Dubai International Film Festival

Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dubai International Film Festival Team to Highlight Arab Filmmaking

Jay A. Fernandez — Sat, 19 May 2012 11:33:08 GMT

Film Society of Lincoln Center is partnering with the Dubai International Film Festival to create the DIFF Focus program that will concentrate on Arab filmmakers. It'scomprised of 10 features, short-film selections, Q&As and panels and will run August 24-30.

Among the films to be included are Susan Youssef’s love story “Habibi Rasak Kharban,” which gained support from DIFF’s Enjaaz post-production fund and had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and Ali Mostafa’s “City of Life,” which opened the Gulf Film Festival.

“We are delighted to present some of the best films from the Arab region, which we hope will give a flavor of the vibrancy and relevance of Middle Eastern cinema,” said DIFF chairman Abdulhamid Juma. “We look forward to working with the Lincoln Center and hope this will be a long and prosperous partnership.”

The films selected for the Lincoln Center program have been supported through the Dubai Film Market as part of DIFF’s effort to increase production and international co-productions in the region.

The ninth edition of DIFF will be held December 9-16.

Dubai International Festival Announces Award Winners and "Habibi" is Tops

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:11:08 GMT

After hosting the world premiere of the new "Mission Impossible" movie as well as a wide variety of films from Africa, Asia and the Arab world, the Dubai International Film Festival ended today with a closing ceremony that announced Palestinian film "Habibi Rasak Kharban" by Susan Youssef as the fest's winner of the FIPRESCI award and best Arab feature award.

"Habibi"is a story of forbidden love and is the first feature set in Gaza in over 15 years. It's also the only Palestinian film release of 2011.

A complete list of the fest's winners is below:

Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Gamil Ratib
A. Rahman
Werner Herzog

The du People’s Choice Award:
ALS DER WEIHNACHTSMANN VOM HIMMEL FIEL (WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH) by Oliver Dieckmann – Germany

The annual ‘Prize of the International Critics’ for Arab films from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), the world’s foremost body of film writers, academics and critics from over 60 countries, were awarded to:

Best Documentary: MARCEDES by Hady Zaccak - Lebanon
Best Short: SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE) by Uda Benyamina – France
Best Feature: HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) by Susan Youssef - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE

The Human Rights Film Network Award, aimed at encouraging and promoting films that address human rights issues, was won by SHOJI TO TAKAO (SHOJI & TAKAO) by Yoko Ide - Japan.

Muhr AsiaAfrica

Muhr Asia Africa Shorts:

Second Prize: MEHFUZ (SAFE) by Rohit Pandey - India
Special Jury Prize: TINYE SO by Daouda Coulibaly - Mali
First Prize: MO-EDON PAE-MIL-LI (MODERN FAMILY) by Kwang Bin Kim - South Korea

Muhr Asia Africa Documentary:

Special Mention: JAI BHIM COMRADE by Anand Patwardhan - India
Second Prize: ENDING NOTE (DEATH OF A JAPANESE SALESMAN) by Mami Sunada - Japan
Special Jury Prize: NEGERI DI BAWAH KABUT (THE LAND BENEATH THE FOG) by Shalahuddin Siregar - Indonesia
First Prize: IN FILM NIST (THIS IS NOT A FILM) by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb - Iran

Muhr Asia Africa Feature:

Special Mention: Chandani Senevirathne for her role in NIKINI VASSA (AUGUST DRIZZLE) - Sri Lanka
Best Cinematographer: Gökhan Tiryaki for BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU'DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) - Turkey
Best Editor: Takashi Sato for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) - Japan
Best Composer: Christopher Khoo for TATSUMI - Singapore
Best Scriptwriter: Shuichi Okita for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) - Japan
Best Actress: Phung Ho Hai Lin for TÂM HÕN MĘ (MOTHER'S SOUL) - Vietnam
Best Actor: Kôji Yakusho for KITSUTSUKI TO AME (THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN) – Japan
Special Jury Prize: BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU'DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Turkey
Best Film: TATSUMI by Eric Khoo - Singapore

Muhr Arab

Muhr Arab Shorts:

Special Mention: ZAFIR (BREATHE OUT) by Omar El Zohairy - Egypt
Special Mention: MAKAN YOUA'AD (A PLACE TO GO) by Wajdi Elian - Lebanon
Second Prize: ARD AL ABTAL (LAND OF THE HEROES) by Sahim Omar Kalifa - Iraq
Special Jury Prize: BRÛLEURS (BURNERS) by Farid Bentoumi - France
First Prize: SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS (THE ROAD TO PARADISE) by Uda Benyamina – France

Muhr Arab Documentary:

Special Mention: LA KHAOUFA BAADA AL'YAOUM (NO MORE FEAR) by Mourad Ben Cheikh - Tunisia
Second Prize: ICI, ON NOIE LES ALGERIENS - 17 OCTOBRE 1961 (HERE WE DROWN ALGERIANS - OCTOBER 17TH, 1961) by Yasmina Adi - France
Special Jury Prize: HALABJA - THE LOST CHILDREN by Akram Hidou - Iraq, Germany, Syria
First Prize: SECTOR ZERO by Nadim Mishlawi - Lebanon, UAE

Muhr Arab Feature:

Cinematographer: Raphael Bauche for SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS) - Morocco
Best Editor: Susan Youssef and Man Kit Lam for HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE
Best Composer: Le Trio Jubran for AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY) Jordan, UAE
Best Scriptwriter: Hakim Belabbes for SHI GHADI OU SHI JAY (BOILING DREAMS) - Morocco
Best Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi for HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE
Best Actor: Ali Suliman for AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY) - Jordan, UAE
Special Jury Prize: AL JUMA AL AKHEIRA (THE LAST FRIDAY) by Yahya Alabdallah - Jordan, UAE
Best Film: HABIBI RASAK KHARBAN (HABIBI) by Susan Youssef - Palestine, USA, Netherlands, UAE

