Young Emirati filmmakers look for their place in sky

DUBAI : Fifteen of the UAE’s finest young filmmakers gathered at the Madinat Jumeirah on Tuesday, all vying for the Dubai International Film Festival’s (DIFF) inaugural Muhr Emirati Award. The competition, launched in conjunction with DIFF’s  existing Muhr Arab and Muhr Asia-Africa Awards, is another step forward for the fledgling Emirati film industry – with listed entries including feature films, shorts and documentaries.Three winners will be selected from the shortlist on December 19, with prizes of Dh15,000 to Dh35,000 going to the victorious directors.The competing filmmakers are: Abdulla Al Kaabi (The Philosopher); Nayla Al Khaja (Malal); Ali Al Jabri (Solo); Saeed Aldhaheri (Rajulan Wa Anza — Laylat Ma Qabl Al Eid); Rashid and Ahmed Bin Shabib (Brownbook Urban Series — Ten Episodes of People Transforming the Region); Muna Al Ali (Ea’ada); Waleed Al Shehhi (Reeh — Wind); Ahmed Zain (Etma — Darkness); Moath Bin Hafez (Hayat Min Sakhar — Life of Stone); Saud Mohammed Merwesh (Soweer); Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith (Ghawas Gaza — Gaza Diver); Rashid Al-Marri (Rasa’el Ela Falasteen — Letters To Palestine); Khalid Al Mahmood (Sabeel) and Nujoom Al Ghanem – Kahleejnews