KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Movie buffs were treated to a fusion of Arabic and Indian cinema at the I-Film Festival over the weekend, as lifetime achievement awards were presented to Emirati actor Mansour Al Feeli for his distinguished career, and to actress Elham Shahin for her cinematic legacy.
Al Feeli expressed his gratitude on receiving the award and said that the honour belongs to all the creative people who worked with him. He even mentioned his first mentor Habib Ghuloom during his acceptance speech.
“I would like to use this opportunity to thank each writer, producer, director and actor I worked with, because I consider them an integral part of the success I achieved over 36 years I spent in this field,” he said.
Shahin, after accepting her award, said: “It is wonderful to witness a festival with India and the UAE. India, as we all know, is an advanced country in the movie industry, and the UAE is releasing lovely and high-quality movies.”
Emirati director and producer Nasser Al Dhaheri was presented with an honorary award for his prolific and impactful contributions to global cinema.
The festival also screened Dhaheri’s "Samson of Arabia".
Short films "A Place Called Home" and "Baab" opened the festival at the Yas Creative Zone on Yas Island.
"Baab", directed by Nayla Al Khaja, holds the distinction of being the first feature film by a female Emirati director to be screened at the Cairo International Film Festival when it released last year.
Indian actor and director Nassar, a powerhouse of Tamil cinema, helmed a pre-shoot discussion on "A Place Called Home", a story about an Abu Dhabi-born Indian woman who attempts to establish her career in India as she reconnects with her roots.
The event drew a distinguished group of filmmakers from across the Arab world, including Al Feeli’s mentor Ghuloom, Mira Al Madfa, Aref Al Taweel, Abdullah Al Jafali, Saleh Karama, Mona Al Dhaheri, Khaled Al Qish, and Heba Al Sayegh.
Also in attendance were Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director General of the Creative Media Authority, Sameer Al Jaberi, Head of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, and several ambassadors to the UAE.
The three-day schedule featured 108 films, workshops, and specialised sessions on films produced using artificial intelligence.