Tomorrow, in the capital Abu Dhabi, the 'I-Film International Film Festival' will kick off, which in its third edition celebrates Emirati cinema and its creators. The festival will be held for three days in the Yas Creative Area at 54 on Yas Island, offering a rich program of local, Indian, and Arabic film screenings. The festival will open with the Emirati film 'Bab' by director Naima Al Kaabi, and close with the Emirati film 'Samson Al-Arabi' by director Nasser Al Dhaheri. The festival will award a Lifetime Achievement Award to Emirati artist Mansoor Al-Faili for his long artistic career, and to actress Eiham Shahin, honoring her rich cinematic legacy. It will also grant an honorary award to Emirati director and producer Nasser Al Dhaheri in recognition of his extensive career and influential cinematic contributions locally and internationally. The festival's opening will feature a number of screenings attended by an elite lineup of Gulf, Arab, and international cinema stars, as well as a high-level delegation from the Film Federation of India (FFI), the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, and the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) and (IBPG). As part of the festival's main program, it will organize a business forum designed to facilitate dialogue between investors, producers, and Indian artistic bodies and their Emirati counterparts. These interactions aim to explore opportunities for Indian-Arab co-productions and attract international film productions to Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with local production companies in the UAE. The festival's competitions in its third edition include Emirati short films, Arabic short films, and international short films, in addition to new competitions, most notably an Artificial Intelligence (AI) competition, a Creative Challenge competition, a Photography competition, a Performance competition, and a Music competition. The festival's director, Sarvana Prasad, said: 'This year's edition focuses on cinematic co-productions between the UAE, India, and the Arab world, marking a significant milestone with the launch of the first Indian-Arab co-production work titled (Old Buddies) starring Mansoor Al-Faili from the UAE and Naseer Mahboob from India.' He also highlighted that the festival places great emphasis on talent development, as the academy has trained over 1,000 students, received 108 short film submissions, and 20 films using AI technology within the competitions, while aiming to host over 100 young filmmakers. He said: 'For the first time, leading production companies in the UAE are joining forces to support emerging talents and enhance Indian-Arab cooperation. Furthermore, the festival sheds light on building networks to develop the film industry by organizing a specialized business forum aimed at opening new avenues for partnerships and opportunities.'
