Jim Sheridan joins Dubai International Film Festival jury

Acclaimed filmmaker Jim Sheridan, who directed Daniel Day-Lewis in Oscar winner My Left Foot, will be the Head Of The Jury for the Muhr Arab Feature Competition at the 10th edition of Dubai International Film Festival. The Irish six-time Oscar-nominated director says he’s “delighted” at being appointed the head of the jury. The festival runs from December 6-14. “The Middle East has a deep-rooted appreciation for the arts, and the Arab cinema industry continues to thrive, revealing hidden gems and previously untold stories,” said Sheridan in a statement. Sheridan is known for his realistic dramas, with hits including In the Name of the Father, which received seven Academy Award nominations and won the Golden Bear at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival. The festival is honoured at the prospect of welcoming Sheridan, whose film Brothers was screened at the 2009 Diff. “Jim Sheridan is one of the most prolific filmmakers of the last two decades and responsible for some exceptional and critically acclaimed films that truly deserve the accolades bestowed upon them. He has an extraordinary gift of telling a story with honesty and capturing a characters raw emotion which set his films apart. We are thrilled and honoured that he is coming to Diff this year to head the jury and we look forward to benefitting from his vast experience in the industry,” said Masoud Amralla Al Ali, artistic director of Diff. Last year, over 80 films competed for the Muhr Awards with a combined prize money of $575,000 (Dh2,111,974) across three categories — Muhr Emirati, Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica. Saudi Arabia’s entry for the Oscars, Wadjda, by Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour, won best film in the Muhr Arab Feature category, while the film Inside, by Zeki Demirkubu,z won the best film in the Asia-Africa category. The Muhr Emirati award for best film went to “Ras Al Ghanam (The Goat’s Head) by Juma Al Sahli.