Ferhati heads jury panel for Gulf Film Festival

Moroccan filmmaker Jillali Ferhati will head the jury panel judging entries for the film competition at the third edition of the Gulf Film Festival (GFF) being held from April 8 to 14 under the patronage of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and in association with Dubai Studio City.

Saudi Arabian filmmaker and critic, Mohammed Aldhahri; Emirati actor, Ibrahim Salim; Yemeni filmmaker, Khadija Al Salami and Artistic Director of Slovakia's International Film Festival Bratislava, Matthieu Darras, are also on the panel.

Similarly, the jury for the Script Competition comprises Qatari scriptwriter, Widad Al Kuwairi; Saudi columnist, Badriya Abdullah Al Bashar; and UAE writer, Amina Abu Shehab.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director, GFF, said: "The jury for the in-competition section of Gulf Film Festival represents a cross-section of Arab cinema and culture today, encompassing some of the most prominent cinematic figures this region has ever seen. The in-competition sections are a true talent showcase of the finest cinema centered on life in the Gulf and by regional filmmakers. The recognition at the festival helps them to take these movies to a wider audience and strengthen the region's film industry."

In all, awards worth Dh485,000 will be presented during the festival.