Tamer Abdel Hamid (Abu Dhabi)
Emirati cinema continues to have a strong presence in international festivals through the participation of a group of feature films and documentaries in international forums, in addition to the great resonance it achieves with its rich content, diversity of societal stories, different ideas and the high technical and artistic level of implementation. Most of them won several international awards, which strengthened the presence of the local film globally. During the last period, a group of local films were shown in international cinema forums, which garnered positive reactions and showed the world the Emirati culture. Saban Films recently announced that it had obtained the rights to screen the Emirati feature film “Al Ambush” in America and Canada, as it plans to release it in cinemas. It is produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and AGC International and directed by French international Pierre Morel. The work achieved great successes after it was shown in local cinemas in November 2021 across 185 screens. And “The Ambush” starring Marwan Abdullah Saleh and Mansour Al-Faili, and tells the facts of a true story of 3 Emirati soldiers who were stuck in an ambush and waiting for support forces to rescue them after their armored vehicle was subjected to a violent attack. From a group of rebels in a mountain valley, they are left with only one hope of a daring rescue mission from the planning and execution of their valiant leader.
“100 packages”
More than evidence of local cinema being at the forefront of global platforms, and the cultural embassy of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science “ALECO” recently organized a screening of the Emirati documentary film “100 Packages”, produced by “Anasi Media” and directed by Mazen Al-Khairat, in “Soho House” in Hollywood. The film won the Gold Award at the International Independent Film Awards in America, was nominated for the Rome Prisma Film Awards in Italy, reached the Flickr Road Island International Festival qualifiers, and was officially selected for the North Carolina Film Festival and Stockholm Film Festival. The film sheds light on landmines and their impact on life, as their severe damage remains, and their danger remains for civilians for many years even after the end of the conflict.
Director Mazen Al-Khairat reviews the efforts of the coalition forces teams and local teams specialized in removing mines from residential areas in Yemen.
behind the wall of silence
The movie “218 – Behind the Wall of Silence”, starring Amal Muhammad, Habib Ghuloom and Abdullah Bin Haider, won the Best Asian Actress Award for Amal Muhammad for her role in the film, at the Septimius Awards ceremony in Amsterdam. The work is a product of the “Emirati Art Experience” initiative launched by Sharjah Media City “Shams” in 2019 under the slogan “Cinema starts from here” to develop the infrastructure of the film industry in the areas of creative and technical film production. He competed strongly at the “Septimius Film Festival”, and was nominated in the festival awards for the categories of “Best Asian Actress” and “Best Asian Film”.
the best of ages
On the great development witnessed by Emirati cinema, the artist Habib Ghuloom, who participated in the “218 – Behind the Wall of Silence” tournament, confirmed that local cinema is living its brightest era in the field of creative content and films, with the support of local authorities specialized in implementing cinematic films of the highest quality. He praised the youth’s orientation towards the professional film industry and presenting everything that is different in terms of content, high performance and diverse social stories, which qualify for participation in international and international festivals.
Quantum leap
Marwan Abdullah, who participated in the movie “Ambush” and embodied the character of the martyr Sergeant Ali Al-Mismari, stated that with the support of the authorities concerned with art and the creation of creative content, especially that local films constituted a qualitative leap on the scene, with filmmakers keen on the strong presence of films and their implementation at the highest levels. . He explained that “Al Kamin” is considered one of the largest local productions, to be the best evidence of the high artistic and technical level that Emirati cinema enjoys, especially with the cooperation of a group of the most prominent international filmmakers, including French director Pierre Morel, writers Brandon Bertil and Curtis Bertel, and professional production operations. Managed by Image Nation – Abu Dhabi and AGC Studios. It came in cooperation with producer Derek Dauchi, which made him master a diverse performance on the golden screen in his first experience in the world of war and action films, expressing his happiness that “Ambush” is the first non-English language cinematic work to join the list of Saban’s cinematic business acquisitions. Films.
artistic maturity
For her part, director Nahla Al-Fahd, who won several international awards through her two documentaries “Hijab” and “218 – Behind the Wall of Silence”, praised the remarkable development witnessed by the implementation of feature films, documentaries and shorts, as this artistic maturity appears very clearly at the level of cinematic technique. Excellent photography and professional effects. She said: The participation of local films in international forums and festivals is a step that strengthens its position in the Arab and global market. In recent years, Emirati cinema has made great strides in attendance and competition, with the support of the authorities concerned with art and the passion of filmmakers and young creative cadres who have entered strongly in the film market.
14 film festivals
The film “Amouri’s Lover” was able to participate in 14 film festivals around the world, and won 5 international awards. It is starring Mansour Al-Faili, Alaa Shaker, Abdullah bin Haider and Abdul Rahman Al-Mulla, and a number of young faces, written and directed by Amer Salmeen Al-Marri, and its events revolve around the dreams of a child attached to the Emirati football player Omar Abdul Rahman, and he continued to struggle to become a famous star referred to as stubbornness.
15 prizes
Emirati writer and director Nasser Al Dhaheri won several international awards, by participating in official competitions for international film festivals, with his documentary film “In the Biography of Water, Palms and Family,” which won 15 awards, including: “Best Director for Best Foreign Film” at the Berlin Festival and 3 merit awards from America. The Best Foreign Film from Denmark, the Best Director from Barcelona, the Toronto Festival in Canada, and the Best Story from Madrid. He won the Best Director award for his short film “Tolerance” at the Madrid International Film Festival.
Al Dhaheri pointed out that the local short film was able to represent the UAE in international forums, through different scripts and a highly professional production in terms of production, sound, colors and music, in order to be able to bypass the conditions for participation in the official competitions of festivals. He stressed that he is establishing a real cinema industry in the region, through which he will win awards and honors, and promote UAE cinema abroad.