Gulf Film Festival 2011 - International Shorts Competition
Still from Casus Belli
This year’s Gulf Film Festival sees the launch of the International Shorts competition. I personally think it's great that there is room in this festival to include film from around the world.
Fourteen films from Germany, Turkey, Greece, France, Spain, Brazil, Iran and India will compete at this year’s competition. Here's my top 10 list.
Casus Belli, Director Yorgos Zois
Casus Belli focuses on people from all walks of life waiting in seven different queues. The first person of each queue becomes the last of the next one, creating an enormous line. The film won the Orizzonti Competition at the Venice Film Festival and multiple awards at the International Drama Film Festival.
Amsterdam, Director Philippe Etienne
Globally acclaimed short fiction drama Amsterdam follows two young men who realize they are the last two people in the world.
Parigot, Director Mehdi Alavi
Parigot features a know-it-all hobo looking for food in Paris and his prey, a delivery man who will be harder to catch than ever. Both characters will be drawn by those they serve in a conflict that is no longer theirs, under the eye of a merciless metropolis.
Vers Le Nord (Heading North), Director Youssef Chebbi
Vers Le Nord (Heading North) is about two smugglers trying to wrap up a human trafficking deal with the Albanian mafia while they’re lost in the middle of nowhere.
Fakir’s Bicycle, Director Hameed Ayubi
Set in Afghanistan, Fakir’s Bicycle documents a religious scholar who repairs bicycles for a living, working alongside an old bridge in Kabul.
Centipede Sun, Director Mihai Grecu
Centipede Sun is a video poem that documents the contemporary environmental condition.
The Order of Things, Director César and José Esteban Alenda
The Order of Things narrates the tale of Julia, whose life takes place in a bathtub.
The Long Goodbye, Director Javier Ideami
The Long Goodbye is a story of a young man trying to have a last conversation with his dying wife after they meet with a car accident. Winner of ‘Best Song’ at the Jerry Goldsmith Music Awards of the International Music Festival in Spain, the film is guaranteed to soften the most obstinate heart.
Just That Sort of a Day, Director Abhay Kumar
This award-winning experimental film follows people randomly, only to find a common thread among them.
Six Strands, Director Chaitanya Tamhane
Six Strands, partially based on true stories, is a character study inspired by the world famous Darjeeling tea industry and its undisclosed secrets. The film was a winner at the Clemont-Ferrand 2011, the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2011, and the Yes Indian Film Festival, among others.