MUMBAI: The fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, which kicked off on 11 December with the screening of the political biography film "W" about US President George Bush, will showcase 179 films from approximately 60 countries. These include features, documentaries and short films.

The eight-day festival, which aims to act as a platform for showcasing good Arab films, will see 38 Arab films and 41 films from Asia and Africa compete for the Muhr Awards in the categories of features, shorts and documentaries.

In 2006 the organizers introduced The Muhr Awards for Excellence in Cinema with an aim to recognize Arab filmmakers both regionally and internationally.

Additionally, the festival will give away its lifetime achievement award to three directors - Terry Gilliam from the United States, Tsui Hark from Hong Kong and Rachid Bouchareb from France.