UAE Stories
A series of seven UAE-made short films will be the first screenings at the festival, in a free opening event on June 5. The titles explore concepts of home, family, the environment, community and belonging.
“The programme focuses on films made in the UAE by filmmakers of different nationalities and not just Emiratis,” says Hind Mezaina, who is curating the event for the second consecutive year.
Screengrab of the Closing Scene from The Monster
Abdulrahman AlMadani's 'The Monster' tells the story of a wife under pressure to return to her abusive husband. Photos: CineMAS - The Alternative Film Festival
“It’s important to see a diverse selection of films and the different types of stories coming out of here, and to also have a dedicated discussion about the filmmakers' inspirations and the current state of filmmaking in the country. More short films are being made here compared to feature films, but they aren’t seen by enough people locally, so I also hope we can discuss this and think of ways of showing short films more often.”
The titles that will be screened are Sarra’a Al Shehhi’s A Small Dream, Rasha Amer’s Osha, Mariam Alawadhi's Mum, Sarah Alhasimi's Why is my Grandfather’s Bed in the Living Room? Priscilla Elias’s Marasim, Faisal Hashmi’s Amber, and Abdulrahman AlMadani's The Monster.