Gulf Film Festival to end on high note

Masoud Amralla al Ali, GFF Festival Director, said:

"The closing day of the festival will still be very much open to visitors. The festival centre is full of energy and visitors will be able to sense that as they attend screenings. I urge UAE residents looking for something fresh and different in the cinemas to attend the festival."

Wednesday will also see screenings of short and documentaries that will vie for prizes in the Official and Student Competition categories. Highlights include the charming Finding Mr. & Mrs. Right: Dubai Style, about dating and courtship in the Emirates, and The Cork, Bahraini filmmaker Ayesha Al Muqla's contribution to the Opening Night festivities, which examines freedom of expression and democracy.

In the afternoon there is a selection of children's films, among them the short animated selection Dubaian, from the festival's youngest director, 12-year old Dubai Abulhoul. Visitors can catch the In Focus India films, part of a special spotlight on short films from the Subcontinent that provide a fresh counterpoint to the glitz and glamour of Bollywood.

A lineup of innovative international short films, from the Intersections programming segment will expose audiences to short independent productions taking place in the international arena. Highlights include the poignant Ashes Engagement from Belgium that depicts a girl who grieves her father by locking herself in his coffin in the hopes of following him to heaven and Our Wonderful Nature from Germany, a 3D animation that describes the mating habits of the water shrew.

A varied selection of Gulf films from the Lights segment will showcase works of filmmakers, unique in content and style. Highlights include The Circle, a feature that follows Ibrahim, a poet and a journalist who captures a thief and finds himself changing lives with him and Research that depicts the fatal end of a student researching haunted places.

Since the opening night on April 9, attended by the Gulf's stars, the festival has seen scores of screenings, a panel on Indian short and documentary film production, industry workshops for emerging talent, and a series of midnight networking sessions for festival participants to discuss the latest trends and issues in Gulf cinema.