“Confessions of a Gambler’, the South African feature film
which just finished post production in Cape Town, will premier at the
2007 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in December. The film is based on the Sunday Times award-winning novel by Rayda Jacobs who adapted the screenplay herself from her own
novel, directed the film, and played the lead.
USA Today in a recent article entitled, “Where in the World are the
Hottest Film Fests?’ ranked DIFF along with industry giants such as
Sundance, the biggest independent festival in North America, and Cannes,
which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. The article pointed to the
importance of DIFF’s mandate to bring people together in the Middle East
to share cultural differences, and complimented its spirit and that of the
city of Dubai itself.’
“Confessions of a Gambler’ lifts the veil on the Muslim community. It tells the story of Abeeda, a Muslim woman who confronts the prejudices of her community whilst struggling with a gambling addiction. Abeeda wrestles with her faith and the challenges that face women in the
world today.
Jacobs says she hopes “to change some of the biggest myths about Muslim
women with the film. Namely that we have individual identities, that we
are fun, that we are pious, that we have addictions, that we sin, and that
we are just like any other woman who wants to be loved, and who would
do anything for their children.’
Executive producer Costa Theo (“Out on a Limb’, “Blind Dating’) identified
the award-winning novel and was instrumental in securing the project and
bringing the film to life the assistance of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the SABC.
The film is produced by Ross Garland, a Berlin Golden Bear winner for U-
Carmen eKhayelitsha, the Xhosa language adaptation of the opera
Carmen. Theo and Garland are also behind “ig Fellas’, the road trip BEE
comedy film which will be released nationwide in Nu Metro cinemas on
23 November.
The Dubai International Film Festival runs from 9 to 16 December. This year Sharon
Stone will be one of the VIP guests.
