DUBAI — Saudi Arabia's first full-length feature film, the multi-award winning “Wadjda,” will open the 6th Gulf Film Festival on April 11 at Dubai Festival City. The film's acclaimed director Haifaa Al Mansour will be in attendance. “‘Wadjda' is the perfect film to open the festival and we are incredibly proud of Haifaa and the international success she has achieved with her impressive debut feature,” said GFF Festival Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali. “‘Wadjda' first came onto our radars at a script workshop during the 2007 Gulf Film Festival and we fell in love with the story instantly. It only seems right that this remarkable accomplishment should be celebrated at GFF and we look forward to seeing what this incredibly talented filmmaker will present next.” In addition to multiple awards at the Venice Film Festival, “Wadjda” scooped the top prize at the ninth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Al Mansoor walked away with the $50,000 Best Arab Feature prize, while the film's young protagonist Waad Mohammad won Best Actress. “Wadjda” was supported by Enjaaz, DIFF's post-production program, to complete the film. — SG
