If you buy any film book at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, you can choose a film to watch from the programme for free, from 2pm to 6pm (except Fridays.
1. Among Others
Director: Diane Farah, UAE (2015)
Duration: 10 minutes
A lifestyle photographer takes pictures of people in the city and asks questions about their lives, which then become inextricably linked.
2. Congratulations
Director: Cynthia Sawma, Lebanon (2015)
Duration: 21 minutes
Jacqueline and her husband, Maurice, win US$100,000 on a TV game show, then try to hide the news from the Harris family, to whom they owe a large sum of money.
3. Expired
Director: Islam Kamal, Egypt (2016)
Duration: 13 minutes
The protagonists are inspired by the last 30 years of Egypt’s film history. They’re placed in stereotypical situations, and satire and humour is used for socio-political commentary.
4. Five Boys and a Wheel
Director: Said Zagha, Jordan and Palestine (2016)
Duration: 19 minutes
This short film is an Arabic-language adaptation of Raymond Carver’s Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes. It follows a school teacher, who tries to gain his son’s admiration through violence.
5. I See A Woman
Director: Laura Saab, UAE (2016)
Duration: 10 minutes
Despite all their differences, two lonely strangers discover a unique connection in an empty café after midnight.
6. Karouma
Director: Boubaker Boukhari, UAE (2016)
Duration: 12 minutes
Talented protagonist, Karouma, is striving to leave his parents’ home to pursue his dreams and live life to its full potential.
7. More Than Two Days
Director: Ahmed Abdel Naser, Qatar (2016)
Duration: 9 minutes
A young boy finds himself in a difficult position, torn between guilt and the desire to tell the truth, after witnessing an assault on his brother.
8. Stranded
Director: Jamil Najjar, Tunisia (2015)
Duration: 25 minutes
A taxi driver looking for a bathroom is challenged by a political candidate, a football fan, an extremist and a policeman.
9. Submarine
Director by: Mounia Akl, Lebanon (2016)
Duration: 21 minutes
Hala refuses to evacuate, clinging to whatever remains of her home, while under the imminent threat of Lebanon’s garbage crisis.
10. The Choice
Directed by: Eman Talal Al Sayed, UAE (2016)
Duration: 10 minutes
Lauren’s Emirati father passes away, so she travels to the UAE for the first time in order to meet her long-lost family, which leads to a number of challenges along the way.
11. The Parrot
Directed by: Darin Sallam and Amjad Al Rasheed, Jordan and Germany (2016)
Duration: 18 minutes
A family from Tunisia attempts to settle into their new life in Haifa, Palestine, in 1948, but they’re haunted by a big, blue parrot that was left behind by the former residents.
12. The Waiting Room
Directed by: Hend Fakhroo, Qatar (2016)
Duration: 26 minutes
Separated by a thin curtain, two young women from very different backgrounds share similar emotions, hopes and struggles when their parents are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
13. The Watermelon
Directed by: Mohamed Khan, Egypt (1972)
Duration: 9 minutes
After a long day in his government office, one employee picks up a large watermelon on his way home, which will make his family happy.
14. Turtles Are Always Home
Directed by: Rawane Nassif, Qatar, Lebanon and Canada (2016)
Duration: 12 minutes
This short film essay explores the meaning of home, memories and maintaining an identity in a transient environment.
15. Wintery Spring
Directed by: Mohamed Kamel, Egypt (2015)
Duration: 16 minutes
A coming-of-age film, which tells the story of a young girl, struggling to share her life with her father, with whom she lives alone.
