-Gulf War tale ‘Three Kings’.