Muhr Emirati

Special Mention: LONDON IN A HEADSCARF by Mariam Al Sarkal - UK
Second Prize: AKHIR DECEMBER (END OF DECEMBER) by Hamad Al Hammadi - UAE
Special Jury Prize: CHILDREN by Mohammad Fikree - UAE
First Prize: AMAL by Nujoom Alghanem - UAE

People Who Make a DIFFerence
Jafar Varzideh, for flying out from Los Angeles since the inaugural edition of DIFF to volunteer at the festival

Dubai Film Festival: A Gilded Event Spotlighting the Good, the Mediocre and the Fundamentalist

Brian Brooks — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:32:30 GMT

After about 24 hours in Dubai attending the 7th annual Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), I realized that the trip was going to redefine three words, minimum: Surreal, contradiction and ironic. At that was before I'd seen a film.

Like any other festival in the world, there are things to be critical about at DIFF and I'll get to them later, but their hospitality cannot be beat. Due to their relative remoteness from Europe and the US, the festival is forced to fly in and host many guests and journalists which is the only way they could likely get as much coverage as they do. There is also a longstanding tradition of hospitality in the Arab world as well as in Islam, and DIFF embraces that tradition.

We were greeted at the gate and ushered to a lounge to wait while our passports are checked and bags collected, and while I am not sure doing it myself wouldn't have been quicker, the offer of juice and pastries in a quiet setting at the end of a long flight was welcome. The hotel at which most of the industry are billeted, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, seems to be modeled on a Vegas-style family hotel (sans gambling, of course) and is loaded with Brits, Aussies, Chinese and seemingly most of all, Russians. In fact, it's such an international crowd that each day the hotel's daily info sheet states how many different nationalities are staying (and working) at the hotel. Every day each count was in the 60s!

DIFF's opener this year was the perfect film to kick off a festival. "The King's Speech" is well made, well acted, fun and leaves the audience in a good mood which is more than I can say for most openers. The opening night party on the beach was my first exposure to the customer service that would inform the entire 9 day stay and which fellow journalists, jury members and filmmakers would remark upon.

DIFF is the kind of festival where complaining about something like a press screening being cancelled for technical reasons (it was) or a spectacularly botched awards ceremony (more on that later) seems petty when your glass of Moet et Chandon never runs dry and the supply of prawns and cheesecake seem endless. I often think the best festivals at which to see films would be in cold, barren wastelands (Siberia International Film Festival, anyone?) not where the choices are between swimming in the Persian Gulf, a world record water slide, having your feet exfoliated by toothless fish (I shit you not) or an excursion to Old Dubai. Faced with these options, one might be forgiven for being tempted.

That said, there were films on offer and many of them unseen by me or most Western audiences. The fest is heavy on Arab world cinema (natch) as well as a large selection of African and Asian cinema, giving attendees a huge choice of films to see that they've probably not seen before. DIFF is the launching point for many of the Middle Eastern films seen around the festival circuit and according to DIFF Managing Director Shivani Pandya, the festival has an arrangement with Sundance wherein Dubai is essentially treated as a "home country" screening, even for non-UAE films.

Photo by Mark Rabinowitz

One of this year's world premieres is Mohammed Hushki's excellent "Transit Cities," a story of a young woman (Laila, played by the stunning Saba Moubarak) returning to Amman, Jordan after 14 years in the United States only to find that the society has moved significantly to the right and that Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise, something that Hushki told me is most certainly true. "It's been going on for a while...since the Iranian Shah fell." He also pointed out that Islamic fundamentalism isn't necessarily something that comes from the top down, politically. "It's not just one opinion. It's not like the government comes out with a press release saying 'we're conservative, now.' It depends on ministries, it depends on institutions and usually it depends on personal beliefs of individuals. The higher you get in the authority, you have certain powers and you use them. It could be a school principal and it could be a (government) minister."

As for how it's affecting the ability for filmmakers to do their work, Hushki says that he's not worried about government censorship. "The biggest problem is when the public becomes self censoring because then there's no one to fight with." The Royal Film Commission (RFC), on the other hand, is very helpful to filmmakers, adds "Transit Cities" producer Rula Nasser. Their programs are free, including placing filmmakers at USC and Sundance, as well as providing hands on help. "They are giving us equipment, editing suites and sound studios," says Nasser, all at no cost. Additionally in 2006 the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts opened as a joint effort of Jordan's RFC and USC's School of Cinematic Arts which Hushki says is scholarship-based.

One of the consequences of the public move toward fundamentalist Islam, according to Hushki is that artists and intellectuals are no longer seen by the public as important members of society, a point addressed in his film. Laila's father is a former well-respected professor who has been completely broken by the country's move to the right and his daughter's absence.

L to R: "Transit Cities" Producer Rula Nasser, actors Mohammad Al-Qabbani and Saba Mubarak and director Mohammed Hushki. Photo courtesy of Dubai International Film Festival.

The main theme of the film, that of people being unable to adjust when they return to a changed homeland, is being experienced not only by young people in Jordan but by expats in Dubai, as well. When the film screened at DIFF, Hushki says, the reaction from Dubai's expat population was similar to the reaction they expect from Jordanians. "They feel that being away for a while and going back home messes with your view of what home is and you're stuck with these memories [of what home was like] because you're not there, you're not adapting so the change is very abrupt. A lot of people come back to Jordan and they can't cope. The choice that Laila was left with was either that she copes and changes who she is to fit into the society, or she becomes a rebel and she's rejected by the society (and this happens a lot) or she just goes back to the States and stays there, even though she knows that it's not home."

