World cinema comes to Dubai

The third edition of Gulf Film Festival, which starts tomorrow, has an eclectic showcase of contemporary films from around the world.

While the festival is a celebration of excellence in Gulf cinema, it also showcases some of the bolder experimentations in cinema that one seldom gets to watch on the big-screen or even in the DVD circuit.

Selections from world cinema are showcased in ‘Intersections,’ a key segment of GFF, and In Focus, a showcase of short films celebrating a particular director’s experience, a cinematic movement, or a certain country; this year, In Focus puts the spotlight on Francois Vogel, the French filmmaker.

Globally renowned for his arresting visuals that blend the best of traditional filmmaking with New Age digital media, Vogel is as much an illustrious digital photographer as a filmmaker who experiments with cubist squares, three dimensional approaches and free-moving elements.

Festival Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the selection of Vogel’s shorts for the In Focus segment of the festival is reflective of the evolution in film-making techniques today.

“Vogel is known for his creative liberties in manipulating the space between the subject and the camera, even as he explores serious subject matter such as the absurdity of wars. His movies will serve as a referral point in new age film-making, and inspire regional filmmakers to look beyond the accepted frontiers,” said Masoud.

‘Intersections’ draws in the best of contemporary film-making from Europe, US, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Japan and the Subcontinent. This year, among the 59 films in Intersections, Bulgarian shorts form a formidable majority with 15 movies.

Salah Sermini, GFF Consultant, said the cinematic expressions by European filmmakers have the power to change and challenge accepted norms.

“European cinema has always been a strong force to reckon with. Despite being away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Europe has created some of the world’s stunning films that are text-books in filmmaking for all aspiring professionals.”

He added: “By showcasing this diversity of film selection from the continent, we are offering GFF visitors an unprecedented opportunity to understand the pulse of modern filmmaking and derive inspiration and new learning.” —news@khaleejtimes.com