Every year, the Arab world is confirming itself as the hub for artists and this year’s list of shortlisted talents proves that. For the sixth IWC Filmmaker Award ceremony that will be held during the 14th edition of DIFF, four Gulf talents have made it to the shortlist and will compete for the top prize of USD 100,000.
Emirati director and screenwriter Nayla El Khaja for “Animal”, Bahraini filmmaker Mohamed Rashed Buali for his project “Kombars”, Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour for “Miss Camel” and Omani filmmaker Muzna Almusafer for “The Crown of Olives” will present their projects at the Dubai International Film Festival taking place from 6 to 13 December 2017, where an acclaimed jury headed by Academy-Award-winning actress and IWC Schaffhausen brand ambassador Cate Blanchett will select the winner after evaluating each one of them.
Nayla El Khaja’s “Animal” counts the story of a father, whose tempestuous mood swings push his children to a world fueled by creativity and imagination. For “Kombars”, Mohamed Rashed Buali tells the story of a widower in his forties – who works as an office boy at a ministry and lives with his father – searching for a wife before he loses his spot on the government housing benefit list and the factor of limited funds that was stopping him for finding her through a matchmaker is solved by the death of his aunt, which made him the owner of a women’s lingerie shop. In “Miss Camel”, Haifaa Al Mansour counts the story of Saudi teen Hayla who is planning to escape her arranged marriage and fulfill her goal of attending art school outside of Saudi Arabia, but at her cousin’s wedding she discovers her ability to talk to animals and so the adventure begins. The list ends with Muzna Almusafer’s “The Crown of Olives” which, inspired by the sleeping city of Muscat, tells the story of Reem who arrives to the Omani capital from the olive fields of Morocco and works as a dancer until she meets Marwa at the latter’s beauty salon and become friends with her. After moving in with her and her family, she goes on a double date with Marwa and her boyfriend Ismael and this was the start of a romance between Reem and Ismael’s friend Nizar. When Ismael informs Marwa that they can never get married, her emotions lead her to aim her revenge at Reem.
Who do you think will get the award at the exclusive gala held on Thursday, December 7th at the One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai?
