Gulf Film Festival 2009 opens with a bang

The festivities hosted cinema stalwarts such as Lifetime Achievement honourees AbdulRahman Al Saleh, Bahraini filmmaker Khalifa Shaheen and well-known Kuwaiti director Khalid Al Siddiq.

Talent from the UAE included Omar Ghobash, Moza Al Mazrouei, Naji Al Hay, Jamal Matar, Ghizlan, Abdulla Masoud, Bodour, Saif Al Ghanim, Salem Al Hattawi, Ashwaq, Ali Khamis, Sultan Al Nyadi, Malak Al Khaldi, Yousef Yaqoub, Ibrahim Salem, Ashjan, Sogha, Aisha Abdullrahman, Mariam Sultan and Mohammed Ismail.

Ghanem Al Saleh and Hussain Al Mansour represented Kuwait. Saudi talent Abdel Mehsn Al Nimer was present, as were Bahraini actor Bassam Al Thawadi, Fatima Abdul Rahim, Shaima Sabt, Mariam Zeman, Abdullah Abdulmalik, Ameena Al Qafas and Anwar Ahmed.

From abroad, American actor Dennis Haysbert from the popular television programme 24 appeared on the red carpet.

Guests at the screening were treated to a selection of six short films: from Bahrain, Ayesha Al Muqla's The Cork; Iraqi-born, Denmark-based filmmaker Fenar Ahmad' Mesopotamia; from Kuwait, Omar Al-Masab's Naked Human; Omani filmmakers Dawood and Yasir Al Kiyumi's Discover Your Power; from Saudi Arabia, Sameer Arif's Eyes Without Soul; and Emirati filmmaker Bilal Abdulla's The Half Heart, about a lady who commits a sin that society finds hard to forgive.

Brought by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority in association with Dubai Studio City, the GFF will be free to the public and will run from April 9 to 15.