The Festival’s 2011 program includes a wide range of films from the Middle East and all over the world: features and shorts, fanciful and down-to-earth, hard-hitting and hilarious.
Narrative Feature Competition
Exciting and original storytelling from international filmmakers.
Documentary Feature Competition
Nonfiction films that explore remarkable stories and issues in the world around us.
New Horizons / Afaq Jadida Competition
Presenting a director’s first or second feature film, fresh styles and challenging ideas in narrative work from around the world.
Short Film Competition
Inspired narrative, documentary and animated short films by emerging and esteemed international filmmakers.
Emirates Film Competition
Short films from established directors and new discoveries from the United Arab Emirates and GCC countries.
Showcase
A selection of recent outstanding feature films from around the world. Audience members cast votes to select the Audience Choice Award winner from this program.
Our World
Films devoted to broadening awareness of significant environmental issues.
Special Programs
Commemorating the centennial of Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz (p. 33) and the 150th anniversary of Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore; spotlighting nine films from Sweden (p. 33); presenting new restorations of silent film treasures; partnering with New York’s Museum of Modern Art to show cutting-edge Arab cinema; and providing plenty of fun-filled opportunities for the whole family (p. 31)… ADFF’s wide range of Special Programs celebrate the joys of cinema past and present.
Special Events
Whether you’re a student, a filmmaker, or you just love movies, ADFF’s Special Events offer something for everyone. International filmmakers share their knowledge in intensive master classes, and panel discussions with professionals cover topics ranging from funding and production opportunities to the effects of the Arab Spring on filmmaking. Admission to these events is free.
ADFF is dedicated both to discovering new films and bringing you the best work from the world’s top film festivals. In our Official Guide, we have noted films making their premieres and major Festivals where they have screened. Here on our website, we have include the premiere status of each films as follows:
World Premiere: The first-ever screening of a film.
International Premiere: The first screening of a film outside its principal country of production.
Middle East Premiere: The first screening of a film in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Gulf Premiere: The first screening of a film in the GCC countries.
