Saudi filmmaker wins major Diff award
dubai — Haifaa Al Mansour from Saudi Arabia won the IWC Filmmaker Award at the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) for her project, Miss Camel.
The movie is about a Saudi girl who believes she can talk to animals. “The film is about self-discovery. Such a platform allows filmmakers to be introduced to producers and get the exposure to help transfer their projects to life,” Al Mansour said.
The award was handed by Academy Award winner, Hollywood actress and IWC Schaffhausen Ambassador Cate Blanchett at a ceremony during the IWC “For the Love of Cinema” gala event in the One&Only Royal Mirage’s Arabian Court during the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (Diff). The winner received a grant of $100,000 for her project and an IWC Da Vinci Automatic 36 with a blue dial from the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer.
The IWC “For the Love of Cinema” gala was presented by IWC brand ambassador and TV personality Raya Abirached and TV presenter Wissam Breidy. Among the celebrities attending were IWC brand ambassadors Sonam Kapoor, Sir Patrick Stewart OBE, Tuba Büyüküstün and Jessica Kahawaty. Other international and local personalities included French actor Clovis Cornillac, Rym Saidi and Egyptian actress Yousra.
Blanchett said: “It is my pleasure to again be part of the IWC Filmmakers Award Jury, I am always intrigued by the different voices and perspectives of the projects we get to judge.”
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, said: “We at IWC consider filmmaking an integral part of cultural creation and an art form which contemplates a wide range of themes central to humanity. Being storytellers ourselves, we deeply appreciate the creativity, courage and passion that talented filmmakers invest into their work and we are proud to support them with the IWC Filmmaker Award.”
Abdulhamid Juma, Diff chairman and member of the IWC Filmmakers Award jury said: “The number and quality of entries that we receive continue to astound us, and this year was no different. We appreciate the vision and creativity of the filmmakers of the region and, through this award, we aim to help them make this vision a reality.”
The jury was headed by Blanchett for the third time. Among the jury members were Tunisian actress and IWC brand ambassador Hend Sabri, IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, Abdulhamid Juma and Diff artistic director Masoud Amralla Al Ali.