Gulf Times
A scene from Playground Chronicles
The Arab Film Competition during this year’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) will present established and emerging faces of Arab cinema as they make a marked evolution in the cinematic sensibilities and approaches of the region’s filmmakers.
They are from Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Through their films marked by a distinctive cinematic style, they address issues that were seldom tackled before such as freedom of political expression, family and love stories set amidst strife and the searing tales of fighters in post-revolution nations.
The centerpiece of DTFF, the Arab Film Competition with prize money of over $440,000, has a total of 27 films including seven documentaries, seven narrative features and 13 shorts films from 10 Arab countries including first time entries to the competition from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The best feature narrative and documentary will each receive prize money of $100,000. An award of $50,000 will be awarded to the best directors in both categories.
A best performance award of $15,000 will be presented in the Feature Narrative competition while the best short film will receive $10,000 and a development prize of up to $10,000.
The Arab Film Competition for narrative features and documentaries has five world premieres and two international premieres as well as eight world and international premieres.
The films that make their world premiere in the Arab Film Competition include feature films: Asham: A Man Called Hope; Playground Chronicles; Die Welt and Goodbye Morocco; and the documentary O My Body!.
The world premieres in the short film competition section include: Ismail, Sanctity, The Forgotten, The Wall, Bidoon and Tariq.
DTFF vice-chair Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi said: “The most fascinating aspect of this year’s Arab Film Competition selection is their thematic brilliance and attention to cinematic detailing. Bringing together works by renowned auteurs as well as high-calibre debutants, the selection is a clear statement on how Arab cinema has evolved, particularly after the events of the Arab Spring.”
He mentioned that the Arab film competition serves as a stepping-stone for regional filmmakers to showcase their creativity to the global community and complements DTFF’s efforts to support the development of a credible regional film industry.
Auteurs competing for top honours include Merzak Allouache, Tahani Rached, Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige, Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, Nabil Ayouch and Nadir Moknèche.
Representing the emerging face of Arab cinema, directors such as Hanan Abdalla, Maggie M Morgan, Karim Alexander Pitstra, Brahim Fritah, Tamara Stepanyan and Damien Ounouri will share the spotlight with established names.
Their films present two uniquely different perspectives from the region, highlighting classical works and innovative approaches with several subject matters.
DTFF’s Arab Film Competition also highlights the strong inroads being made by Arab female filmmakers with 10 films, more than one third of the total selection, portraying the struggles, aspirations, achievements and hopes of women across the region.
To evaluate the impact of the Arab Spring on the region’s cinema, DTFF will also host a panel discussion on ‘Emerging Cinema of Change.’
Chief Arab programmer Hania Mroue, who works closely with resident filmmaker and programmer Chadi Zeneddine, to curate the programme for the Arab Film Competition explained: “Today’s filmmakers are more confident, approaching subject matters that were rarely explored earlier and present them in compelling styles that highlight the strong creative standards of the region’s talent.”
With an expanded festival format this year, DTFF 2012 will showcase over 87 films from across the globe under distinct themed categories including Arab Film Competition, Made in Qatar, Contemporary World Cinema and Special Screenings.
