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Its 2011 and Omar (Fadi Rifaai) finds himself still racked with guilt over the death of his best friend Hady, who passed away five years ago. Now just days away from the birth of his first child he decides to take the road trip they never got to take, much to the dismay of his very pregnant wife.
Going to be in Australia in the month of August? Do make time to check out the Arab Film Festival that’s due to hit Sydney (Aug 13-16), Melbourne (Aug 21-13) and Canberra (Aug 28-30).
Among the films featured at this year’s Arab Film Festival are United Arab Emirates film ‘From A to B’ and Lebanese film ‘Ghadi’. Please visit their official website to buy tickets today.
Ghadi | Lebanon | 2014 | 100 mins
In a small neighbourhood of a traditional Lebanese coastal town, the town’s beloved music teacher Leba (Georges Khabbaz) marries Lara, his childhood sweetheart. After having two beautiful daughters, Yara and Sarah, their son, Ghadi is born. While they have the full support of their friends, family and colleagues, Ghadi is born into the world as a special needs child.
As he grows into a young boy, he spends most of his time at the window trying to imitate his father’s singing, but yielding mostly unintelligible sounds, disturbing and scaring the neighbours. Without any understanding of his condition, the townspeople start calling Ghadi a demon and later getting together to launch a petition to evict him and his parents from the town. Not accepting of this nor wanting to send his son away to an institution, Leba and his friends must figure out a way to convince their neighbours to change their minds about his young son. Their solution is genius, heart-warming and redemptive.
About Director Amin Dora
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A celebrated director and visual artist, Amin was born and raised in Zahle, Lebanon. He graduated with Honors from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) where he currently teaches.
Amin won an International Digital Emmy Award for directing Shankaboot, the world’s first Arabic Web Drama series, in which he explored innovative ways of portraying real life in Beirut.
His career began with the short stop-animation Greyscale, which received many awards in national and international festivals including the 2005 Arab Film Festival Australia and the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao. Greyscale was critically acclaimed, casting Amin into the limelight as a director whose works are to be watched.
He is also distinguished in the advertising industry by his creative approach and his love of trying out new communication styles. Amin directed the most successful viral video in the Middle East, showcasing a flash mob TVC for Beirut Duty Free in 2011.
His quest for contemporary ways of directing has also led him to start Beirutvisuals, along with a collective of visual artists with whom he created live visual performances internationally.
Dora’s intimate narrative filmic languages and his beautiful command of directing actors, along with his reputation for hilarious and dry comedy, are clearly reflected in his exquisite storytelling.
Ghadi is Dora’s first feature film.
From A to B | UAE | 2014 | 108 mins
Its 2011 and Omar (Fadi Rifaai) finds himself still racked with guilt over the death of his best friend Hady, who passed away five years ago. Now just days away from the birth of his first child he decides to take the road trip they never got to take, much to the dismay of his very pregnant wife.
Omar reaches out to his estranged high school friends Jay (Fahad Albutairi) and Ramy (Shadi Alfons) who have lost touch since Hady’s death to take the road trip in his memory.
Jay, now a playboy, wannabe DJ, and Ramy, an activist with 737 twitter followers, take some convincing but finally they agree to the trip. The boys decide to drive from Abu Dhabi via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria to arrive in Beirut on what would have been Hady’s twenty-fifth birthday.
Their journey is filled with speed-humps, breakdowns, wrong turns, shady mechanics and a camel or two. If all of this doesn’t drive them crazy, it might just bring them closer.
About Director Ali Mostafa
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Ali Mostafa is an Emirati who was raised between the UAE and the UK with a Masters degree in Filmmaking from the London Film School.
One of the pioneers in the Emirati film industry he has received a number of accolades during his years in film. His short film ‘Under the Sun’ won Best Emirates Film 2006 at the Emirates Film Competition, Dubai International Film Festival named him Best Emirati Filmmaker, whilst Digital Studio Magazine awarded him 2010 Young Filmmaker of the Year.
In 2006 Ali set up his own production company AFM Films, established to have creative freedom to produce and write cutting edge work. His first feature was City of Life (2009), screened at the Arab Film Festival Australia.
About Arab Film Festival Australia
The Arab Film Festival Australia (AFFA) proudly presents its 12th edition in August 2015. AFFA is a community based and community driven film festival that brings together the best in contemporary Arab cinema to Australian audiences. AFFA is the only festival of it’s kind in Australia. AFFA provides a unique opportunity for cross-cultural exchange, dialogue and relationship building between Australia and the Arab communities from around the world.
AFFA aims to address the contemporary reality and frequent misrepresentation of Arab peoples and cultures by reflecting the complexity and diversity of the Arab experience. The Festival provides a critical space for alternative screen based representations of Arab subjects, cultures and narratives.
AFFA reflects the dynamism of Arab communities around the world (including Australia) via film and includes an interstate tour, forums, international guest speakers, local and international films, and an education program in schools and tertiary institutions.
AFFA showcases inspiring Arab stories from around the world to life on Australian screens. The Arab film industry is flourishing and international agencies and platforms competing to screen the films. Arab filmmakers re-tell richly resonant stories that reflect their experiences and journeys. These films amplify the voices of those silenced and bring to light the struggles and challenges of people often not seen on our main screens.
The 2015 program runs from 13 -30 August and will be presented in Sydney (Parramatta Riverside Theatres), Melbourne (Carlton Cinema Nova) and Canberra (National Film and Sound Archive of Australia).
Always be our HABIBI!!
Annual donation program designed for all those who love and want to be our Habibi. If you would like to join our Habibi Donors Program, or support us in any other way please call us on 02 9897 5744 or email info@arabfilmfestival.com.au.
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