Award-winning films from across the Middle East contribute to a competitive selection for this year’s Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) Muhr Arab Shorts film segment.
Seven world premieres, two international premieres, four Middle East premieres and two GCC firsts will showcase new talent in Arab cinema.
British filmmaker of Moroccan descent Fyzal Boulifa presents Curse, the story of a woman who is persecuted by villagers after it’s revealed she’s having an affair with an older man. Curse won both the Premier Prix Illy for Short Filmmaking in Cannes and The Fujifilm Shorts competition this year. Another submission still basking in Cannes glory and making its Middle East Premiere at Diff is Waiting for P.O Box, funded by Enjaaz. Directed by Bassam Chekhes, who was the first Syrian director to have ever been in a competition at Cannes, his 15-minute film narrates the challenges of filmmaking in an emerging region.
Behind Me Olive Trees, by Lebanese director Pascale Abou Jamra, was selected for a special screening at Cannes and deals with the unknown side of Lebanon’s recent painful history. The short was selected in Cinefoundation in Cannes and will make its GCC Premiere at Diff.
The segment features 15 shortlisted films, which span an array of genres from drama and fiction to social and children’s film, originating from the Gulf, the Levant, Maghreb and Egypt — along with France, the UK and USA.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director of Diff said: “The Arab shorts competitions are among the most anticipated in the festival, and this year is expected to be no different given the exceptional scripting and careful crafting of each of the tales. The short format is used by emerging and established filmmakers alike to tell compelling, hard hitting and contemporary stories in a unique way.”
Visit dubaifilmfest.com for more information and for tickets to the ninth edition.