The fundamental question of "where do we belong?" is what Hushki says is being asked by a generation of young Jordanians. "Are we Muslims and part of a bigger nation called the Nation of Islam? Are we Arabs? Are we global citizens? Are we more Western than Eastern? It's a mess and it's partly because of this huge revolution in communication. It's like we're all going through a midlife crisis from the age of twenty." "Transit Cities" has yet to screen in Jordan and Hushki is excited to see the reaction.

On the documentary side is Norma Marcos' "Fragments of a Lost Palestine," a film that takes a little while to reveal its true nature but once it does, it's an entertaining, original and even funny look at some of the frustrations facing modern Palestinians, both within and outside of Palestine. Marcos is a Palestinian by birth and holds passports from both Palestine and France. Wanting to visit her ailing mother in Palestine, Marcos is denied entry by Israel despite their treaty with France because Israel views Marcos as Palestinian, not French because she is "not of Franco-French origin." Some of the films laughs come watching Marcos try and deal with the well-meaning but overly bureaucratic French government employees as they try to help her get permission to enter Israel.

Khaled Abol Naga as Khaled in Ahmad Abdallah's "Microphone." Image courtesy of Dubai International Film Festival.

Finally gaining approval, the rest of the film initially feels like almost random fragments of footage of Marcos and her friends and family in both Palestine and Israel but random they are not and a pleasant feeling of family and community emerge from the experience. This is a series of stories, of vignettes of life within the occupation. As in any state of war or, as Jimmy Carter called it, apartheid, life must go on. Children go to school and run for class representative (like Marcos' precocious and intelligent niece Yara), people have to share their showers because of water rationing and even have festivals. "No one mentions our beer festival," grouses one of Marcos' Palestinian friends, when he is pointing out that all anyone talks about is war and struggle when discussing Palestine, ignoring the fact that they do in fact have lives. It's a humanizing and illuminating documentary.

Arguably the titan of Arab cinema is Egypt. According to the Dubai Film Market's Focus 2010 World Film Market Trends book they produce the most films in Africa and Egyptian films count for the most box office dollars in several Arab and Middle Eastern countries. Egypt's film industry is traditionally Cairo-centric which is one of the things that sets Ahmad Abdalla's Alexandria-set "Microphone" apart. A flawed but interesting film, "Microphone" follows a similar theme to "Transit Cities," that of the native returning after years abroad in the US. In this case it's Khaled (Khaled Abol Naga) returning to Alexandria to find that the ex that he's been carrying a torch for is emigrating because she finds life in Egypt stifling and oppressive and his father, with whom he lives, is uncommunicative.

Depressed by what has greeted him upon his return, Khaled wanders around the city in a funk and stumbles upon the city's underground scene of skaters, hip hop performers and graffiti artists. Feeling like he has discovered a new and vibrant part of his hometown, Khaled sets about trying to promote this counter culture as a way to counter his ex-girlfriend's insistence that Alexandria is a conservative and oppressive society.

While the film is full of vibrant performances (both acting and musical) and the story is interesting, overall it's a mixed bag. The editing is clever, jumping between a single coffee shop conversation between Khaled and his ex-girlfriend, and Khaled's time with the musicians, skaters, etc. but several moments at the coffee shop are repeated throughout the film, giving the feeling that there wasn't enough to that storyline and they were trying to flesh it out artificially. Some of the most interesting things about the film are its likely unintentional parallels with Charlie Ahearn's seminal pseudo-documentary, 1983's "Wild Style," with its look inside the rising subculture of graffiti art and hip hop. A perfect film this is not, but a worthwhile look inside contemporary Alexandria culture, it is. It's too bad the ending falls so flat. Khaled spends the whole film passionately trying to help these artists and in the end, I was left with a feeling of abject failure.

More than films and parties, DIFF is a full-fledged market, Filmmart, with the Film Forum series of seminars and the Young Journalism Award competition, The Dubai Film Connection co-production market (since its launch on 2007, 50% of the 46 projects have been made) and a post-production funding initiative called Enjaaz. There were hundreds of delegates from all over the world in Dubai to do business, including distributors, producers and filmmakers looking for funding.

Of course DIFF isn't without its problems, no festival is. I thought their English-language film selection could use some brightening up, especially the American indies. "Winter's Bone" was really the only US indie "favorite" that screened at the fest and while I understand the need to cater to the audience, I'm reasonably sure there were better films available than "Tron: Legacy" with which to close the festival.

Photo by Mark Rabinowitz

Then there was closing night. I've been to a lot of closing ceremonies, but none quite as odd as DIFF's. On the one hand, there was a nicely designed set and video screen on a wide stage in the festival's largest venue. On the other hand there were four presenters, alternating the announcements awkwardly in English and Arabic off of a teleprompter that seemed to be continuously giving them the wrong information. Either that or they were going "off book."

Either way, several times during the evening the films announced on the video screen didn't match the announcements and the presenters' attempts at ad libbing were...odd. As jarring as it was for the audience, I can't imagine what it was like for the filmmakers who initially didn't know if they'd won an award or not. Considering the amount of money at stake, it must have been excruciating. Then there was the policy of not allowing any of the winners to speak from the microphone. I understand that it saves time, but it made for an uncomfortable spectacle, with each winner collecting their awards and shaking the hand (or sometimes not) with DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali and various members of Dubai's royal family and walking off.

Even surprise honoree DIFF programmer Sheila Whitaker didn't say a word. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't that big a deal, but I can only imagine that the winning filmmakers might have wanted to say a few words. This is a problem easily fixed by a veteran awards producer. Drop me a note, guys. I'll point you in the right direction!

