Mumbai: The first edition of the Gulf Film Festival got off to a start in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. The star studded opening night ceremony for the world premiere of Four Girls by Bahraini filmmaker Hussain Abbas Al Hulaibi saw various GCC stars grace the red carpet.
 
This is a five-day festival where Dubai cinephiles will see the best of regional cinema–from short films to documentaries to features from every corner of the GCC and beyond.
 
As part of its mandate to promote filmmaking in the Gulf, 16 filmmakers from Kuwait will share the spotlight at the Festival through screenings of their films in three competitive categories–features, shorts and documentaries. The two features from Kuwait are Faisal Sham’s Al Donjowana and Hasan Abdal’s One More Chance.
 
Seven of the short films will appear in the ‘in-competition’ program, and one will compete in the student competition along with three ‘in-competition’ documentaries.
 
The festival also features a panel discussion on the future of digital filmmaking in the region on 16 April, offering a behind-the-scenes view of the film trade.
 
The inaugural edition of Gulf Film Festival is scheduled to take place between 13 – 18 April at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Center at Mall of Emirates. All screenings are free to the public.