A scene from Mai Masri's '3000 Nights'
DIFF-backed Arab films to screen at Toronto fest
DUBAI, August 25, 2015
Three feature films by Arab filmakers, backed by the Dubai International Film Festival's (DIFF) Dubai Film Market (DFM), is set to screen at the 40th Toronto Film Festival next month.
The line-up includes acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu Assad whose Golden Globe winning feature ‘Paradise Now’ opened DIFF in 2005 and he most recently opened the festival’s 10th edition with ‘Omar’, which garnered Abu Assad his second Oscar nomination, said a statement.
This year, the filmmaker returns to the screen with the highly anticipated biopic ‘The Idol’, supported by Enjaaz, the DFM's post-production and production financing programme that has funded more than 100 films since its inception.
The film will receive a ‘Special Presentation’ at TIFF and follows the story of Mohammad Assaf, the Gazan wedding singer who became a worldwide sensation after winning the live-singing competition Arab Idol in 2013.
Joining ‘The Idol’, award winning Palestinian filmmaker Mai Masri’s ‘3000 Nights’, also supported by Enjaaz and a past project in the DFM’s Interchange programme, will enjoy its world premiere in TIFF’s ‘World Contemporary Cinema’ section.
Inspired by the true stories of the children who were born in Israeli prisons and the young girls coming of age behind bars, ‘3000 Nights’ focuses on a young Palestinian woman who discovers that she is pregnant just as a group of her fellow inmates launch a revolt against the prison administration.
Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid's first feature ‘As I Open My Eyes’, which was presented at the DFM’s co-production market the Dubai Film Connection (DFC) in 2013, will garner the global spotlight in TIFF’s 'World Contemporary Cinema' section.
Set on the eve of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution, the film follows an up-and-coming underground band as they are pulled in all directions by creative energy, authoritarian oppression, and rebellion.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF artistic director, said: “We are delighted and extremely proud to have supported three highly talented Arab filmmakers who have been selected to showcase their work to international audiences at one of the most sought after slots in the film industry calendar.
"Over the past 12 years we have witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of incredible and powerful films from both emerging and established filmmakers that has resulted in many Arab films transcending borders and gaining international recognition at festivals and accolades around the world.”
The DIFF team will also head to TIFF to continue its efforts at promoting Arab talent at the high profile event and select a must-see films for UAE audiences to experience at this year’s festival which will run from December 9 to 16. - TradeArabia News Service
