Red carpet gala of ‘The Way Back’

(Dec. 15) at the Dubai International Film Festival

Celebrities who attended were Colin Farrell (In Bruges, Phone Booth, Minority Report)

Ed Harris (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Appaloosa), Jim Sturgess (Heartless, 21, The Other Boleyn Girl), Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, City of Ember, The Lovely Bones), Mark Strong, Dragoş Bucur, and Gustaf Skarsgård.

The film is an Exclusive Media Group, National Geographic Entertainment and Imagenation Abu Dhabi presentation and an Exclusive Films presentation. The gripping film tells the story of a multicultural group of prisoners who escape from a Stalinist gulag during World War II but then have to survive walking more than 5,000 miles of treacherous trails across five countries to gain their freedom. Inspired by Stawomir Rawicz’s memoir, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, the film is a compelling account of humanity’s struggle to triumph against all odds.

The film marks Weir’s first venture since the Russell Crowe hit Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. Weir, who has been nominated for six Oscars for writing, directing and producing, also helmed a number of acclaimed films including Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Truman Show, Witness, Dead Poets Society, and The Mosquito Coast.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: CineStar Mall of the Emirates, the Madinat Souk, The Walk at JBR, and at the CNN Building in Dubai Media City. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website, www.dubaifilmfest.com.

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.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

-DIFF PRESS RELEASE

pictures by Vanessa McMahon

The Way Back