Eight Gulf Film Festival entries to be screened at second edition of Nabeul Cinema Nights

Held from 25 - 30 July, the Nabeul Cinema Nights will feature the films as part of its 'Gulf Film Festival Night' on the 26th of July, which will include a critical review of the body of work by a panel of Middle East filmmakers.

Belooh and Realism Beats (Oman); Bint Mariam (UAE); Terrorism - Tourism (Qatar); A Dinner (Bahrain); Personal Calendar (Iraq); Rain (Saudi Arabia); and Paradoxes (Kuwait) are the eight films selected by the Nabeul Film Festival.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director for GFF, said: 'We take great pride in having eight Gulf-based movies chosen by yet another international film festival. This achievement reiterates the rich talent available in the region that deserves to be nourished and promoted. The Gulf Film Festival, still in its inaugural year, is already fulfilling its objective of launching indigenous talent on the global platform.'

UAE-based director Saeed Salmeen Al Murry's Bint Mariam, recipient of the second prize and a certificate of appreciation for its leading lady Nevin Madhi, highlights the sufferings of a girl in her search for happiness.

A Dinner by Hussain Al Riffaei explores the taboo subject of adultery in a Muslim state, while the Personal Calendar by Basheer al Majid delves into the internal political crisis of Iraq.

Realism Beats by Dawood AlKiyumi and Belooh (Hopscotch) by Amer Al Rawas will serve as Oman's contribution to the Tunisian event, while Terrorism-Tourism by Khalid Al Mahmoud, Rain by Abdullah Al Eyaf, and Paradoxes by Meqdad Al Kout will echo the voices of the region and present a canvas of the moods prevailing in Gulf Cinema.

Organised by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Gulf Film Festival is an annual event and the first of its kind initiative in the GCC, providing a platform to promote regional filmmaking while positioning Dubai as the epicentre for fostering cinematic talent.