Jim Sheridan will head the jury for the major film prize at this year’s Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). The acclaimed Irish director will lead the panel for the Muhr Arab Feature Competition as part of the festival’s 10th edition. Sheridan said he is “delighted” to be picked for the role.
“The Middle East has a deep-rooted appreciation for the arts, and the Arab cinema industry continues to thrive, revealing hidden gems and previously untold stories,” he said. “Productions from the Arab world have captivated audiences worldwide in recent years and I am delighted to be on the Muhr Arab Feature jury. I am confident that it will be an incredibly enriching and fulfilling experience.”
Since launching his career IN 1989 with his debut feature My Left Foot, Sheridan went on to direct a string of powerful films largely films dealing with Irish living in the margins of society.
His 1993 feature In The Name of the Father, based on the falsely charged Guilford Four received seven Academy Award nominations, while The Boxer follows the struggles of a former IRA fighter trying to live a quiet life after being released on jail.
In 2005, Sheridan turned heads by helming the 50 Cent starred Get Rich or Die Tryin’, a loose biographiocal account of the gangsta’ rapper rise to fame.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, the festival’s artistic director said Sheridan’s mastery behind the camera made him the idea choice to head the distinguished panel. “Jim Sheridan is one of the most prolific filmmakers of the last two decades and responsible for some exceptional and critically acclaimed films that truly deserve the accolades bestowed upon them,” he said. “He has an extraordinary gift of telling a story with honesty and capturing a character’s raw emotion which set his films apart. We are thrilled and honoured that he is coming to DIFF this year to head the jury and we look forward to benefitting from his vast experience in the industry.”
The Dubai International Film Festival runs from December 6-14. For more details go to www.diff.ae
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
CREW
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The%20specs
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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RESULTS
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani