Don’t miss it!

Diff takes place until December 13 in Madinat Jumeirah. Tickets to screenings, starting at Dh45, are on sale on diff.ae.

The 50-year-old actor added that he doesn’t typically assign significance to awards, but that being in such company as Stewart, Blanchett and Hamed felt “surreal”.

Hamed, 73, a prolific screenwriter and a giant of Egyptian cinema, dedicated his acceptance speech to the actors and directors who helped Egyptian screenwriter Wahid Hamed accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award. Hollywood star Cate Blanchett accepts her award. Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan accepts his award.

him build his legacy: “I’m proud to belong to Egyptian cinema. Without those who supported me, I wouldn’t be standing here today. I have a strong feeling that right now, I’m living a youthful moment, and I thank this festival which is taking significant and serious steps to becoming better

and better.”

Hostiles, a period Western starring Christian Bale, Wes Studi and Rosamund Pike, was Diff’s opening night film, introduced by actress Q’orianka Kilcher. “It’s a timeless story. The underlying note and tone that struck me is focusing on things that brings us together as human beings rather than what divides us,” she said.

The tense film follows a white American Cavalry officer and a Cheyenne war chief. Director Scott Cooper echoed Kilcher’s sentiments in a video message: “Our racial and cultural divide is growing by the day,” he said, adding that he hoped Hostiles would contribute to ongoing discussions around inclusion and healing.