The GCC Film Festival is heading to the UAE for the first time, after a three-year hiatus.
First launched in Doha in 2012, then held in Kuwait a year later, the third edition is set to come to Abu Dhabi from October 16 to 20 with screenings to be held at Novo Cinemas at Abu Dhabi Mall.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, the festival team is lead by celebrated Emirati playwright, director and actor Habib Ghuloom Al Attar.
“The UAE got together with the cultural ministers of the GCC and asked to host the third edition of the festival,” he said during an Abu Dhabi press conference announcing the festival.
“We are leaders in celebrating art and culture and music and theatre; it makes sense to hold the festival here, and God willing, it will have continuity. We’re proud to have taken the initiative and sparked the return of this festival.”
Al Attar says the GCC film festival is not meant to take over the role vacated by the suspension of Dubai’s Gulf Film Festival and the cancellation of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
“We are not replacing these festivals,” he said. “This is a very different cultural project that brings together the artistic output of the GCC countries in particular.”
However, Yasser Ali Al Gergawi says there have been calls made by the local film community for an event to showcase its talents.
“I remember well when the Gulf Film Festival was cancelled in Dubai, there was strong feedback in the region to bring back a festival for the GCC region as a meeting place for all filmmakers to meet and share and discuss,” he said. “We care about these talents, whether the beginners or the more established filmmakers and we want to remain pioneers and leaders in hosting these type of events and stressing their importance.”
Al Gergawi says that the festival will include workshops organised by both the Manhattan Film Academy and New York University, in addition to a seminar addressing the importance of cinema in combating terrorism.
In total, 27 films from the six GCC countries — the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — will be screened. Each country can only submit a maximum of five films.
Of the 27 narrative, documentary and animated films slated to be screened during the festival, the five Emirati entries are made up of two documentaries and three narratives.
They include:
Road, a 35-minute film by Abdullah Al Junaibi, will open the festival on Sunday, October 16 at 8:30pm.
Going to Heaven, a 90-minute narrative by Saeed Salmeen, will screen on Monday, October 17 at 4pm.
Both the 85-minute documentary Close Sky by Nujoom Al Ghanem and the 90-minute Royal Love narrative by Jamal Salem will screen on Tuesday, October 18 at 4pm.
Finally, 150-minute documentary film A Tale of Water, Palm Trees and Family by Naser Al Zahri will screen on Wednesday, October 19 at 4pm.
“The choice of movies is based on the calibre of these movies and the reputation associated with them and the success they’ve garnered,” Al Attar said. “We cared about showing the best we had to offer.”
artslife@thenational.ae
