The Programmers
Masoud Amralla Al Ali
The Muhr Awards
Arabian Nights
Emirati Voices
A UAE national, Masoud is Artistic Director of the Dubai International Film Festival and Founder of the annual Emirates Film Competition, held to promote Arab filmmakers. Regarded as one of the regions foremost experts on Arab cinema, he has directed several documentaries and writes exntensively as a critic for Arab publications.
Mohammed Rouda
The Muhr Awards
Mohammed Rouda was born in Lebanon and became a film critic while he was still in high school. Noted for his insistence on cinematic values while analyzing films from all countries and genres, he is author andpublisher of The Book of Cinema, an annual review of Arab and Internationalfilms. He wrote the screenplays for the first ever Saudi feature films, Shadow of Silence and What’s Up (both in 2006).
Hannah Fisher
The Cultural Bridge
Previously the director of the Vancouver International Film Festival, Hannah currently works with several festivals, including the Dubai International Film Festival, the Bangkok International Film Festival, the Kerala and Kolkata Film Festivals in India, a festival event in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Floating Film Festival, a spectacular event that takes place on a luxury cruise ship.
Uma Da Cunha
A Celebration of Indian Cinema
The Cinema of Asia
Uma is an Indian national and a respected Mumbai based film personality. She began her film career in 1974, with the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Government of India. She has written widely on Indian cinema and programmed Indian films for many international festivals. As a casting director and adviser, her many credits include Lagaan and Monsoon Wedding.
Sheila Whitaker
The Cinema of the World
A British national, Sheila was Head of Programming at the National Film Theatre in London from 1984 to 1990 and Director of the London Film Festival from 1987 to 1996. She is well known as a writer and film festival consultant and has served on many international juries at festivals from Venice to Syria.
Simon Field
The Cinema of Asia
Simon worked for many years as a freelancer cinema writer, lecturer and curator, before becoming Director of Cinema at London’s Institute of Comtemporary Arts in 1988. From 1996 until 2004, he was Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and is currently a director of Illuminations Films, London, whose recent documentaries include Peter Sellars’ 2006 Mozart anniversary festival in Vienna.
Nashen Moodley
The Cinema of Africa
Nashen is a South African and an accomplished film critic, journalist and programmer, who is currently Artistic Director of the Durban International Film Festival, one of Africa’s most respected cinema events. His writing has appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines including the Mail & Guardian, The Sunday Independent and GQ, and he is film critic for the Sunday Tribune.
Lucia Rikaki
Destination Documentary
Lucia is a Greek national, based in Athens. She is a film director and producer, and is artistic director of the Ecofilms International Film Festival. Her company, Tricky Ticky Films, has produced art films, television and theatre productions since 1984. She is coordinator of the Balkan Fund of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Myrna Makaaron
Children’s Cinema
Myrna is a Lebanese filmmaker and actress. She completed filmmaking studies in Beirut and went to study theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris. She has appeared in several Lebanese and Arabic films. She has been involved in the organization of a number of film weeks and festivals. The last film she directed, BerlineBeirut (2004), appeared at more than 65 festivals and won nine awards.
Life Time Achievement Award
For an Arabic director - Masoud Amralla Al Ali
For a Western director - Sheila Whitaker
For an Asian director - Hannah Fisher
