OPENING FILM
The King's Speech
The film is based on the true story of King George VI, the 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 employs an eccentric speech therapist to help him find his voice in order to lead Britain and inspire its people.
ARABIAN NIGHTS
Bullet time
Set in Iraqi Kurdistan, the film tells the story of two humanitarian workers who brave the curfew to save their interpreter's son, wounded by a landmine. All through the night, lives are shattered, secrets told and knots undone.
The flowers of kirkuk
The Italian-Iraqi film focuses on an ill fated couple - Najla and Sherko, - who know they can't be together as one is Kurdish and the other is from a prominent Arab family.
WORLD CINEMA
The way back
The film tells the story of a multicultural group of prisoners who escape from the Stalinist gulag during the Second World War but then have to survive walking more than 5,000 miles of treacherous trails across five countries to gain their freedom.
FILMS FROM AFRICA
life, above all
A moving and powerful story of a young girl who fights the gossip and fear that poisons her community after the death of her newborn baby sister.
State of violence
The hard-hitting drama is a follow-up to the award-winning documentary Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon. It follows a South African corporate leader whose past as a violent revolutionary comes back to threaten him.
MIDNIGHT MAYHEM
Removal
The movie narrates the story of Cole Hindin, who is plagued by horrific hallucinations after having witnessed a murder-suicide. An overworked and over-medicated floor cleaning service employee faced with the daunting task of single-handedly servicing a sprawling mansion, Cole loses the last string of reality he could hang on to.
Isolerad (corridor)
The dark, psycho-horror begins with a geeky student moving into a new apartment to prep himself for exams at medical college. Little does Frank know that this will be followed by a chain of disturbing, unsettling events, involving Lotte, the strange girl living upstairs.
FOCUS ON MEXICAN CINEMA
Enamorada
The film narrates the story of guerrilla general José Juan Reyes and his troops, who take over the town of Cholula near Mexico City. As the revolutionaries plunder the town's riches, Reyes finds himself falling in love with the daughter of one of the town's richest men.
Chicogrande
A commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Mexican revolution this year, the film is set during Pancho Villa's raid on a New Mexico outpost in 1916 and the resulting American military expedition into Mexico to arrest and punish him.
DOCUMENTARIES ON WAR,
Zelal
The quiet masterpiece of hard-hitting reportage, has drawn global praise for its sobering insight into the lives of those afflicted by mental illness in Egypt today. Filmed in two large asylums, the film reveals the horrific conditions in which patients are expected to live - squalor and neglect is endemic, and therapy and treatment seems non-existent.
Damascus roof and tales of paradise
The tradition of storytelling in Syria and fables passed from grandparents to grandchildren, blended in colourful imagery, has been lost with time. The movie defines the danger that these stories will vanish amidst the rubble and disruption of a city undergoing modernisation.
DIVERSE CINEMA FROM INDIA
Shor (noise)
A gritty drama and satire based on a short film of the same name, Shor depicts the noise and chaos of Mumbai, India's most populous city. The film weaves together three interconnected stories during the Ganesha festival.
Elektra
Inspired by the ancient Greek myth, the Malayalam-language film focuses on the family drama of an aristocratic household in central Kerala.
GULF VOICES
In leaking
The film is about delving into the mind of a child who seeks solace from daily family problems by playing outside.
To rest in peace
Inspired by a true story, the film follows a Kuwaiti man who walks past dead bodies day after day. Stuck between his fear of death, and the respect and dignity for humanity that resides within him, he decides to bury the bodies himself
ANIMATION//ADVENTURE
Oblivion island: haruka and the magic mirror
Sixteen-year-old Haruka accidentally stumbles upon a host of unlikely creatures who sneak into the real world to gather the ditched and forgotten memorabilia and use them to build their own city.
