Last year's inaugural Tropfest Arabia drew huge crowds eager to see the best short films from around the Mena region. Courtesy Tropfest Arabia
Last year's inaugural Tropfest Arabia drew huge crowds eager to see the best short films from around the Mena region. Courtesy Tropfest Arabia

Much creativity found in Mena short films



Shining the light on aspiring regional filmmakers, Tropfest Arabia returns to the capital for a second year. Here's your must-have guide to the much anticipated 2012 competition.

Tropfest, whatfest?

Not familiar? Here's the skinny: it's the Arabic version of the world's largest short film festival which originated in Australia and has fast become one of the country's major cultural events. Open to nationals from 19 countries in the Mena region, the Arabian version has just announced the judging panel for its second edition. Tomorrow night, the Emirati animator and the creator of the TV series Freej, Mohammed Saeed Harib, will represent the UAE and critique hopefuls competing for a plethora of prizes.

Joining Harib at the top table are a host of actors, directors and producers from the Middle East. Not least among them is Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker, Haifa Al Mansour, the Egyptian writer and director Amr Salama and the Lebanese musician-cum-composer, Khaled Mouzanar.

Ones to watch

Whittled down from more than 200 hundreds entries, 16 shortlisted films selected by Tropfest's founder John Polson and this year's co-director, the Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, will be shown to the jury. The victors' names will then be announced before a live audience, says Sabry.

"Tropfest Arabia proved a huge success in its inaugural year with high-quality film submissions coming in from across the region," she says. "We anticipated an even higher volume of submissions this year and I'm very pleased that we have managed to create a very strong and diverse jury that will have the arduous task of picking a winner."

The creative criteria

The judges will be casting their eagle eyes over each short film to ensure they contain "TSI", or the "Tropfest Signature Items". This year's theme is simply described as "two" by the organisers, who expect the filmmakers to interpret the number as obviously or as subtly as they please.

"The TSI is designed to test the creativity of local filmmakers and to ensure that their entries are made specifically for Tropfest Arabia 2012," says Sabry.

Spanning all genres and styles, this year's entries include the Moroccan director Khaled El Boumeshouli's film Abjad, which tells the story of a man who is both passionate about classical Arabic and suffering from insomnia. Also to be shown is For Sale by the Egyptian filmmaker Ehab Mustapha, which depicts a melancholy clown who tries to sell his heart to regain lost hope.

Getting the gongs

Up for grabs this year is the top prize of US$12,500 (Dh45,900) plus a trip to Los Angeles to hobnob with industry professionals, courtesy of the Motion Picture Association. The second placed filmmaker will receive $7,500 and a trip to the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, thanks to twofour54 and Variety magazine. The filmmaker awarded third place will be given $5,000 and an internship with MBC2.

The event, which will take place at Al Sahil Beach, Abu Dhabi Corniche, is free to the public and doors will open at 6.30pm.If you are unable to attend on the big night, check out the Mena region offerings that made it through to the final round at www.tropfest.com or www.tropfest.com/arabia-en. Further information can also be found at www.facebook.com/TROPFEST.arabia, twitter.com/TROPFESTarabia and www.youtube.com/TROPFESTarabia

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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

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  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

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Profile Periscope Media

Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)

Launch year: 2020

Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021

Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year

Investors: Co-founders