My only other real complaints about this overall excellent festival were the relative lack of morning press screenings (a measly one/day) and the timing of the awards vs. the closing night party. I would urge the organizers to consider moving everything up by about 5 hours. An afternoon awards ceremony followed by a closing party that runs from 5:00pm to 9:00pm makes much more sense (and allows for a desert sunset) than the party that started at 9:30pm when so many guests had flights home starting at midnight, making it necessary for many attendees to either miss or cut short their experience and this party was not one anyone should have to miss.

45 minutes out into the desert at Jumeirah's Bab Al Shams resort, the place was tricked out into some sort of an acid trip version of a Bedouin camp....in a very good way. There were pyramids of fruit, grilled crabs sliding into a bowl, an army of prawns, brigades of various meats (I was told there would be camel, but I didn't see any), sausages, sweets, breads, etc., etc. Along with Shisha pipes for the asking, camel rides and the best fireworks display I've ever seen, it made for a magical evening that I, alas, had to cut short due to my impending early morning flight.

All in all, Dubai is a festival that everyone in the film industry, regardless of their position, should experience at least once. My personal list of things I wanted to see and do in Dubai in addition to the festival was overly ambitious, but I expect I will return in the coming years to tick things off on my list and to learn more about Arab cinema, which from what I have seen may very well be a fertile ground for some of the more imaginative and interesting films in the years to come. As the saying goes, there's gold in them thar hills!

41 World Premieres Set for 7th Dubai International Film Festival

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:11:50 GMT

The upcoming seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), that runs from December 12 - 19, promises to be the biggest one yet with a total of 41 films making their world premieres, out of the 157 film lineup - representing a 30 percent growth from last year. In addition, 70 of the films hail from the Arab world.

As previously announced, Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech" will kick off the festival, with Colin Firth in attendance, while Joseph Kosinski's "Tron:Legacy" will serve as the closing gala film. Other red carpet screenings slated to take place over the course of the festival include Peter Weir's "The Way Back," Mohamed Diab's Cairo set "678," Hesham Issawis Egyptian love story "Cairo Exit," "Tomorrow Will Be Better" from Polish director Dorota Kędzierzawska, and the Chinese martial arts film "Reign of Assassins" from Chao-Bin Su and John Woo.

Expected guests confirmed to appear at the festival include Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Peter Weir, Jean Reno, Carey Mulligan, Africa’s Souleymane Cisse, Arab stars Khaled Abol Naga, Bushra, Nelly Karim, Saba Mubarak, Ayman Zeidan, Samar Sami and Raghda, as well as Sean Penn who will be on hand to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Of the Arab films screening at the festival, most of them are primarily distributed among the in-competition Muhr Arab and Muhr Emirati Awards segments, and the out-of-competition Arabian Nights and Gulf Voices segments.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF’s Artistic Director commented on this year's lineup in a statement, "I believe that our programming this year not only offers something for everyone, it also offers new, very interesting, unusual and surprising films. If I could choose one word to describe our 2010 programme, it would be 'discovery.' We have discoveries of new talents, new styles and new collaborations. I am proud of the fine crop of Arab cinema we have this year and the exceedingly talented UAE filmmakers included in our line-up, and I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone who wants to better understand this country and our region experience it."

For more information on this year's lineup, visit DIFF's website.

Dubai to Honor Sean Penn with Lifetime Achievement Award

Nigel M Smith — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:56:16 GMT

Sean Penn has been chosen as the Western honoree for the 2010 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). The Academy Award-winning actor will be presented with the DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival's opening ceremony on December 12.

During his visit to the seventh edition of DIFF, Penn will also participate in a public 'In Conversation with Sean Penn' Q&A session. His film "Into the Wild," and Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown" will also screen as part of a tribute to the actor.

Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma commented on the the festival's decision in a statement, "Sean Penn is without a doubt one of the finest talents of our generation, an outstanding and versatile actor, gifted director and accomplished producer, and it is our privilege to add the DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award to his extensive list of accolades. His tireless work on behalf of the people of the world from Haiti to the United States to Iraq and Iran, and his use of the celebrity spotlight to assist humanity, is an example to us all. We look forward to welcoming this culture-bridging icon to Dubai."

Penn joins leading African director Souleymane Cisse and Egyptian-Lebanese actress Sabah as the Lifetime Achievement recipients for 2010. Previous honorees include Egyptian director Daoud Abdul Sayed, India’s Amitabh Bachchan and Oliver Stone.

"Tron: Legacy" To Close Dubai Fest

Indiewire — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:04:43 GMT

"Tron: Legacy," a 3D high-tech adventure film set in a digital universe, will be the closing gala film of the Dubai International Film Festival 2010. Disney's long-awaited, stand-alone follow-up to its 1982 classic "Tron" will screen at DIFF on December 18, 2010, a day after its release in the United States and Canada. The film follows last year's closing night film "Avatar," as the second high-profile 3D film to shut down Dubai.

The film has actor Jeff Bridges returning as Kevin Flynn (who he played in the first "Tron"), the world's leading video game designer who was digitized into a computer grid where programmes living on pure energy take on human form. Flynn's son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is looking into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same grid where his father has been living for 25 years.

DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the selection of Tron as the closing gala "demonstrates the eclectic range of films being screened at the Festival and its offer of cinema for all."

"Just as DIFF places emphasis on bringing the finest arthouse movies from around the world, we also incorporate the most modern trends in filmmaking to provide a total cinema experience for film enthusiasts," he said in a statement. "Tron: Legacy, presented in 3D, will be a revelation for filmgoers at DIFF."

Sheila Whitaker, Director - International Programme, DIFF, said: "Tron set benchmarks in computer-generated imagery back in 1982, and was a film ahead of its time, pushing the frontiers of visual effects. Since its release, the film industry has witnessed revolutionary changes, especially in special effects. Tron: Legacy is expected to set another milestone in computer-generated filmmaking," he said.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19.

