The Gulf Film Festival is almost upon us and, while we haven't yet seen the full line-up, we can reveal a couple of the features to be screened in Dubai's Festival City next month. And among the bigger names coming is the superb Saudi drama Wadjda.
Sure, Wadjda – by Haifaa Al Mansour, the first and possibly only female Saudi filmmaker – may have had its regional debut at the Dubai International Film Festival in December, where its main star Waad Mohammed rightfully picked up the Best Actress award for her spectacular and moving portrayal of a young girl growing up amid the inequalities of Saudi society. But, arguably, the film's spiritual home is the Gulf Film Festival, where it first emerged as a mere script six years ago before blossoming into the full-length feature – which is due to release across UK cinemas this summer – we see today. If you didn't manage to catch Wadjda last year, don't miss out this time.
Also among the line-up is the award winning Kurdish drama Bekas, which is also screening at DIFF (it picked up the People's Choice Award), Iraqi-French musician and filmmaker Leila Albayaty's road-movie Berlin Telegram and It's About To Rain, a moving drama about an Algerian father in Italy. Oh, and there's also The Scream, a compelling documentary exploring women's rights in Yemen amid 2011's uprising.
The Gulf Film Festival will take place from April 11-17. For more information, head to www.gulffilmfest.com
