Ten-day Arab film festival begins in Dubai

Cinema Aqeel, the UAE’s only independent cinema, is back with its highly anticipated Arab Cinema Week Volume 3, which runs from Friday (today) until December 1. The ten-day festival will showcase a dynamic lineup of films exploring pressing issues in the Arab world. .The festival opened with Zakaria Jaber’s ‘Exious in Beirut’, setting an introspective tone. Examines the political and personal currents that define life in Beirut and beyond. This year’s program features 11 countries, with Yemen making its festival debut. Audiences will enjoy a program of 6 fiction and 5 non-fiction feature films plus 2 short films, totaling 10 shorts. The festival highlights the evolution of hybrid storytelling and the power of cinematic language. Importantly, Arab Cinema Week places a strong emphasis on women’s voices, with almost 50 percent of the films being directed by female filmmakers., which celebrates their contributions in front of and behind the camera. Jamal, which explores the family’s fight against harsh economic realities and Muhammad’s search ‘behind the mountains’ Ben Atiya, a transformative father-son story. The festival also highlights the resilience of Lebanon and Sudan through films such as ‘Les Seniles’ and ‘Disorder’.