An Emirati feature film will have its premiere at next year’s edition of the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The drama Shebab Sheyah, directed by Yasir Al Yasiri and produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, will screen on January 5 at the prestigious event in the United States.
The Arabic language film - featuring an all-star cast led by Kuwaiti actor Saad Al Faraj, Syria’s Salloum Hadad and Emirati actors Mansour Al Feeli and Marie Al Halyan - follows the adventures of four senior citizens whose quiet retirement is disrupted when one of them receives a Dh50 million inheritance.
"I am honoured that Shebab Sheyab will be having its world premiere at the prestigious Palm Springs International Film Festival," said Al Yasiri in a statement.
“The festival is one of the highlights in the film calendar which has always been a champion of Arab cinema. I can’t wait for audiences to see it”.
Al Feeli echoed those sentiments: "After months of hard work, dedication and passion, it is amazing to see Shebab Sheyab debut on the international stage. I hope audiences enjoy watching it as much as we did making it"
Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Head of Narrative Ben Ross hopes the film’s inclusion in the festival acts as a showcase for the UAE as a regional production hub.
“International film festivals are the perfect platform to showcase the UAE film industry,” he said.
"The volume of local productions has been growing the last few years, demonstrating how important the UAE is to the regional market. Shebab Sheyab clearly demonstrates the wealth of talent we have in this region, both in front of and behind the camera."
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from January 2-5. For deatails go to www.psfilmsfest.org
____________________
Read more:
Salman Khan lauds Abu Dhabi as a great filming location
John Travolta woos audiences in Saudi Arabia
Our top film choices of 2017
____________________
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
