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The Arab Film World Premiers Showing at Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2014
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival features seven world premiers of Arab films as part of its showcase of the finest Arab and international cinema.
Regional films will be presented alongside international titles in the Narrative, New Horizons, Documentary and Short Film competition categories during the festival, which opens on Thursday and runs until November 1.
The festival which is in its 8th year will also host a special programme called The Arab Diaspora and the Emirates Film Competition, which will exclusively showcase short films by regional filmmakers.
“At ADFF, we provide a platform for Arab films to compete alongside international films – a reason why the main competition segments evaluate Arab films and international productions on the same criteria,” said Ali Al Jabri, the festival director. “This focus comes out of our commitment to bringing the best of world cinema to the UAE while projecting the best of Arab cinema to the world.”
The Narrative Competition will present five Arabic films. El Ott, a co-production between Egypt and the UAE that was supported by the festival’s Sanad fund – which provides financial help during development and post-production – will have its world premiere. Directed by Ibrahim Elbatout, it tackles the subject of organ traffickers.
Other Sanad-supported films featured in the Narrative Competition are Fevers by Hicham Ayouch and The Valley, by Lebanese director Ghassan Salhab, which recently premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival.
This category also features Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu, and Memories On Stone by Shawkat Amin-Korki.
The New Horizons Competition, includes four Arabic films: Emirati director Ali Mostafa’s From A to B, which will open the festival; Shepherd’s Silence, by Raad Mushatat; Theeb by the Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar, who won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival; and The Man From Oran by the French-Algerian director Lyès Salem.
In the Documentary Competition, seven of the 17 titles are Arab- produced films, including four world premières: Um Ghayeb, Queens of Syria, Pirates of Salè and Sounds Of The Sea. All four received support from Sanad.
Also in the Documentary Competition is the winner of this year’s Sundance Festival, Return to Homs, along with Iraqi Odyssey and The Wanted 18.
ADFF is also hosting The Arab Diaspora, a programme dedicated to Arab directors who migrated from their homelands and speak of their heritage and culture through film. The nine features and three short films include Jalla! Jalla! (2000), Inch’allah Dimanche (2001), The Polish Bride (1998) and Salut Cousin! (1996).
The special programme will also feature Marock by the Moroccan-French director Laila Marrakchi (2005), Seeds Of Doubt by Egyptian-German director Samir Nasr (2005), Heremakono by Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako (2002), A New Day In Old Sana’a by Yemeni-British director Bader Ben Hirsi (2005), and Dèlice Paloma by Algerian-French director Nadir Moknèche (2007).
The Showcase section includes the World Premiere of the Emirati documentary feature As One: The Autism Project, which focuses on a unique theatrical programme for autistic children.
Another seven Arab films will be featured in the Short Film Competition, three of them as world premières, one as international premiere. Additionally, the Emirates Film Competition will welcome 52 films from the Arabian Gulf. The programme includes 45 world premières.
The National