Dubai Film Festival to Honor Arab Icon Sabah

Nigel M Smith — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:38:06 GMT

One of the Arab world's most prolific and popular actresses and singers, Jeanette Gergi Fighali (better known as Sabah) will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Dubai International Film Festival.

A star of more than 98 movies, Sabah has also gone on to release 50 albums and acted in 20 stage plays. Sabah's work is noted for being a bridge between two centers in the Arab world: Egypt and Lebanon. Although a Lebanese national, the majority of her films were co-produced with or focused on Egypt. Popular films her hers include "How Can I Forget You," "The Street of Love," "Al Layaly Al Dafiaa," and "Layla Baka Fiha El Kamar."

"For more than six decades, Sabah has inspired generations to aim high and break new ground," said Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival in a statement. "She is one of the hardest-working entertainers of our time, and continues to give of herself even today. She is an icon for the Arab world, a trailblazing and enduring achiever who carved a niche in a challenging industry. By honouring her, we celebrate women in Arab film and music everywhere."

On receiving the award, Sabah said in a statement: "I have won plenty of awards, but this one means the most to me. I am very honored to be part of the Dubai International Film Festival, and I know that audiences all over the Arab world support DIFF. DIFF has boosted my confidence, especially for an artist of my age to be honoured at such a prestigious festival."

"King's Speech" To Kick Off 7th Dubai Film Festival

Peter Knegt — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:52:27 GMT

Tom Hooper's Oscar frontrunner "The King's Speech" is set to open the seventh Dubai International Film Festival on December 12, 2010. Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, the film is based on the true story of King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II, who reluctantly and unexpectedly becomes king following the death of his father and abdication by his brother Edward VII. Plagued by a debilitating and lifelong speech impediment and considered unfit to be king of a country on the brink of war, George (Firth) employs an eccentric speech therapist (Rush) to help him find his voice in order to lead Bri

"DIFF has always sought to bring the best cinema of the world to Dubai and the greater Middle East, and 'The King's Speech' certainly fits that bill," Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said in a statement. "The film has scooped up the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival and earned rare standing ovations wherever it has been seen. We are excited to begin our programming on such a high note."

Juma added that "the world's leading studios and filmmakers are increasingly placing their trust in the professionalism, the business potential and the achievements of our Festival, and that is reflected in our ability to secure world-leading titles and talent early in the season."

In 2009, DIFF managed to secure both James Cameron's "Avatar" and Rob Marshall's "Nine" and their closing and opening selections, respectively, both prior to their openings in the United States.

With the 2010 edition less than seven weeks away, DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said nearly all the DIFF programming is in place and will be announced shortly. The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19.

Dubai Doles Out Awards

Andy Lauer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:32:55 GMT

The sixth edition of Dubai International Film Festival wrapped up Wednesday with an awards ceremony where Michel Khleifi's "Zindeeq" took the Muhr Arab award for best film and Brillante Mendoza's "Lola" received the Muhr AsiaAfrica award for best feature.

In all, 28 prizes were distributed for achievements in acting, cinematography, editing, music and scriptwriting in addition to the jury awards. The entries came from more than 62 nations in three categories: documentaries, short films and feature films.

"The increased participation and the quality of participating films underscores the fact that DIFF has helped drive regional talent in cinema, offering filmmakers in the Arab world, Asia and Africa a definitive platform to showcase their creativity," said DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali in a statement.

In addition, Merzak Allouache's "Harragas" won the inaugural DIFF Human Rights Film Network Award for its depiction of emigration in the Third World as well as the FIPRESCI "Prize of the International Critics" for Excellence in Arab Cinema. The People's Choice Award for 2009 went Zeina Daccache for the documentary "12 Angry Lebanese."

The Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica award winning films will be screened at Cinestar cinemas at Mall of the Emirates on Friday, Dec 18.

A partial list of the Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica award winners:

Muhr Arab Feature – Best Film
Michel Khleifi for "Zindeeq"
Palestine, United Kingdome, United Arab Emirates

Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature – Best Film
Brillante Mendoza for "Lola"
France, Philippines

Muhr Arab Documentary: First Prize
Zeina Daccache for "12 Angry Lebanese - The Documentary"
Lebanon

Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary: First Prize
Tokachi Tsuchiya for "Futsu no shigoto ga shitai" ("A Normal Life, Please")
Japan

Muhr Arab - Feature
Best Actor
Said Bey for "The Man Who Sold the World"
Morocco

Best Actress
Nisreen Faour for "Amreeka"
USA, Canada, Kuwait

Muhr AsiaAfrica - Feature
Best Actor
Hasan Pourshirazi for "Keshtzarhaye Sepid" ("The White Meadows")
Iran

Best Actress
Denise Newman for "Shirley Adams"
South Africa

For the complete list of recipients, including second place winners, special jury prize winners, and nods in other categories, visit the DIFF's official website.

Building Cultural Bridges in Dubai

Peter Knegt — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:45:26 GMT

Dubai appears to have an almost fanatical prediliction for world firsts and records, and on Sunday they added an unlikely honour to an ever growing list, when their film festival apparently became the first ever “to feature a queen and a neuroscientist on the same stage”.

Such was the claim of Shamil Idriss, CEO of Soliya, a non-profit organization working to empower young people to achieve social change through new media, as he chaired a genuinely diverse “Cultural Bridge Panel," gathered to discuss the topic of media and social change. He was joined by Mike Medavoy, current CEO of Phoenix Pictures and former chairman of TriStar, MIT professor Rebecca Saxe, and Julia Bacha, young director of the Cultural Bridge gala film "Budrus," a documentary which screened immediately prior to the panel.

