The fifth edition of the film festival, which began December 7, will showcase a total of 36 films from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and more. The films will also compete for MBC’s Hope Award.
The Original Narrative Short Film Festival from MBC, which aims to mentor, support and promote young Arab filmmakers, has been back for its fifth edition from December 7- 10, at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication (MBRSC) at the American University in Dubai (AUD). The festival is organised and hosted by MBRSC in partnership with MBC Group and Creative Communities Collaborative (CCC).
This year’s event will showcase 36 films, selected from hundreds of documentary and feature film submissions. Included in the shortlist are productions from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon. The films will also compete for MBC’s Hope Award, which will see one filmmaker from each category receive the award along with a monetary prize.
The fifth edition will host a special educational forum, featuring talks by renowned names including writer and producer, Chris Brancato, best-known for his hit series Narcos, drama producer and writer Chris Keyser, as well as screenwriter and producer, David Isaacs.
Commenting on the film festival, Festival Chair and Director, Sophie Boutros, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with MBC Group and CCC to offer a new generation of Arab filmmakers a much-deserved platform. This festival provides participants with the opportunity to not only showcase their work, but also meet and network with a number of world-renowned names in film and TV, from both Hollywood and the Arab world.”
MBC Group TV Director Ali Jaber added: “This partnership comes from our belief in the importance of supporting the creative youth of the Arab world, mentoring the filmmakers and TV producers of tomorrow. Support begins from the stage of discovery, to provide platforms for them to showcase their work, right through to training and mentor-ship through workshops made possible by the support of specialist scholarships.”
