Dubai: An Emirati filmmaker has been nominated for the Muhr Emirati Awards at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) this year.
Mohammad Al Hammadi, 28, has directed a 17-minute Arabic short sci-fi film, Al Zaman Al Baki (The Remaining Time). He is also the scriptwriter and producer of the film.
“Al Zaman Al Baki is a story about aliens invading Earth. A girl is trapped in a room with a stranger and the movie is about how they survive the ordeal,” said Al Hammadi.
The cast and crew of the film - Rashid Hasan, Manahel Alawadi, Dania Al Moussa, Suhaib Abdullah, Faris Naji – are all UAE residents.
Al Hammadi said it took him eight months to write the script and film it. “I submitted the movie for the Muhr Emirati awards in October. Last week, the organisers called to say that it has been nominated for the awards. I am really excited,” he said.
Prequel
A graduate in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in the US, Al Hammadi said he is planning to turn this short fiction into a bigger feature. “Right now it is only a 17-minute video and is a glimpse of a larger story I have written. You can call it a prequel.” Al Zaman Al Baki will be screened at Vox Cinemas in Mall of the Emirates on December 11 and 12.
“The Muhr Awards are very prestigious. The competition has helped raise profiles of the award recipients on various international platforms. So it is a great honour for me to be nominated,” said Al Hammadi.
Cash prizes for short films range from Dh25,000 to Dh75,000. Besides, winners automatically qualify for consideration for the Oscar Awards.
