UAE films under the spotlight at Gulf Film Festival

Filmmakers from the UAE are widely represented in the in-competition shorts and documentaries programming along with entries in the student competition and animation programming.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director for GFF said,

"Local and regional film festivals have a significant role to play in cultivating talent from the region and shaping the future of cinema. GFF aims to provide the international community with an outlet to view the best from our region, providing UAE and Arab filmmakers with an opportunity to receive recognition for outstanding work, and to encourage production of films in the region".

The UAE leads in the number of entries to the shorts segment with 13 films; "A Split Decision" by Omar Butti talks about the effect of decisions that shape the course of our lives; "Tenbak" by Abdullah Hassan Ahmed addresses the issues of racism and the pull between love and despair between two friends; "Sea Shells" by Ahmed Zain highlights enduring love amidst sadness and despair; Ali Jamal's "Brother" is about family ties and a brother's fight to protect his ill sibling; "Hammer and Nails" by Hamad Alawar philosophically addresses the war between the powerful and the not so mighty, proving that might is not always right; "Rayhaan" by Talal Mahmood depicts the principles that govern the protagonists family; "Something" by Hana al Shatery is about the overpowering elements that constitute our daily existence; Saeed Salmeen Al Murry's "Bint Mariam" is about the sufferings of the girl child; "From the agenda of Betrayal" by Manal Ali Bin Amro is a suggestive representation about satan and his mission to corrupt mankind; Khalid Al Mahmood's "Bint Al Nokhitha's" deals with the relationship between a grandson and his story-telling grand mother; "Miriam's Paradise" by Mohammed Al Hammady deals with discontentment and the never ending desires of humans; Saeed al Dhaheri's "The Rescue" is about the adventures of a man stuck in the desert and "Supplication" by Omar Ibrahim depicts a day in the life of a child in a mosque.

3 filmmakers have been selected to showcase their brilliance in the documentary segment.

"Mountain Sheik" by Naser Al Yaqoobi captures the essence of men in the UAE; Shaikha al Ayali's "Heat the Beat" highlights the growing musical phenomenon of rapping amongst men and women in the UAE and their mission to succeed without any external support, and "Al Mureed" by Nujoom Al Ghanem captures the life of the UAE's most respected Emirati Sufi Sheikh, Abdul Raheem Al-Mureed and his annual event Mawlid Nights, that celebrates the birth of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H).

6 of the 15 entries to the student shorts segment are from Emirati filmmakers and include Rawia Abdullah's "Before I Grow Up" which explores the constant curiosity and thirst for answers of a growing mind; "The Mandoobs" from Rashid Al Marri addresses the never ending war between good and bad motivated by personal gains; Al Anoud El Jeniedi's "Like my Daddy" depicts the sufferings of a child growing up with an abusive father; "The Sea Hides" by Hamad Abdulla Saghran revolves around the wait for life's everyday requirements; "The Taste of Death" by Eman Al Owais depicts the harrowing near-to-death experience of a man in his growing up years and "End of a Victim" by Hafsa al Muttawwa and Adel Jaberi is a social drama about a teenager infected with AIDS, capturing his struggles and trials and his unfortunate death due to the unaccepting society.

The three UAE films in the student documentary competition include "Men from the Origin" by Mohammed Al Jassim, capturing the essence of the historic Al Ras area in Dubai that was once considered the main lifeline for Dubai's evolving economy; Nawar Al Shamsi's "Access Denied" discusses the issue of censorship in the UAE and Asma Ahmad's "Mission of Hope" looks into the life of drug addicts who have served a prison sentence and their relationship with society.

Films in the out of competition segment include Moath Bin Hafez's "On the Line," a journey into the current craze for cell phones and cellular technology; "Walls" by Ritu Motial celebrates the human spirit and takes viewers through a pivotal incident in the life of James Jonathan, a soldier in captivity; Lewis De Misa's "EX: The Ex Girlfriend" captures the torment of a man being haunted by his previous lover; "Missing Picture" by Abdullah Hassan Ahmed describes the wants and wishes of a blind girl who a aims for a perfect house; Hani Al Shaibaani's "Jumaa and the sea" is the struggles and loneliness of a poor fisherman deserted by his children.

The segment also includes the only feature from the UAE, "Arabian Sands" by Majid Abdulrazak. This film portrays the journey of the great European explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger in his exploration of the Arab world, with the nomadic camel-breeding Bedu in a harsh land where no thought of a world other than their own existed.

A fascinating story of adventure, courage, endurance, generosity and conviction of an illiterate tribe, the movie set in the South Arabian deserts of the 1940's captures the true essence of the region, and was shot over two months in the UAE.

In addition, the UAE contingent includes 4 animation shorts for kids: "The Snowman" by Joseph Samuel,"The Butterfly" by Roujieh Emad; "The Buckwheat" by Maikki Kantola and "Galagolia" by Abdulla Abulhoul.

The inaugural edition of Gulf Film Festival is scheduled to take place between April 13 to 18 at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Center at Mall of Emirates.