The Abu Dhabi Film Festival has unveiled the first round of recipients of the new Sanad film fund.

A total of $500,000 in grants for development and post-production is being provided to 28 feature-length narratives and documentaries by both new and established film-makers from the Arab world.

Sanad was established in April and offers development funds up to $20,000 and post-production funds up to $60,000 per project.

“We are privileged to be the first-hand witnesses of such an exciting trend and we want to transmit this passion to audiences in Abu Dhabi and beyond,” Sanad head Marie-Pierre Macia said.

Abu Dhabi Film Festival executive director Peter Scarlet added, “I am not sure there has been a comparable trend towards artistic independence here since the late 1960s. These film-makers are breaking the mould and developing a new cinematic vocabulary that is unique to the Arab region. It is our mission to provide these inspired artistic experiments with the support they need.”

The second cycle of Sanad grants will be announced in February 2011.

Sanad post-production projects - narrative

Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaidi

(Morocco-Belgium-France)

In The Last Days Of The Cityby Tamer El Said (Egypt-UK)

Ok, Enough, Goodbyeby Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia

(Lebanon)

Quarantineby Oday Rasheed

(Iraq-Germany)

Here Comes The Rain by Bahij Hojeij

(Lebanon)

My Brotherby Kamal El Mahouti

(Morocco-France)

On The Plankby Leila Kilani

(Morocco-France)

Sun Dressby Saeed Salmeen

(United Arab Emirates-Syria)

Post-production projects - documentary

In My Mother’s Arms by Atia and Mohamed Al-Daradji

(Iraq-UK)

Mohammad Saved From The Watersby Safaa Fathy

(Egypt-France)

Development projects - narrative

Aziza Doesn’t Know What She Says by Nadia El Fani

(Tunisia)

Dead Seaby Ihab Jadallah

(Palestine-France)

Zanka Contact by Ismael El Maoula El Iraki

(Morocco-France)

Playground Stories by Brahim Fritah

(Morocco-France)

Train Station by Mohamed Al-Daradji

(Iraq-Uk-Netherlands)

Chronicles Of My Village by Karim Bachir Traidia

(Algeria-The Netherlands)

Ibn Battutaby Tariq Teguia

(Algeria-Lebanon-France-Greece)

May In The Summer by Cherien Dabis

(Jordan-France)

The Strokeby Hala Lotfy

(Egypt)

Via Dolorosaby Sobhi Al-Zobaidi

(Palestine)

When I Saw You by Annemarie Jacir

(Jordan)

 

Wish The Light Has An Eye To See by Mohamad Malas

(Syria-France)

Foreign Bodyby Raja Amari

(Tunisia-France)

Development projects - documentary

Lebanese Rocket Society by Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige

(Lebanon-France)

My Jinnby Dalia Al Kury

(Jordan-Germany)

In Search Of Oil And Sand by Philippe Laurent Dib

(Egypt)

As If We Were Catching A Cobra by Hala Alabdalla

(Syria-France)

Seductionby Omar Amiralay

(Syria)