Yemens contemporary society finds its echoes in the films that are being screened at the fifth Gulf Film Festival that will be held from April 10-16, 2012, at Dubai Festival Citys Grand Cinemas, with free admission for the public. Three films have been shortlisted for the festivals official Gulf shorts and Gulf Student Shorts competitions, […]
Yemens contemporary society finds its echoes in the films that are being screened at the fifth Gulf Film Festival that will be held from April 10-16, 2012, at Dubai Festival Citys Grand Cinemas, with free admission for the public. Three films have been shortlisted for the festivals official Gulf shorts and Gulf Student Shorts competitions, of which two are making their world premiere in Dubai.
This year, director Samer Alnamri’s Hidden Fences, a short documentary that competes in the Official Gulf Shorts programme, will make its world premiere at GFF. The film explores the lives of marginalised people, who face societal discrimination and are also victims of violence. Their plight, often unknown to the world and seldom discussed in any developmental forums, is presented from the perspective of a Yemeni writer, who portrays their lives in his novel.
Competing in the Gulf Student Shorts competition is Abdulla Hedeajans Asleep Dad, also a world premiere. The short fiction is a disturbing tale of a youngster, who on his first day at school is asked about the profession of his father. What follows is a disruptive debate between the boy and the teacher, and the boy must now seek true answers from his father.
Another story that examines individual life versus societal pressure is The Easiest Way of Suicide, directed by Ezah Saleh Ganab, which makes its GCC premiere at GFF 2012. As the title suggests, the film is about a group of people who, unknown and unprompted, discover a way to end their lives.
GFF 2012 presents a rich showcase of films from across the Arabian peninsula as well as international shorts in its in-competition segments. The festival also has a diverse programme on childrens films as well as trend-setting international shorts and compelling feature films presented in the Intersections and Lights segments.
GFF 2012 will be held at the InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Grand Festival Cinemas at Dubai Festival City; and from April 12 to 14 at the Abu Dhabi Theatre.
This press release was issued by GFF.
