Acclaimed jury to judge 2016 Muhr Awards at DIFF
Valued support sponsors announced for Dubai fest
DUBAI, Dec 5: The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) is proud to announce the esteemed panel of renowned film industry professionals that will make up the Jury for the prestigious Muhr Awards at the Festival’s 13th edition. Boasting a line-up brimming with award-winning international and regional directors and actors, the Muhr Awards Jury will be tasked with recognising the best talent from the Arab and wider world throughout the competition, which will run across the Festival from Dec 7-14, 2016.
Since its inception in 2006, the annual Muhr Awards have recognised more than 280 cinematic works and distributed 270 awards through its four categories; Muhr Emirati, Muhr Feature, Muhr Short and Muhr Gulf Short.
DIFF’s Artistic Director, Masoud Amralla Al Ali, commented: “The Muhr Awards have always feature an incredibly formidable lineup of work and so it is only fitting that the Jury is filled with some of the most experienced and talented individuals in the industry. Some of them are themselves Muhr alumni who understand the dedication and talent needed to make a truly great film. We work hard to ensure the Muhr Awards provide a platform for the best talent from around the region to showcase their work, and this year is no exception as we bring another quality slate of work to DIFF audiences.”
Heading up DIFF’s Muhr Emirati Competition Jury is renowned Egyptian filmmaker Yousry Nasrallah. He returns to the Festival as President of the jury as well as a filmmaker with his latest work, ‘Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces’, which was featured at Locarno Film Festival and will be showcased as part of DIFF’s Arabian Nights programme.
He will be joined by award winning Algerian and French producer and director, Salem Brahimi. Known for his hard-hitting stories of hardship, Brahimi is a Muhr alumnus, taking home the Special Jury Prize in Muhr Feature for his film ‘Let Them Come’ at DIFF 2015.
Emirati poet, writer, journalist, and broadcaster Adel Khozam completes the Muhr Emirati jury. Known for his breath-taking portrayal of Emirati heritage and culture, he has published three poetry collections, a history of Emirati visual art and has also written music for theatre and the cinema.
Acclaimed artist, screenwriter and director Ulrike Ottinger takes the role of President on the Muhr Feature jury.
Palestinian film and stage legend Saleh Bakri will join her, returning to the 2016 edition after moving audiences in the previous Festival with the psychological thriller ‘Zinzana’.
Oscar-nominated Iranian-American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, who makes her debut at the Festival as part of the Muhr jury.
Joining Aghdashloo is multi-cultural filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming. The Eurasian Canadian filmmaker born in Japan is celebrated for her award-winning, genre-hopping films spanning almost 30 years and tackling themes of family, history and memory.
Concluding the Muhr Feature jury is acclaimed Egyptian producer and director Marianne Khoury, known for the compelling and challenging films September 11, Closed Doors and Zelal which won the FIPRESCI at DIFF in 2010.
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will once again receive support from valued partners including: Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), the Dubai government’s official media organization which is focused on excellence and innovation; the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen, which is also DIFF’s official ‘Festival-Time’ partner and the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) Group, the largest and leading private media company in the Middle East & North Africa region who have extended their support to become a ‘Supported By’ sponsor.
These partnerships are an intrinsic component of the Festival’s world-class offering and allow its continuous efforts to unearth and nurture the best in Arab cinema for a wide array of audiences. Now entering its 13th year, DIFF will showcase the widest selection of the world’s most exciting, influential and visually astonishing features, shorts, documentaries and virtual reality titles from the hottest new filmmakers and the most prolific directors working today.
Fadel Zahreddine, MBC Group Director of Brand Management & Digital said: “We go beyond borders throughout the Arab world to bring people together; we bring joy, entertainment and inspiration to every home. In the past 25 years MBC has told many stories of aspiration and hope; real and fictional stories that offer a temporary relief from reality; and what better than a film to take you somewhere you’ve never been before. Sitting in theaters or amongst family and friends we share with DIFF the magic of the moment that a film brings.”