The Circuit

Just when you think the Middle East fest can't get any more AmeriEuro – “Atonement” starts it, a lot of American and European screenings fill it, and now “In the Valley of Elah” ends it - they announce several big Middle Eastern sections. 

The new sections: Middle East Spotlight, GCC Films (Gulf Cooperative Council), and Arab Women Directors.  The festival will give a $100K prize and have also named "Caramel's" Nadine Labaki as its Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year.

Opening the Middle East Spotlight is Abdullah Al Muheisen's "Shadow of Silence" (pictured).  Previously the director joined the growing list of filmmakers denied a visa to attend a U.S. festival screening (like Kiarostami for the NYFF).

Middle East Spotlight:

OPENING FILM - SHADOW OF SILENCE (Dhalal Al Samt) - Saudi Arabia, directed by Abdullah Al Muheisen.  (Here's the Variety review)

CROSSING THE DUST (Parinawa La Ghobar) - Kurdistan-Iraq, directed by Shawkat Amin Korki. 

THE DAWN (Al Boom) - Oman, directed by Khalid Al-Zadjali.

DESERT HEAT - United Arab Emirates, short directed by John Hollingsworth.

FROM WITHIN: THEIR STORIES (Minhom Feehom) - Egypt, directed by Maggie Morgan. 

THE GREATEST OF SINS (Akbar Al Kaba'ir) - Egypt, short film directed by Youssef Hesham.

HER MAN (Ragilha) - Egypt, short film directed by Aiten Amin.

JUMAA AND THE SEA (Jumaa Wa Al Bahr) - United Arab Emirates, directed by Hani Al Shaibany.

TWO WOMEN ON THE ROAD (Imra'atan 'Ala Al Tareeq) - Morocco, directed by Farida Bourquia.

WHEN THE PEOPLE SPOKE ('Indama Takalam Al Sha'ab) - Kuwait, directed by Amer Al Zuhair.

GCC Films:

THE BARRIER (Al Hagiz) - Bahrain, directed by Bassan El-Zawadi.

THE CRUEL SEA (Bas Ya Bahr) 35th Anniversary of the First Film in the Gulf. - Kuwait, directed by Khalid El-Siddiq.

THREADS BENEATH SANDS (Khuyoot Taht Al-Rimal) - Qatar, directed by Khalifa Al-Meraikhy

Arab Women Directors:    

DANCE OF FIRE (Raqsat Al Nar) - Tunisia, directed by Selma Baccar.

DREAMY VISIONS (Ru'a Halima) - Syria, directed by Waha Al-Raheb.

WOMEN'S RUSES (Keïd Ensa) - Morocco, directed by Farida Benlyazid.

LAYLA, THE BEDOUIN (Layla Al Badawiya) Centennial of Egyptian Cinema - Egypt, directed by Bahega Hafez.

Palestinian Women Directors:

AFTER THE LAST SKY (Ba'ad Al Samaa' Al Akhira) directed by Alia Arasoughly.

GOING FOR A RIDE? (Mashyeen?) directed by Nahed Awwad. 

SUMMER OF '85 (Seif '85) - Palestine/Switzerland, directed by Rowan Al Faqih.

THE WAY BACK HOME - directed by Ghada Terawi.