Unlike other film fests such as Venice, Cannes and Berlin, known as the “Big Three”, the Mumbai Film Festival brings in talent often unknown by western media. It showcases the top cinematic achievements from countries that do no often produce blockbusters, instead focusing on artistic independent films.
Commencing on October 17 till October 24, the Mumbai Film Festival stands as one of the leading events for films made by the region’s top artists to come together. The UAE is no different, collaborating on two of the films reciving an Indian premiere at the event. Here are those two films:
Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim (2016)
Synopsis: This is the strange love story of a young man, Ali, living in a rough neighbourhood. On the recommendation of a psychic, he travels across Egypt with Ibrahim, notoriously known for hearing voices. Their journey turns into a voyage of friendship and self-discovery.
Director: Egyptian Sherif El Bendary broke into filmmaking through a number of short films and documentaries, most notably his first short film Rise and Shine (2006) which won several awards and was officially selected in numerous local and international film festivals. Two Rooms and a Living Room is Elbendary’s next awaited project.
EXT. Night (2018)
Synopsis: Both the vibrant texture and the extreme social stratification of Cairo come to the fore in this satire/drama about a filmmaker, a cabbie, and a prostitute who get thrown together for one night’s wild ride.
Director: Ahmad Abdalla is an Egyptian filmmaker whose first feature film Heliopolis (2009) became one of the first independent Egyptian films to be released theatrically in the country. His award-winning Microphone (2010) was selected among the best 100 Arabic films in history by the Dubai International Film Festival.
