Indian filmmaker Ronnie Screwvala, who has produced pathbreaking films like India's Oscar nominee 'Rang De Basanti' and the highly acclaimed 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', will share the stage with Hollywood celebrities Richard Gere and Oliver Stone at the Dubai International film festival on December 15.

Ronnie Screwvala, whose film production company UTV has given to India pathbreaking films like 'Rang De Basanti' and 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', will on December 15 speak at the Dubai International Film Festival at a forum titled 'Operation Cultural Bridge' which would also have Hollywood filmmaker Oliver Stone and actor Richard Gere on the panel of speakers, sources in the UTV said.

The participants at the forum, to be inaugurated on the evening of December 15 in the Madinat Theatre at Dubai, will discuss issues such as violence in the media and the responsibility of the artist in this case. Also on the agenda is dialogue among civilisations and reconciliation between enemies.

The forum grew out of the Operation Cultural Bridge programming segment, designed to present films that stimulate intercultural dialogue and reconciliation, which thereby fosters cultural reconciliation.

The discussion at the forum will be moderated by Riz Khan of Al Jazeera International, the pioneering journalist who was the first to broadcast from the annual Haj in Mecca for CNN in 1998.

Besides, Mr Ronnie Screwvala, Oliver Stone and Richard gere, the panel of participants will include Julia Bacha, co-writer and co-director of Encounter Point, a film which presents people from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who refuse to give in to hatred and vengeance despite serious loss; Maji-da Abdi, a consultant of the African Union on African Cinema and producer of the film Bamako and Mohammed Khan, legend of Egyptian cinema.

The Ronnie Screvwala-led UTV has made a mark for itself in the recent years as the company has promoted and produced some of India's finest films that represent a range of genres and styles and is directed by India's best creative talent.

UTV's 'Rang De Basanti' was earlier this year selected as India's offical entry to the Academy Awards this year for the best Foreign film category. The success and acclaim for 'Rang De Basanti' and, subsequently, 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' has reiterated UTV's position in defining New Age Hindi cinmea.

According to the authorities at the Dubai international film festival, the selection of Ronnie Screwvala to the panel was because as founder and CEO of UTV, his has been a strong contribution in making the company an undisputed leader in the Asia-wide media industry.

The third edition of Dubai's International Film Festival, which got underway on Sunday, will feature 115 movies from 47 countries.

Among the other Indian celebrities scheduled to attend the event are Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Egyptian veterans Mahmud Abdul Aziz, Salah al-Saadani and Laila Elwi.