Three film professionals to receive GFF honours
The Gulf Film Festival (GFF) announced its 2009 honourees, three prominent film professionals who have devoted their careers to building a vibrant film scene in the region.
Internationally renowned Kuwaiti director and producer Khalid Al Siddiq, UAE's applauded writer Abdel-Rahman Saleh, and Bahraini veteran filmmaker Khalifa Shaheen will receive the honours during the opening night ceremony of the second annual edition on April 9, 2009.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director of GFF, said: "Much of the activity seen today in cinema in the Gulf is due to the hard work, patience and dedication of these three honourees, whom we are pleased to give the credit they are due at the GFF. Their presence will be of great benefit and inspiration to the younger generation of emerging talent that has been able to sustain and build the momentum our honourees started over the past 30 years."
Khalid Al Siddiq directed the first Kuwaiti feature film, Bas ya Bahar (the Cruel Sea), which followed the life of pre-oil pearl divers in the Gulf and proved very controversial for its unstinting and passionate criticism of Kuwaiti societal norms. The film received various awards and international recognition and remains etched in the minds of cinema enthusiasts around the world. His second film, The Wedding of Zein, based on the novel by the late Sudanese author Tayeb Saleh, was recognised with an award at Cannes in 1976. He currently heads the Gulf Film Association, set up in 2000 to promote Gulf films.
UAE Writer Abdel-Rahman Saleh has been actively involved in promoting cinema culture in the region throughout his career.
He has acted as head of the Culture Centre of the Government of Sharjah, Director of the Federal Government's Cultural Centres, and Director of the UAE Ministry of Information and Culture. His writing credits include several television series in the UAE, as well as the plays Circles of Muteness and The Story that Sheherezade Didn't Tell. The latter participated in the first Theatre Festival of the GCC Council. Abdel-Rahman Saleh was also involved with the scripting of Khalid Al Siddiq's Bas ya Bahar.
Bahraini photographer and filmmaker Khalifa Shaheen is the first Khaleeji filmmaker to establish a production house.
He taught himself to use editing equipment when he worked for Bahrain Petroleum (Bapco) film department in 1957. In the period from 1961 to 1964 he attended Ealing film Faculty in the United Kingdom, and returned to Bapco as an assistant director. His 1971 film Fun throughout Lebanon was a turning point in his cinema career and he later represented Bahrain in several international festivals, winning accolades such as Best Documentary from the Prime Minister of India for the film The image of the Island and a special award from the First Lady of the Philippines in 1983 for People on the Horizon.
The GFF will run from April 9 to 15, 2009 at the Grand Cinemas, Dubai Festival City. All film screenings except opening night are free to the public. For more information, please visit the website: www.gulffilmfest.com.