At the 9th Edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), opening on Sunday, 9th December, Muhr Arab Feature includes 16 films made up of 9 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres, 4 Middle East and 1 GCC Premieres. The festival will also screen 17 films in the three Muhr categories; shorts, features and documentaries that have […]
At the 9th Edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), opening on Sunday, 9th December, Muhr Arab Feature includes 16 films made up of 9 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres, 4 Middle East and 1 GCC Premieres.
The festival will also screen 17 films in the three Muhr categories; shorts, features and documentaries that have been supported through initiatives such as Enjaaz; the Festivals post-production programme.
DIFF’s Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said: We are honoured to have the opportunity to showcase these incredible films, providing a platform for Arab filmmakers to achieve their ambitions and giving them the opportunity to stand tall alongside their international counterparts.
The films include Bekas by debut feature filmmaker Karzan Kader, Wadjda by Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour, Zabana by Algerian filmmaker Said Ould Khelifa, and Nesma, by Tunisian filmmaker Homeida Behi.
Several of the Muhr Arab feature entries are crime dramas with an Arab twist: from Moroccan director Nour-Eddine Lakhmari comes Zero and Algerian origin Djamila Sahraoui’s Yema.
Music is a universal language that bridges cultural divides in French-Iraqi singer-songwriter Leila Albayaty’s feature film Berlin Telegram.
The World Premiere of My Brother, a feature by Kamal El Mahouti, also approaches failed romance in its portrayal of an artist caught between French, Moroccan and Muslim identities, set to the rhythms of Gnawa folk music. In another World Premiere of the same genre, Hakim Bellabes’ Defining Love: A Failed Attempt follows two actors who have traveled to the remote Atlas Mountains in Morocco to play two legendary star-crossed lovers.
Erfan Rashid, Director of the Arab Programme, concurred: The Muhr feature line-up this year is incredible, many of the filmmakers are experiencing international recognition and winning awards at some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world further demonstrating the evolution of the Arab film industry. New contenders are challenging the norms, and embarking on a new course of filmmaking with compelling films that explore the diversity of the Arab world.
