3 Emirati Filmmakers To Capture The ’Soul Of Dubai’
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, has announced that three Emirati filmmakers have been commissioned to make short films for the Authority’s new cultural initiative, ‘Soul of Dubai.’
Aimed at showcasing the dynamic growth of the city as well as its cultural diversity and heritage, the ‘Soul of Dubai’ initiative captures the essence of Dubai, as seen through the eyes of its artistic community, and will explore various artforms to highlight the cultural identity of the Emirate. The inaugural ‘Soul of Dubai’ focuses on film, with Dubai Culture commissioning Emirati filmmakers to capture on screen the cultural essence of the city
The filmmakers selected for the Soul of Dubai film initiative are: Ali M Mostafa, Nayla Al Khaja and Khalid Ali, with their projects tentatively titled as: Don’t Judge a Subject by its Photograph, The Neighbor and Night, respectively. The films will be screened at the 2013 edition of the Gulf Film Festival (GFF), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture.
Salem Belyouha, Project & Events Director, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “The three filmmakers selected for the inaugural ‘Soul of Dubai,’ represent the rich cinematic talent in the UAE, who are the forefront in driving the growth of an Emirati film industry. By exploring the varied facets of Dubai, they will provide audiences with vivid insights into the cultural and arts scene of the city, underlining Dubai’s position as a thriving artistic and cultural destination.
“While the inaugural phase of ‘Soul of Dubai’ focuses on film, the Authority will broaden the initiative’s horizon and branch out to cover the remaining disciplines of art including visual arts, performing arts, and literature, providing an all-encompassing outlook of the city’s cultural facets to a global audience,” he added.
Ali M Mostafa’s Don’t Judge a Subject by its Photograph is set in Dubai’s buzzing art scene, as gallerist Maha tries to make a good impression on Indian writer Bobby Dhillon, Dubai’s infamous art critic. Young and enthusiastic Emirati Amal, an amateur photographer recognised as a gifted lady, is discovered by Maha, and she manages to capture one photograph that changes Dhillon’s view on the gallery and the local art scene as a whole.
Scooping the award for ‘Best Emirati Filmmaker’ at the 4th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), in addition to marking his big screen debut with the feature film City of Life at the sixth edition of the Festival, Mostafa is credited with putting Emirati filmmaking on the international map.
Nayla Al Khaja’s The Neighbor follows the story of an anorexic girl, who is new to the city of Dubai, and finds herself struggling with low self-esteem and loneliness, when a simple human act from her neighbor changes her perspective in life and opens her appetite for hope.
Producer, director, and Chief Executive Officer of D-Seven Productions, Nayla Al Khaja is the first woman film producer in the United Arab Emirates. Winner of ‘Best Script’ at DIFF 2010, her film Malal, was the first Emirati-Indian film, which was extensively shot in Kerala. Al Khaja was recognised by Arabian Business as one of the ‘500 Most Powerful Arab People’ in 2012.
Khalid Ali’s Night shines the light on the vibrant city of Dubai, its pulsating spirit, identity and simplicity. But within the city resides the innocent dreams of an Emirati family preparing for Hag Alilah, despite the challenges that they face, underlining how joy and sorrow can both be found even in the most obstinate of times.
Emirati director and scriptwriter Khalid Ali has won numerous accolades for his short films, which explore hard-hitting topics including drugs and terrorism. Using film as an outlet to tackle social issues, Ali also directs TV-movies, in addition to work across the region’s theatre circuit.
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is committed to spearheading the growth of the various disciplines of art – from visual and performing arts, to film and literature, providing a conducive environment for emerging and established artists to flourish in.
For more information, please contact Dubai Culture via email at arstservices@dubaiculture.ae, call at 04 515 5004 or www.dubaiculture.ae.
Emirate: Dubai
Date: Dec 11, 2012
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