The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and the Maraya Art Centre are offering audiences an exclusive opportunity to experience the work of up-and-coming student filmmakers on Saturday 3 May at 18h30.
Free to the public, the short films will show at Al Qasba in Sharjah, allowing audiences the chance to watch debut work from some of the region’s most interesting novice artists.
Produced by promising and exceptional student talents from different parts of the region, such as the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the eight short films are:
Impurity: Directed by Kuwaiti filmmaker Ahmed Al Terkait, a young girl searches for her lost sister in a world of despair and hatred.
Just a Picture: Directed by Nawaf Alhoshan from Saudi Arabia, three men go to the desert to take a picture but the photographer abandons two of them in the scorching no-man’s land in this short that won the Special Jury Prize at the Gulf Film Festival in 2013 and also screened at the Dubai International Film Festival.
Eastern Winds: By filmmakers Timo Von Gunten and Jawaher Al Sudairy, comes a picture of political and social struggles as youthful protestors called for government reform, economic opportunity and political freedom known as the Arab Awakening.
A Promise: The parts of our life that remain in our memory and other parts that keep us in the memory of others are explored by Saudi Arabian writer and director Abdulrahman Jerash.
The Signature: Emirati media student Eman Al Barakani presents a tale about creative student Sara who stays late at college to work on her project when strange things start happening…
Moments: From award-winning Ebrahim Al Rasbi from the UAE, the movie took Best Film and Best Student Director at the 2013 Gulf Film Festival and focuses on two people talking about and remembering their deceased friend.
Balloons: Khaled Al Bayati, an Iraqi filmmaker, gives a glimpse into the world of a balloon seller in a movie that won the award for Best Emerging Talent at the Gulf Film Festival in 2013.
Slow Death: Hussein al-Maliki from Iraq shows how television brings about the loss of identity in its viewers.
Dubai International Film Festival Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said: “The “Dubai International Film Festival’s Film Nights’ is a great opportunity for audiences to experience the far horizon of Gulf film; new artists, experimental techniques, and fresh attitudes toward Gulf society and culture. The subject matter of the films is incredibly diverse, showing the range of interests and concerns of the young generation living in the Gulf, as well as their hopes and aspirations.’
The event starts at 18h30 at the Maraya Art Centre in Al Qasba, Sharjah and the evening is open to adults older than 18 years.
