The second Animation Day in Cannes took place on May 18th at the Salon La Renaissance, the Palais des Festivals and the UAE pavilion at the Marche du film, putting for a second year animation on the map of Cannes screenings and events and generating audiences from the animation industry and beyond, along with animation cinephiles and festival professionals.    The two panel discussions, one on Virtual Reality and the impact that it has in the animation world of filmmaking a...

Directors: Khurram H Alavi, Ayman Jamal Writer: Ayman Jamal Production company: Barajoun Entertainment United Arab Emirates, 109 mins Bilal is the debut of Dubai-based Barajoun Entertainment, and the first animated feature film to come out of the United Arab Emirates. In a mythical desert kingdom rendered in careful detail, a young slave strives for freedom. With spectacular set pieces and a sweeping scope, Bilal starts off on the right foot for a debut effort. In a mythical des...

Four years ago Dubai commenced their international film festival and today in Abu Dhabi, another Persian Gulf  town approximately 150 km south of Dubai, officials announced that they too will hold an international film festival during the second half of October.Dubai is well on its way to establishing itself as an regional film hub, and its own international film festival, set to run December 9-16, will be a direct competitor with Abu Dhabi's.  Although according to Abdulhamid Juma, Ch...