Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) 2014, powered by twofour54, has announced the selection for this year’s Emirates Film Competition (EFC).
The upcoming edition of the competition features a total of 53 films, of which 37 films are directed by women, representing a variety of genres. The line up also features films by Emirati filmmakers such as Nasser Al Tamimi’s “Female Scream”, Nasser Al-Yaqoubi’s “Haneen”, Hassan Kiyani’s “Marwan The Boxer” and Ali Mostafa’s musical “Rise”. In addition, Sarah Al Agroobi’s “Super Lochal” is among the selected films. “Desire” by Hala Matar (Bahrain, starring Johnny Knoxville) has been selected for ADFF’s Short Film Competition along with “Koshk”, directed by Emirati Abdullah Al-Kaabi. These two films will participate in both EFC and the Short Film Competition.
Highly anticipated films from the GCC region include “Now Showing” directed by Abdullah Al Daihani (Kuwait), “Rainbow” directed by Mahmood Al-Shaikh (Bahrain), “623” directed by Shaikha Al-Naimi (Qatar).
Saleh Karama, Director of the Emirates Film Competition, said: “At ADFF, one of our main objectives is to allow students to follow their passion for filmmaking and we also aim to connect aspiring directors with film experts from all over the world. Exposure at film festivals like ADFF will help them gain more fundamentals required for contributing to the region’s film industry.”
Ali Al Jabri, Director of ADFF, added: “We have registered an increase in the total number of submissions over the last year. We are particularly delighted with the significant rise in the number of female filmmakers as well as the great diversity of genres within the submissions themselves. Short films are witnessing a renaissance today and we are showcasing a strong body of work from the region.”
EFC was launched in 2001 and hosts annual workshops, as well as interviews between directors, students, those interested in cinema and film industry.
ADFF was established in 2007 to create a vibrant film culture throughout the region. A key event in Abu Dhabi’s cultural calendar, ADFF features an extensive 10-day programme of Arab and international cinema, complemented by red-carpet premieres, co-production meetings and associated events. Films compete for Black Pearl Awards in the Narrative, Documentary and New Horizons sections of ADFF’s programme.