The panel was introduced by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, delivering a keynote address (her husband and Jordan's ruler, King Hussein, died in 1999). Queen Noor has been involved for a long time in sponsoring research into cross-cultural relations at Harvard and MIT. The Cultural Bridges panel provided an unusual opportunity to bring some of that research into the context of the film festival, with the research translated and published in tandem with the forum event.

Noor detailed her experience in using the arts as a tool for cross-cultural understanding. In Jordan she had instituted an arts and cultural festival that brought together musical dance and theatrical performers from around the world, as well as a program that allowed exchange between Arab children from various nations on an arts/cultural level, as well as regional and global issues, such as environment or security. While one can imagine such events paying as much lip service as actual investigation into the slippery concept of cross-cultural understanding, there was no denying Queen Noor’s personal commitment to the matter.

This was exemplified in her address which introduced the Cultural Bridge panel, where she spoke of using film "as a knife to break bread." She concluded by proclaiming allegiance to "film which makes a profit while at the same time profiting humanity." The statement seemed particular resonant at a festival such as this, as Queen Noor's attendance allowed its headline-grabbing to take a turn from screenings of Hollywood fare such as "Avatar" and "Nine" to a genuinely interesting and worthy cause.

Following Noor's address, Idriss initiated the discussion with Julia Bacha, visibly delighted to have just screened her film "Budrus" for the first time. According to her, "film has the potential to create little cracks, but the change starts when the lights go up." For this reason, she was thrilled that her screening had been immediately followed by the panel, as she felt it was the perfect forum to put the issues it raised - the film follows a Palestinian community organizer who unites Fatah, Hamas and protesting Israelis in a struggle to save his village from destruction - into circulation.

Rebecca Saxe was able to offer an entirely different perspective through her work investigating the elusive concept of empathy. She described an intriguing research experiment where Israelis and Palestinians were asked to engage in fifteen minute Skype conversations about their countries' conflict. However, rather than enter into debate, they were only allowed to respond by summarising their counterpart's thoughts without adding their own. Participants were then asked whether they felt more empathy and trust had been gained by hearing the other side's point of view, or by having theirs heard, with results showing that Israelis were more likely to opt for the latter, while Palestinians the former. Saxe's research added an interesting angle to the idea of audience reception and empathy in cinema.

Mike Medavoy made no apologies on Hollywood's behalf when asked to "be brutal" in discussing what Idriss described as a very negative and simple view of the Arab world presented in recent US cinema. Medavoy felt that America's educational system - at least until university - was to blame for failing to educate young people about the experience of other nationalities and cultures. As for Hollywood, he put it simply: "in the rules of the game, you gotta have a bad guy," and that bad guy is currently very frequently Arabian. He claimed that "extremism of all types has influenced this thinking," apparently including the hysteria towards the Middle East engendered among North Americans by 9/11.

There is always a risk that a discussion based around such concepts as "cultural bridge building" could tend towards idealism rather than practical solutions. However, the adroit selection of panelists, each of whom was able to illuminate the potential for progression in his or her very different field of expertise, meant that the panel avoided this pitfall for the most part. At the very least, it sent out an appropriately inspiring message from a festival whose country is not often associated with political ideals. As Saxe stated in summary to a question;"“Is it reasonable to hope? What can we do but hope?"

[Update: The Dubai Film Festival unveiled its winners Wednesday evening. View the main winners at indieWIRE.com]

"Life" in Dubai: Controversial Premiere Marks First Major Emirati Feature

Peter Knegt — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:49:49 GMT

The very first big-budget feature to come out of the United Arab Emirates, Ali F Mostafa's "City of Life"'s world premiere was the talk of the Dubai International Film Festival this weekend. While the country turns out 60-70 short films a year, and seven domestic features are screening at DIFF, none of them have been close to the budget of "Life" (Dh26 million, or US$7 million), or its potential for controversy. The festival was vocally supportive despite the film taking on topics like alcohol, sex out of marriage, and gangs - each considerably taboo for this country and the region generally.

"He's the son of the Dubai International Film Festival," festival head Masoud Amralla Al-Ali said of Mostafa at a press conference prior to the screening.

Dubai audiences seemed equally interested. The first screening - as the festival's Arabian Nights Gala - was completely sold out, and left festival organizers scrambling to find seats for people with official invitations.

Mostafa - who showed his first film at the Dubai's inaugural fest six years ago, has become quite the name in the UAE film industry. After attending London Film School, his student short "Under The Sun" showed at festivals worldwide, and in 2007 he was named best Emirati filmmaker here at DIFF. Just prior to "Life"'s screening, he sat down with indieWIRE at the Al Qasr Hotel in Dubai to discuss the film, certainly one of the most anticipated films of the festival.

"My inspiration for this film was from films that I like with this formula, and at the same time, the city of Dubai itself, which is perfect for that formula," Mostafa said. "Which is the same as in films like 'Crash' and 'Magnolia' and 'Amores Perros.' I love those type of films, where there's a lot of coincidences and a lot of serendipity."

Like those films, "Life" - with the tagline "Everything Happens For a Reason" - follows various folks from various walks of life: A privileged Emiraiti man (Saoud Al Kaabi), a disillusioned Indian taxi driver (Sonu Sood), a Europrean flight attendant (Alexandra Maria Lara)... All of whose lives end up colliding and impacting one another.

A scene from Ali F Mostafa's "City of Life." Image courtesy of the Dubai International Film Festival.

"If I wanted to make a film in Dubai, that type of formula suits this city best. Because the amount of nationalities that we have here - we end up connecting in each other's lives, without even knowing it - it is a fantastic thing. That's where the inspiration came from."

