Emirati filmmaker Abdullah Hassan Ahmed was this year’s IWC Prize recipient at the Dubai International Film Festival. He was presented with the award at a ceremony hosted by former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, alongside TV personalities Raya Abirached and Bassel Alzaro.
Ahmed's film Sunrise tells the story of a worried father who receives tragic news about his son, who is fighting in a distant war. With a pregnant wife to take care of, he is unsure how to deliver the news without causing too much anguish. Ahmed's film beat off competition from Salem by Nujoom Alghanem and The Search for the Star Pearl, by Qatari director Hafiz Ali Ali.
The filmmaker takes home a $100,000 grant to move on the development of the movie, as well as a Portugieser Automatic watch, courtesy of the event sponsors.
The IWC Award is presented annually to Gulf directors with projects in development to help move their ideas from page to screen. Previous winners have included Waleed Al Shehhi's Dolphins, which premiered at the 2014 festival and received a full cinema release in the UAE the following year.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
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Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Qosty Byogaani
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