Several films from Egypt will have their first screening during the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), to take place between 7 and 14 December. From a total of 11 films coming from Egypt announced so far, eight will have world premieres. The films include several entries screened within the Muhr Feature section: Ali, The Goat, And Ibrahim (Ali Mea'za) directed by Sherif Elbendary, Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc by Iman Kamel, Al-Nossour Al-Saghira (The Young Eagles' Association) by Mohamed Rashad, Mawlana (The Preacher by Magdy Ahmed Ali. Mohammed Hammad's Withered Green (Akhdar Yabes) will have MENA premiere in the same section. In the Muhr Short section, Osbou we Yomen (One Week AndTwo Days) by Marwa Zein and Al Bananwa (The Builders) by Naji Ismail will also have their world premieres. The Arabian Nights section will include two world premieres from Egypt: Mahbas (Solitaire) by Sophie Boutros; Youm El Setat (A Day for Women) by Kamla Abu Zekry and The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller by Ahmed Roshdy. The same section will also see the GCC premiere of Yousry Nasrallah's Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces (Al Ma' wal Khodra wal Wajh El Hassan). DIFF has been one of the most important regional film festivals since its launch in 2004. DIFF's Muhr Competition for feature fiction, non-fiction, and short films aims to highlight distinctive films from the Gulf region and the Arab world that are inspiring and creative. “The films selected for the Muhr Short category are an exceptional collection of contemporary cinema which grant a true audience experience by entering into the Arab world and capturing the essence of its dynamic community," Masoud Amralla, DIFF's artistic director commented on this year's selection in the press release. Last year, the Egyptian film Nawara earned Menna Shalaby the Best Actress award, while We Have Never Been Kids won the Muhr Best Non-Fiction Feature award, with its director, Mahmoud Soliman, winning the Best Director award. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
