Colin and Livia Firth, Rooney Mara and Kristin Davis are the first stars announced to attend this year’s Dubai International Film Festival.
Academy Award-winning UK actor Colin Firth and his fashion entrepreneur wife Livia will attend the ninth edition of the festival in support of the annual One Night to Change Lives charity event in association with Dubai Cares and Oxfam.
The couple, along with Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis, are global ambassadors for the international charity aid agency.
Other international celebrities confirmed, including American actress Rooney Mara, star of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Amr Waked and UAE director Ali Mostafa will also attend the second annual black-tie charity evening on December 14 at the Armani Hotel, Downtown, Dubai.
All proceeds from the gala dinner and charity auction, held under the patronage of UN Messenger of Peace HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will be spilt between UAE-based philanthropic organization Dubai Cares and Oxfam.
Davies and the Firths have all travelled extensively with Oxfam to raise awareness of poverty around the globe. Colin Firth first attended DIFF in 2010 to promote the multi-award-winning film, The King’s Speech.
Other Oxfam Global Ambassadors include Scarlett Johansson, Minnie Driver, Gael Garcia Bernal, Djimon Hounsou, Rahul Bose, Coldplay, Annie Lennox, Helena Christensen and Desmond Tutu. A number of the ambassadors are expected to attend the December event.
Last year, the event raised more than $1 million through ticket sales and an auction of money-can’t-buy prizes which helped to build and fund schools in Pakistan, among other things.
Some of the prizes up for grabs this year include a VIP trip to New York to see Scarlett Johansson in the hit musical Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway as well as a “meet-and-greet” with the Hollywood superstar.
“We are honoured to be involved in this prestigious event for another year, continuing our partnership with Dubai Cares and Oxfam,” said DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma in a statement.
“We also look forward to welcoming our guests to Dubai for what we are sure will be a successful event. Part of the DIFF remit is ‘Bridging Cultures’ so as the festival grows, it is wonderful to be able to shine a spotlight on these worthy causes and charities whilst making a measurable, tangible difference to our global community.”
Oxfam has worked with Dubai Cares since 2008 to improve access and quality education for nearly 63,000 school children in some of the world’s poorest countries including Mali, Niger, and Pakistan.
For tickets, Dh2,000 per person and Dh20,000 for a table (10 people), visit
eventelephant.com/onenighttochangelives or call 04-4456842 for more information.
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