The Dubai InternationalFilm Festival (DIFF) has selected Emilio Estevez's Bobby for its opening night gala on Dec 10.

The film followsthe lives of 22 people on the night of Robert Kennedy's 1968 assassination. Theensemble cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Christian Slater,Lawrence Fishburne, Joshua Jackson and Lindsay Lohan.

The festival willoffer six gala screenings: the world premiere of Khaled Youssef's Justified Cheating and the Middle East premieres of Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes TheBarley, Kabir Khan's Kabul Express,Gary Winick's Charlotte's Web,Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Babel, and Allen Coulter's Hollywoodland.

Festival chairmanAbdulhamid Juma said: "Embracing the cultures and cinematic contributions ofseveral countries around the world, the Dubai International Film Festival(DIFF) has anchored itself firmly in the realm of regional and internationalfilm festivals. As we prepare to roll out the red carpet this year, it is amatter of pride that DIFF is increasingly reckoned as a destination festivalfor internationally acclaimed cinema."

Dubai's third edition runs Dec 10-17, expecting to draw an audience of morethan 30,000 people including 550 film-makers and industry guests.