Mostafa said that financing the film was quite difficult. "No one in Dubai is going [to throw] money at film," he explained. "It's never really been done here. They don't know what to expect or not to expect. Their best bet is real estate and things like that."

So Mostafa tried to "use what was in the script to his advantage," and sought out product placement deals.

"Dubai spends a lot of money on advertising," he said. "So I said 'hey, I'm shooting in so-and-so location and your corporation is gonna be on screen... would you invest in this film?' So the idea was getting this brand placement in the film and at the same time having them get the exposure of supporting what this film means. It was almost like a win-win situation."

Mostafa managed to find 25-30% of the budget from these deals, with the rest of the budget made up from "silent investment."

He also admitted that while the film certainly contained content that pushed UAE boundaries, he held back to a degree.

"Especially with your first film, you can't go as deep as you would like," he said. "Number one, it's the first film and you want to make more. I scratched the surface a little bit. The surface of controversy. You don't necessarily have to make a film more real than what I tried to portray here."

When asked about Dubai's much-reported migrant-labour underbelly - a topic the film has been criticized for not delving deeply enough into - Mostafa was much more reserved.

"No comment," he said after a long pause. "Sorry... I'm not a diplomat. I'm not going to be saying the right things, so I'm not going to comment."

[The Dubai International Film Festival continues through Thursday. indieWIRE will continue reporting on the scene.]

Financial Crisis Proof (So Far) Dubai Fest Turns Six With "Nine"

Peter Knegt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:00:39 GMT

Amidst a financial meltdown that put its city atop headlines around the world, the Dubai International Film Festival debuted its sixth edition last night with no sign of anything remotely resembling a financial struggle. Boasting more sponsors than any of its previous editions, the festival kicked off with an over-the-top opening night celebration culminating with champagne, live performers and fireworks on the beach below the city's trademark Burj Al Arab - the world's second tallest hotel (behind only another Dubai structure, the Rose Tower).

Prior, hundreds gathered in Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah Arena for a screening of Rob Marshall's "Nine" - the first and presumably only film festival screening of the big budget musical, which opens in North America next Friday. After a festival trailer that looked like it cost a $1 million to produce, Dubai festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma took the stage to introduce the film and the festival itself.

"Since 2004, this festival has established a policy to encourage filmmaking newcomers who are here to stay," Juma said via a translator. "Therefore, we have developed a problem of diversity appreciated for their openness and originality. We constantly interact with the filmmakers, giving them the breathing space and room for creativity. What is extremely important is the process of interaction that DIFF brings in, which is genuine and continuous. The expansion of the culturally rich program to cover all these films reiterates that cinema has the power to establish dialogue between culture and nations."

Three Arab-focused competitions - for narrative, documentary, and short films - will unspool over the next eight days, providing a truly unmatched showcase for Arab cinema. With a lineup of more than 60 films directed by Arabs - most of them world premieres despite DIFF being at the end of the region's festival calendar.

"I don't want people to look at DIFF only for its red carpet, its stars and its awards," Juma said prior to the opening night festivities. "But to see DIFF as an engine for holistic industry development. For the first time, I am confident that engine is in place."

But tonight, it was all about "Nine," which went along with Juma's hopes that DIFF wouldn't be known for its red carpet or stars, as - despite a rolled out red carpet comparable to the Oscars in size - none of "Nine"'s star-studded cast was on it.

"In the initial years of DIFF, we sought to bring in the world's leading stars to put Dubai on the map," Juma was quoted as saying in the festival's daily newspaper. "This year, we only wanted stars who have who have something to do with the festival. We lost the talent for 'Nine,' for example - they were to come here but went to Los Angeles. We had a chance to shift the screening date and keep the stars, or keep the screening intact with no stars. We made a conscious decision to lose the talent. This is a film festival, not a star festival."

Juma introduced the film by noting that Marshall "brings back the brilliant blend of Fellini's movie '8 1/2' and its hero Mastroianni through 'Nine''s narration." He thanked The Weinstein Company for helping bring the film to the festival, inviting two representatives from TWC up on to the stage. Noting it was only the second time the film has screened for a public audience, they thanked DIFF, Marshall, and "the unbelievable cast," forgetting Kate Hudson's name (but remembering Fergie's) as they listed them all aloud. Marshall, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Daniel Day-Lewis and Penelope Cruz then all appeared on screen via satellite.

"I'm here with some of the gorgeous cast of 'Nine,'" Marshall said on screen, as the four actors all smiled silently. "We're so thrilled to be chosen by the Dubai Film Festival. We're incredibly honored and we wish we could be there. But we're in Los Angeles as we speak, opening the film here. This film's for you, please enjoy."

As it turns out, the film wasn't quite for everyone there. It quickly became apparent it was a rather bold choice for Dubai, which - while regionally known as a relatively liberal oasis, remains a significantly conservative political and social culture. Sex outside that that occurs in a heterosexual marriage is strictly illegal, so for the festival to open with an film like "Nine," which centers Day-Lewis's sexual and emotional infidelity, is really quite something. More over, the cut that the festival screened sets a standard for all of the region, and thus "Nine" - complete with Penelope Cruz's lingerie clad, gloriously erotic musical number (by far the film's high point, and one that resulted in more than a few walkouts) - will soon be screening across the United Arab Emirates censorship free.

The Dubai International Film Festival continues through next Wednesday, closing off with another major Hollywood release, James Cameron's "Avatar."

"Nine," "Avatar" Heading To Dubai

Peter Knegt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:34:16 GMT

While the city-state of Dubai might have had a rough weekend, the Dubai International Film Festival came out of it with an impressive lineup of films for its sixth annual event, which runs December 9-16, 2009. The festival completed its 170 film and 55 country wide lineup, which includes a high profile opening night event in Rob Marshall's "Nine," which will screen at Madinat Arena on December 9th. The film - featuring a ridiculously star-studded ensemble including Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard and Sophia Loren - will open in limited release stateside nine days later.

