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Four-day London event to feature Arab Cinema

DUBAI - The British Academy of Film and Television of Arts (Bafta) will celebrate Arab Cinema next week with the support of Dubai International Film Festival.

The event, ‘BAFTA goes to the Arab World’, will be held in London from July 11 to July 14 and showcase some of the best recent releases from Arab filmmakers and award winners at DIFF.

The films include ‘Captain Abu Raed’, which received the Best Actor, and ‘Under the Bombs’, which took the Gold Muhr at the annual Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab Cinema. Both films went onto win other awards at the Sundance and Venice film festivals, respectively. The event will also introduce UK audiences to an Emirati short film, ‘The Water Guard’, screened at DIFF 2007.

Abdulhamid Juma, DIFF Chairman, stated: "Since its inception, DIFF has played a pivotal role in creating a cinematic movement in the Arabian Gulf and supporting filmmaking talent in the larger Arab world. The festival has brought the best of international cinema to the Arab region and provided a global platform for Arab filmmakers.

"We are confident that ‘Bafta goes to the Arab World’ will showcase the talents of established and upcoming talent in the Arab region, and will offer a compelling insight into the lives of the Arab people."

David Parfitt, Chairman of the Academy, said, "Despite award-winning critical success across the decades, Arab productions have often struggled to find a broader international audience. Despite these challenges, Arab filmmakers are asserting their right to express the complex and diverse tapestry of their societies more personally, directly and unapologetically than ever before."

The fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will run from December 11 to December 18.