Mansour receives 6th IWC Filmmaker Award at DIFF

CAIRO – 11 December 2017: Academy Award winning actress and IWC Schaffhausen Ambassador, Cate Blanchett, granted the sixth IWC Filmmaker Award to Haifaa al-Mansour. Mansour is the first female Saudi filmmaker, and she is famous for her film project “Miss Camel.” Mansour received the award on Friday, December 8.

“It is my pleasure to again be part of the IWC Filmmakers Award jury; I am always intrigued by the different voices and perspectives of the projects we get to judge,” Blanchett said.

The jury was headed by Blanchett for the third time, the members were Tunisian- Egyptian actress and IWC brand Ambassador Hend Sabri, IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Uma and DIFF artistic director Masoud Amralla al-Ali.

Mansour received a grant of $ 100,000 for her project “Miss Camel” and an IWC Da Vinci Automatic 36 with a blue dial (Ref. IW458312) from the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer.

“Miss Camel” revolves around Hayla, a blossoming Saudi teen who is exerting immense efforts to escape her arranged marriage and fulfill her ultimate life goal of attending art school outside Saudi Arabia.While scheming to make her way to join Art College in a neighboring Gulf state, she discovers at her cousin’s wedding that she can communicate with animals.

“We at IWC consider filmmaking an integral part of cultural creation and an art form which contemplates a wide range of themes central to humanity. Being storytellers ourselves, we deeply appreciate the creativity, courage and passion that talented filmmakers invest into their work and we are proud to support them with the IWC Filmmaker Award,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen said.

“The number and quality of entries that we receive continue to astound us, and this year was no different. We appreciate the vision and creativity of the filmmakers of the region, and through this award, we aim to help them make this vision a reality,” DIFF Chairman and member of the IWC Filmmakers Award jury Abdulhamid Juma added.

Mansour received the award in a ceremony that was held at the IWC “For the Love of Cinema” gala event in the One&Only Royal Mirage’s Arabian Court during the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

The main theme of the gala ceremony was celebrating the achievements of women in cinema and filmmaking.

The gala ceremony included an emotional dance routine and a breathtaking performance by talented singer Christine Said. The after-party was kicked off by the soulful powerhouse duo from London HanLei.

The IWC “For the Love of Cinema” gala was presented by the famous TV presenters Raya Abi Rached and Wissam Breidy. Among the celebrities attending were IWC brand ambassadors Sonam Kapoor, Sir Patrick Stewart OBE, Tuba Büyüküstün, Jessica Kahawaty, French actor Clovis Cornillac, and Egyptian actress Yousra.