Other high-profile films set for the fest include James Cameron's long-awaited "Avatar," which will screen on December 15th as a gala, three days before it takes on the rest of the world. In conjunction with Lightstorm, Twentieth Century Fox and Empire International, the festival will present the film "as the spectacular finale to this year's festival."

DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the Galas at DIFF capture "the soul, spirit and spectacle of the festival." “These screenings define DIFF – in terms of the power of film content, diversity of films with an international outlook and the sheer enthusiasm of the audience. This year, our Gala screenings will span the globe in an unprecedented range of offerings; showcasing the creative brilliance of industry frontrunners to sensational young talent. DIFF is a meeting ground for international filmmakers that is increasingly respected around the world, and we hope to engender fruitful relationships between thriving film cultures."

Additionally, Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox," Jim Sheridan's "Brothers," Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces," Raoul Peck's "Moloch Tropical," Rodrigo Garcia's "Mother and Child," Philippe Lioret's "Welcome," Francois Ozon's "Le Refuge," and Drew Barrymore's "Whip It" will all make their Middle East debuts at the fest.

The festival is best known for its wide range of Arab cinema that often make their debut at the festival. Three previously announced programs - Muhr Arab Documentary, Muhr Arab Feature and Muhr Arab Short - will showcase this. Check out the complete lineups for each at the following links: features, documentaries, and shorts.

It was also announced this weekend that Faten Hamama will be feted with the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished Egyptian producer and actress, 77-year-old Hamama becomes the first ever woman recipient of the honour in the festival’s six-year history.

“Arab film lovers will forever recall the powerful performances of Ms Faten Hamama, who has been associated with some of the all-time great movies in Egyptian cinema," DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said in a statement. "She endeared herself to audiences during a time when only singers, dancers or theatre professionals were offered acting opportunities, that too in nominal, poorly written roles. It is our privilege to honour such a distinguished artist and human being at DIFF."

For a full list of films screening at the festival, check out the festival's website. indieWIRE will be on the scene in Dubai next week.

Dubai Readies for 6th Outing with World Cinema Focus

Brian Brooks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:01 GMT

Twenty films will screen in the upcoming Dubai International Film Festival's "Cinema of the World" line up. "Gritty dramas" and "controversial documentaries" from Denmark, France and Peru are part of the roster, fest organizers unveiled. The sixth DIFF takes place December 9 - 16 in the United Arab Emirates. Among the films offered will be the red carpet gala screening of "Mother and Child" by writer-director Rodrigo Garcia, with Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and Samuel L. Jackson expected.

Peruvian entry "The Milk of Sorrow" is also slated. The film is the story of Peru’s civil unrest in the 1980s and winner of the Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, directed by Claudia Llosa Bueno; and "Welcome," a French drama by Philippe Lioret, depicting the controversial story of an Iraqi-Kurdish asylum seeker trying to reach the United Kingdom from France by swimming across the English Channel.

Denmark’s "The Little Soldier," directed by Annette K. Olesen, which takes on the issue of human trafficking through the story of a young female soldier who works as a chauffeur for her father’s Nigerian girlfriend and escort girl is on tap as is investigative documentary "Picture Me: A Model’s Diary," a backstage expose of life in the Paris, New York and Milan fashion industry and "Moloch Tropical," the French-Haitian critique by Raoul Peck on absolute power and political madness.

War drama "Brothers," directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan, starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman will also screen in the section. Director Tarik Saleh’s Metropia, a dark futuristic animated Swedish feature voiced by Vincent Gallo and Juliette Lewis, tells the story of a post-oil Europe connected by a vast subway system. Director Tarik Saleh’s "Metropia," a dark futuristic animated Swedish feature voiced by Vincent Gallo and Juliette Lewis, tells the story of a post-oil Europe connected by a vast subway system, and Pedro Almodovar's latest, "Broken Embraces" will also screen in Dubai. Chris Rock's "Good Hair," which recently opened in the States, will screen in Dubai, as will London and AFI Fest opener, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" by Wes Anderson.

The Cinema of the World segment also features five music-themed films including director Gergely Fonyo’s "Made in Hungaria," the story of a U.S.-raised teenybopper who teaches his Communist-era peers about rock ‘n’ roll when the family moves back to Hungary in the 1960s. "Zanzibar Musical Club," is described by the fest as "a superb documentary exploration of Zanzibar’s rich musical heritage by Patrice Nezan," while "Oil City Confidential" is Julien Temple’s "loving and amusing documentary on Dr. Feelgood," the 1970s UK band which revolutionised rock music with energy, passion and excitement. "The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights," meanwhile, is a road movie and concert tour film that follows the legendary band across their Canadian expedition, filmed by Emmett Malloy.

"Bran Nue Dae," director Rachel Perkins’s film version of the acclaimed Australian stage musical, will also be screened at DIFF in December ahead of its theatrical release in Australia in January 2010. The well-received film made its international premiere in Toronto in September and has won audience awards at both the Toronto and Melbourne International Film Festivals. DIFF 2009 will also premiere "Woodstock," the restored and extended version of the award-winning 1970 rock documentary directed by Michael Wadleigh charting the performances and events of the legendary three-day festival.

“We are very pleased to once again offer an outstanding slate of feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the world to our diverse audience groups across the UAE,” commented DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali in a statement. “Despite the intense competition this year and radical changes in our industry, the stronger and larger DIFF 2009 programme is a measure of our global reach and reputation and the unmatched calibre of our team.”

[For more information, visit the DIFF website.]