“Cinema for Children” to be presented in DIFF

CAIRO – 21 November 2017: “Cinema for Children” returns to the 14th edition of Dubai International Film Festival, which will run from December 6 to 13, with an eclectic mix of films.

“As with previous years, we here at DIFF are thrilled and devoted to showcasing the finest family films in the Cinema for Children. Tantalizing stories stemming from four different continents will touch hearts and minds, inspiring children and parents alike,” said DIFF’s Cinema for Children program manager Myrna Maakaron.

Besides Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Rio and Rio 2, the animated comedy-drama “Ferdinand” directed by Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha will screen in the festival. ‘Ferdinand’ is a Spanish kind-hearted bull who loves the smell of flowers and practicing non-violence more than chasing red cloths held by matadors in arenas.

In addition, the Mexican animation “Ana and Bruno” will be shown in the festival. It revolves around a tale of a peculiar young girl Ana who escapes from a psychiatric institute and begins a journey of thrilling and adventures, where she meets weird and fantastical beings that help her save her troubled mother.

Directed by French Nicolas Bary, ”Little Spirou” will also be presented at DIFF. It is based on the comic books “Le Petit Spirou” by Tome and Janry. Spirou is the tale of a boy who is destined to become a bellboy.

Director Piyush Chandrakant Panjuani brings his film “5 Rupees” to DIFF. The movie tells about the tales of a grandmother, Ameena, who lives alone with her seven-year-old grandson Hamid. Ameena has promised Hamid that if he keeps fast to the last day, she will award him with 5 rupees. But, on the morning of Eid, Hamid and 5 rupees have disappeared.

The Dubai International Film Festival has revealed some of the first titles that will be part of its "Cinema of The World" program in October, which is set to begin in December and brings together films from all across the globe.

First up is Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa’s "A Gentle Creature” (Krotkaya), which was released in 2017 as part of the Cannes Film Festival. It follows a woman in a small Russian village whose husband is in jail, and one day receives a package she sent to him marked as ‘return to sender.’ Enraged, she embarks on an arduous journey to the prison he is held, seeking to figure out what he is doing. Along the way, she comments on the state of incarceration in Europe.

Then comes Pakistani-British director’s feature film debut, "My Pure Land," a story about several Pakistani women, a mother and her daughters, who take up arms to defend their home after several armed men decide to invade. The movie is based on a true story.

Iranian director Milad Alami brings to the DIFF his film "The Charmer," a gripping psychological drama. When an Iranian immigrant in Denmark grows desperate to remain in the country, he begins desperately searching for a woman who will marry him, examining the cruelty behind the bureaucratic treatment of immigrants and the laws that allow them to stay.

East African-Indian director Anup Singh presents the Indian romance drama "The Song of Scorpions," starring Irrfan Khan and Golshifteh Farahani. A tribal woman learning the art of healing from her grandmother has an encounter with a camel trader, who falls in love with her after hearing her sing. However, there is more to him than it seems.

Also notable is that acclaimed Egyptian author and screenwriter Wahid Hamed is set to receive the Arab Lifetime Achievement award during the DIFF. The three Egyptian films participating in the festival are "Sheikh Jackson," "Withered Green", and "Whose Country."