MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Media & Entertainment, World — January 4, 2016   

Dubai Film Festival Chairman Says Cinema Is Cultural Bridge

Original article by Nick Vivarelli published in the Daily Variety on 12/09/2015

Last month’s Dubai Film Festival included diverse winners such as Leyla Bouzid who took home the coveted Best Fiction Film award for her rite-of-passage film “As I Open My Eyes.” Hany Abu Assad’s “The Idol” won the People’s Choice Award for a film based on the life of Palestinian Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf. And crowd favorite “We Have Never Been Kids” won for Best Non-Fiction film which, according to online materials, is about “a journey that document(s) through two generations the declining of the social, political and economic situation over the most inflamed 13 years in Egypt modern history.”

Daily Variety interviewed festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma about the state of Arab cinema, and the genesis of the festival which first began in 2004.

“Most of what we see in the Arab world, basically, is a lot of mainstream Hollywood movies, which are entertaining — car chases and cowboys — fine, ok. But we also wanted to bring to our audiences the other side of Western — especially American — society,” says Mr. Juma. “Films that touch your soul and start conversations. So when I say ‘create a bridge,’ I mean a bridge that goes both ways. On our side that means trying to enhance Arab filmmaking and prompt making films about who we really are — for ourselves but also for the West. That’s really where the idea of the festival came from.”

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Contact Quick

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

M Film Lab Now Accepting...

Applications are now open for the inaugural M Film Lab: a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and creators committed to fair artistic representation of … [Read More...]

American Eid – Interview...

American Eid is a new, short film on Disney+ about two sisters from Pakistan adjusting to their new reality in America when they are unable to take off school to celebrate Eid, the festival after the … [Read More...]

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

Sign Up Quick

Sign up to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2025 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.