Muhr Emirati competition finalists announced

Ten films made by Emirati filmmakers will vie for the Muhr Emirati awards at Dubai International Film Festival this year.

DIFF’s Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the Muhr Emirati programme “celebrates the artistic accomplishments of Emirati filmmakers and provides a platform to showcase UAE film to an international audience”.

“We hope that the programme provides a step towards building dynamic careers for participating Emirati filmmakers and also inspire a new generation of filmmakers across the nation,” he said.

2010 Muhr Emirati nominee Muna Al Ali has returned to the competition with Durbeen, an exploration of how our lives are influenced by the way we view the world. In the same vein, the drama Life Spray by Fatma Abdulla Al Nayeh, the Gulf Film Festivals’ Best Emerging Talent winner, follows a young girl as she prepares for the biggest day of her life; her wedding.

Amal Al-Agroobi’s Half Emirati explores the lives of five Emirati nationals of mixed parentage sharing their experiences and stories about what it is really like to be among those who are born to Emirati parents. We explore what society’s expectations are of them and whether they are really ever accepted into the culture to which they are expected to belong.

In an exploration of complex human connections, Juma Al Sahli will participate in the Muhr Emirati programme with his hard-hitting drama The Goat’s Head, which focuses on a woman’s plight to find her voice in a dominant male society.

Filmmaker Mansoor Al Dhaheri’s latest project Mirage.net is a controversial short about a group of men who abuse social networks at the expense of women making a strong case for modern communication as incompatible with society’s traditions.

Emirati director and writer Ibrahim Al Marzouqi’s presents Mutiny which follows a troubled chef with psychological and physical challenges.

Also participating is The Path from Humaid Al Awadi and Abdulla Aljunaibi about a group of friends who encounter a series of exciting events that are enough to change the course of their lives.

Award-winning director Waleed Al Shehhi returns to a traditional Emirati environment to portray a child’s life burdened by the fear of death in the fragile and touching White Colored Elephant. The child struggles with his own present that might determine his future and leave him with some hope.

The light-hearted We Need to Talk by Maher Al-Khaja, is based on a true story and tells the trials and tribulations that friendships and relationships bring. Further examining the intrinsic dynamic of human nature, is the beautiful story Safi from Ahmed Zain this prominent filmmaker’s latest short represents the closeness of people, illustrating their connections through poignant memories and stand-out issues.