Tabloid talks to the international panel that put together the varied collection of films
The varied and multifaceted programme at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has been put together by an international panel of people who have vast experience of film festivals all over the world. Tabloid takes a look at the DIFF Programming Team.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali
Programmer for the Arabian Nights segment and the Spotlight on director Daoud Abdel Sayed; assistant programmer for the Arabian Shorts segment.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali is the artistic director of the UAE Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi and the founder-director of the annual Emirates Film Competition. Regarded as a leading expert on Arab Cinema, he is a well-known film critic and has directed several short films and documentaries.
“Preparing a programme titled Arabian Nights within an Arab festival that has chosen cultural bridges as its theme was a challenge.
“I wanted to avoid presenting either a postcard image or a bare negative aspect of the Middle East and to tell both sides of the story from the viewpoint of Arabs and others.
"Hence we have selected films that are wholly Arab productions as well as joint Arab-Western ventures from many different countries and in many languages,” says Al Ali.
“Arabian Nights endeavours to highlight the important issues affecting Arabs today and to present all that is unique and special about Arab society and Arab cinema,” he added.
Sheila Whitaker
Programmer for the Contemporary World Cinema segment.
Sheila Whitaker has been head of programming at London’s National Film Theatre from 1984 to 1990 and director of the London Film Festival from 1897 to 1996.
A well-known writer and film festival consultant, she has edited books on Argentine and Iranian cinema, served on many international festival juries and is currently a member of the programming commission for the Locarno Film Festival.
Whitaker worked together with Antonia Carver, assistant programmer for the Contemporary World Cinema segment.
Carver is a writer, editor and film festival programmer based in Dubai and is currently an editor of Bidoun magazine. She is also a programming consultant to the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
“Our aim was to present a vibrant collection of regional premieres that provides a snapshot of current world cinema.
"With films in a variety of genres and subjects from countries such as the UK, France, Iran, the Philippines, Russia, Brazil, China and the US, the programme is a celebration of diversity; yet it reminds us of cinema’s unique capacity to unite and build bridges between cultures,” says Whitaker.
Noah Cowan Programmer for the Operation Cultural Bridge and Hi Tech Hollywood segments.
Noah Cowan was director of programming at the Toronto Film Festival between 1995 and 2000 and has recently been appointed the festival’s co-director.
He runs a film company, Code Red Films, and is a well- known film columnist. He worked along with Neil Stephenson, CEO and festival director of DIFF and assistant programmer of this segment.
“Operation cultural bridge is the heart and soul of DIFF. Our inspiration has been Dubai, a city where people from all over the world live in harmony.
"Our effort has been to convey through the medium of films the message that conflict and inter-cultural tensions are best resolved through open mindedness, tolerance and discussion,” says Cowan.
“The Hi-Tech Hollywood section is a tribute to the behind-the-scenes craftsmen, particularly animators and light and sound specialists,” he adds.
Uma Da Cunha
Programmer for the Bollywood meets Hollywood and spotlight on Subhash Ghai segments.
Uma da Cunha has vast experience in organising film events for the Indian government and as an advisor and representative of festivals all over the world.
She is a well-known critic, editor of Film India Worldwide and was the casting director for films such as Monsoon Wedding, Holy Smoke and Lagaan.
“The term Bollywood implies that we imitate Hollywood. But Indian cinema is unique, deeply Indian and as old as cinema itself. The five films we have selected represent the popularity of Indian films in India and their global reach. We have included works by pioneers from India as well as from Indians based abroad,” says da Cunha.
Hannah Fisher
Programmer for the Cinema from the Subcontinent segment and coordinator for Directors in the Spotlight and the DIFF Discussion panel.
Hannah Fisher is a specialist in South Asian Cinema. A former director of the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the programme director for the cruise ship based Floating Film Festival, Fisher has also worked as a programmer for the Montreal, Kolkata and Kerala Film Festivals.
She worked together with Claudia Landsberger, coordinator of the directors in the spotlight and DIFF Discussion Panel. Landsberger is the president of the European Film Promotion and managing director of Holland Film, the national film promotion and marketing agency of the Netherlands.
She is also on the selection committee of the Competition Programme of the Berlin International Film Festival.
“The cinema from the subcontinent segment recognises that Dubai’s population includes many people from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
"Each film we have selected represents in some way social change and the recent upheavals of modern society in countries that have a shared history and where the legacy of colonial rule and partition is still evident.
"While India’s film industry offers many opportunities to budding filmmakers, we hope that the inclusion in DIFF of other filmmakers from the subcontinent will encourage and help to have their voice heard,” said Fisher.
Mohammad Maklouf
Programmer for the Arabian Shorts segment.
UK-based Mohammad Maklouf is a filmmaker, critic and international jury member. He is the founder-director of the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival, held in London and Qatar.
He has directed several documentaries, and is one of the region’s foremost experts on Arab short and documentary films.
“I have a passion for Arab short films and documentaries, which I have labelled Arabic films that Arabs never watch. The directors of these films are virtually unknown and were my inspiration in establishing the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival in London in 1999.
"The festival has discovered many young and promising Arab talents that have become the base for a new Arab cinematic movement,” says Maklouf.
“At DIFF, people will get the opportunity to watch unique films that reflect Arab hopes and concerns and are thought provoking. These films are short but they are films with big ideas,” he adds.
Lucia Rikaki
Programmer for the Destination Documentary segment.
Lucia Rikaki is a film director, producer and film festival director based in Athens. She is the managing director of the Balkan Fund for Script Development and the artistic director of the Rhodes-based Ecofilms Festival. She runs a production company called Tricky Trick Films.
“This segment offers a unique opportunity for showcasing alternative cinema.
“I believe that filmmakers have a social responsibility to focus on the destruction of our natural environment and the devaluation of our cultural environment. Hence the five documentaries I have selected are all recent productions that highlight issues concerning society and the environment.
“It is a salute to directors and film crews who shun the comfort, safety and fame associated with mainstream cinema to raise crucial issues,” says Rikaki.
Tony Sloman
Programmer for Omar Sharif: a Celebration.
Tony Sloman is a director, producer, editor, distributor, programmer and journalist. A Life Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), he has served on many juries and was recently elected to the Cinema Veterans Association.
“It was a pleasure to prepare this salute to Sharif, who is the first Arab actor to achieve total Hollywood stardom and to prove a versatility unbounded by his own ethnicity,” says Sloman.
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