Dubai International Film Festival To Display Best Arabic Cinema

The Dubai International Film Festival (DIff) has unveiled the final eight films to complete the Muhr Short competition. The lineup displays the best of Arabic cinema. Palestinian director and former Muhr winner Nasi Hajjaj, presents his latest film "The Purple Field" which follows a young refugee who flees a war-torn Syria in search of a better life. A journey that take the young Palesinian-Syrian child through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungry and Austria. The film raises the awareness of current affairs and the effects of refugee crisis on all those who are affected.

Tunisian director Jamil Najjar's latest film |Stranded" is an adventure and mystery which portrays a day in the life of Arbi, a taxi driver whose sudden urge to go toilet throws him into the unexpected events. Jordanian director, producer, writer and literary critic, Yahya Al Abdullah is an acclaimed filmmaker whose talent awardd him Special Jury Best Actor and best Composer awards at Diff 2012. His latest feature film ' 5th Floor Room 52' is a silent but poignant take on troubles of a young woman searching for room no 52 to meet a construction worker.

Multiple award-winning short 'Ave Maria' directed by Basil Khalil will also appear at Diff following being in competition at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and winner of Grenoble Short Film Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival. In keeping with the theme of addressing real-world problems through the medium of cinema, program also welcomes Saudi director Faiza Ambah and her short film 'Mariam'. Set in France in 2004, just as the country passed a law banning religious symbols in public schools. Mariam, born in France to Arab parents recently began to wear hijab after performing Hajj with her grandmother.

Previous Muhr winner Egyptian director Sharif El Bendary returns to Diff with 'Dry Hot Summer'

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