The magic tree
One of the most awarded children's films of the year, the movie begins with a huge old oak tree cut down by people unaware of its power. The hundreds of objects made from its wood retain the tree's mysterious powers, including a red chair that can walk, fight and fulfil the wishes of anyone who sits on it. When the chair finds its way to a new home with three young children, it's the start of a series of incredible events.
MUHR EMIRATI
Two guys and a goat: the night before eid
The story revolves around the rising cost of buying a goat. Two enterprising young men find a creative solution: to steal a goat and cook it in front of its helpless owner, who has been tied up.
Hamama
This documentary follows a 90-year-old female healer and living legend from Al Dhaid. Sought out by hundreds of people every day, Hamama struggles to care for all those who need it while confronting her own infirmities and hardships.
LEGENDS IN WORLD MUSIC
Lennonnyc
A glimpse of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's life in New York in the 1970s. Featuring exclusive interviews with Ono and behind-the-scenes access to one of rock and roll's biggest legends, LennonNYC is a film that music lovers can't miss.
The piano in a factory
To fight for the custody of his daughter, a steel factory worker decides to create a piano from scratch to compete for her love for the instrument. A poignant tale of friendship and dedication, the film captures the core of unspoken wisdom and nostalgia in uncertain times.
OUTSTANDING FILMS
Aftershock
The movie focuses on the psychological scars of survivors of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed more than 240,000 people. Equipped with state-of-the-art special effects, the film begins on the day of the quake and traces its impact on a single family over 32 years.
Uncle boonmee who can recall his past lives
The final part of Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul's multi-platform art project Primitive, the surprising and enchanting story follows a dying Uncle Boonmee as he explores his past lives with the help of his dead wife and lost son.
POWERFUL BIOPICS/DARK DRAMAS
127 hours
The thrilling new film about a solo mountain climber forced to make tough decisions after being trapped under a boulder in Utah.
Biutiful
The story of a street criminal who discovers his time is running out and who struggles to leave something behind for his family.
MUHR ARAB SHOTS
Habibti
The film follows a conservative woman who pays a surprise visit to her estranged daughter in London and is shocked to find her living with a boyfriend.
Sabeel
Filmed in the northern emirates, Sabeel tells the story of two young boys who live with their elderly grandmother in the mountains of the UAE. Spending their days tending their vegetables and then selling produce on the road, they have to earn enough money to buy medicine for their sick grandmother.
Festival details
- Screening Venues
Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Souk, First Group Theatre, Madinat Arena, JBR The Walk
- Tickets
Tickets for festival screenings can be purchased by calling 04 391 3378 or from Box Office locations at:
Mall of the Emirates: December 09-11, from 10am to 9pm, December 12-18, from 10am to 11pm, December 19, 10:00 - 18:00, December 20 (Muhr Winners Screenings), 10:00 - 23:00
Dubai Media City, CNN Building,December 09-18, 10am to 6pm,December 19, 10am to 4pm.
Madinat Souk, First Group Theatre, December 09-11, 10am to 9pm, December 12-18, 10am to 11pm, December 19, 10am to 6pm
Madinat Arena, December 12-18, 9am to 6pm and 7pm to 9pm, December 19, 9pm to 6pm
JBR The Walk, Rhythm & Reels, December 12-18, 6:30pm to 9pm
All regular screenings cost Dh25; Dh10 for students presenting valid student ID
Rhythm & Reels (movies including a live performance) costs Dh45
Cinema for Children Gala costs Dh50 (Adult or Child)
Red Carpet Gala Screenings cost Dh80
Red Carpet Gala Deal: A total of 6 tickets for Dh425 that includes one ticket for each of the Red Carpet Gala films, excluding Children's Gala, Opening Gala and Awards Ceremony. These tickets cannot be substituted for other events.
Only formal or national dress will be allowed at Red Carpet Gala Screenings. Children who are under the age of 16 years will not be permitted to any screenings, other than Children's Gala Screening.
For more information log on to www.dubaifilmfest.com
