Dubai gears up for star-studded film festival

The work of UAE’s most talented filmmakers has been selected to form a 13-strong film lineup, all of which are world premieres, for the Muhr Emirati competition at the 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which runs from Dec. 6-13.

The Muhr Emirati category celebrates local rising talent from the UAE and shares their projects with a global audience.

DIFF, the region’s top film festival, previously announced Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett as head of the festival’s IWC Filmmakers Jury for the sixth IWC Filmmaker Award.

Blanchett will make her third appearance on the DIFF red carpet, having already chaired the IWC jury in 2013.

The award, which will be presented at a star-studded gala during this year’s DIFF, gives cinematic talent from the region a chance to bring their projects to the silver screen.

She will join a jury comprising IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, DIFF Chairman Abdul Hamid Juma, Tunisian actress Hend Sabri and Diff Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al-Ali.

A $100,000 cash prize will be awarded to one feature-length film project in development to help the winning filmmaker bring their idea to fruition on the big screen. Previous years have seen winning scripts from Emirati directors Abdullah Hassan Ahmed and Layla Kaylif, Kuwaiti director Abdullah Boushahri and British-Iraqi director Maysoon Pachachi.

The nominees for the 2017 IWC Filmmaker Award include: Emirati director and screenwriter Nayla Al-Khajja for “Animal;” Bahraini filmmaker Mohammad Rashid Buali for “Kombars;” Saudi director Haifaa Al-Mansour for her feature “Miss Camel;” and Omani filmmaker Muzna Al-Musafer, for “The Crown of Olives.”

Award-winning filmmakers and producers Jeremy Chilnick and Matthew Galkin will also join DIFF’S 14th edition with his latest documentary, “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!”