By Ruba Hattar
Arab independent film makers celebrated this week having their films officially selected for showings and competitions at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California for this year.
The films from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco reflect on a number of human themes of refugees' lives to marital relationships in the Middle East to alienation.
The films selected are; The Present (in competition for the Bridging the Borders Award, Director: Farah Nabulsi, Palestine), Soukoon (in competition for the Best of the Festival Award and Best Student International Short, Director: Farah Shaer, Lebanon), Stallions (in competition for the Local Jury Award, Director: Elise Coker,
Palestine), Henet ward (in competition for Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes,
Director: Morad Mostafa, Egypt), Omé (in competition for Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes, Director: Wassim Geagea, Lebanon), Give Up the Ghost (in competition for Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes, Director: Zain Duraie, Jordan), Arabian Alien (in competition for the Best of the Festival Award, Director: Meshal Aljaser, Saudi Arabia), and So What if the Goats Die (in competition for Best International Short, Director: Sofia Alaoui, Morocco).
