Latest news with #NaylaAlKhaja
The National
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Timeframe: When Paris Hilton came to Dubai to find a new best friend
Fifteen years ago this month, Paris Hilton sashayed into a press conference in Dubai dressed in a flowing jalabiya and bejewelled hairpiece and announced she was in town to find a BFF, an acronym used to denote 'best friend forever'. 'Salamu alekum,' she greeted the gathered media, revealing that she was in the UAE to film Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF, a spin-off of her hugely successful MTV show Paris Hilton's My New BFF. In the show, which ran for two seasons in the US in 2008 and 2009, a group of women and men compete to become Hilton's new best friend. The Dubai spin-off was the show's second international version, after the UK. 'I wanted to know everything about this place first because I wanted to make sure everything was OK,' Hilton said at the event, held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. 'I just want to respect everyone here. 'I love the way the women dress here,' she added. 'It's a lot more conservative and elegant than Hollywood.' An all-female group of 23 cast members were also revealed, as well as Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja, who served as co-host and also cultural adviser. As to who constitutes her BFF, Hilton told The National: 'Oh, you know, just BBM, texts, calls and when I come over here I'll visit her. We're planning a trip where she's going to come and see me in LA.' Hilton filmed across the city for 20 days and also made a stop in Abu Dhabi at Etoiles nightclub in the Emirates Palace hotel. 'My first time in Abu Dhabi, Huge!' she posted on Twitter. But Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF would face delays as the production companies behind it fought multimillion-dollar legal battles in Dubai and Los Angeles. The US-based Lionsgate Television later sued the Dubai-based Uniqon Emirates LLC, the local partner and producer, for $8 million (Dh29m) claiming they had failed to cough up $4.7m that was crucial to the show's completion. The show finally aired in June 2011, following delays, and Kuwaiti contestant Reem Al Alnezi was revealed as the eventual winner in the ninth and final episode. Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF was the final show in the series. Speaking to The National ahead of the show's premiere, Hilton spoke of receiving offers to film the series in other countries but decided that it was time to call it a day. 'I've really enjoyed doing it, but I have enough BFFs,' she giggled.
Arab News
01-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Nayla Al-Khaja reflects on new film ‘BAAB' and Canon collaboration
DUBAI: UAE filmmaker Nayla Al-Khaja, a pioneering voice in Emirati cinema, has wrapped production on her second feature film, 'BAAB,' and is also taking part in a renewed partnership with Canon Middle East as part of the brand's 'See No Limits' campaign. In a conversation following the film's completion, Al-Khaja told Arab News 'BAAB,' set for release after the summer, marks a creative milestone in her career. 'It really feels like I found a language I enjoy in filmmaking, like my own artistic voice,' she said, highlighting its striking visual style and deeply immersive atmosphere. Compared to her debut feature 'Three,' she described 'BAAB' as a significant evolution in her storytelling and visual approach. 'Haunted by a mysterious rhythm after her twin sister's death, Wahida's journey to find answers pulls her deep into the mountains. As she unravels her grief, she descends into madness, blurring the line between reality and imagination,' the logline of the film reads. Her previous feature 'Three' played at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival. She is also a frequent guest at the Cannes Film Festival and partnered with Oscar winning Indian musical composer and record producer A. R. Rahman on the score for her latest film. Al-Khaja continues to work in psychological horror, drawn to its emotional impact and the technical challenge of filming in low light. 'You feel like you are pulled like a magnet, pulled into a very ethereal, very haunting world… it is just so visually beautiful,' she said. The director is also working with Japanese corporation Canon on educational initiatives aimed at emerging filmmakers. As part of the 'See No Limits' campaign, she led a workshop for film students, emphasizing both the technical strengths of Canon's EOS R5 Mark II and the importance of narrative-driven visual decisions. 'Although you have the camera, if you don't know how to position it in sense of what your story is trying to say… how far can you push your own limit?' she said. Al-Khaja's collaboration with Canon began in 2011. Their latest campaign focuses on empowering female filmmakers across the region. While she notes there are still only a handful of women working full-time in the UAE film industry, she sees growing momentum driven by regional grants, commissions and the demand for streaming content. 'When I started, I didn't have a role model,' she said. 'It is good to know that you now have an older generation that you can reach out to.'
The National
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Ten films to watch at Cinema Akil's Arab Film Week in Dubai
Arab Film Week returns to Cinema Akil for the fourth year from May 2 to 11. This year, the programme celebrates people pursuing their dreams – whether for freedom, home, family, or self-discovery. The curated films explore themes of family, war, personal journeys and women's experiences. Here are the 10 films screening at Arab Film Week 2025. Showing: May 2 at 7pm, May 7 at 9.30pm Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja directs Three, a horror film about a demonic possession and the western man who has to step in to stop the evil. The film's stars include Jefferson Hall, who also appeared in House of the Dragon and Oppenheimer, and Saud Alzarooni. Showing: May 7 at 7pm, May 10 at 10pm Jordanian filmmaker Rand Beiruty directs this documentary about a group of Arab, Kurdish and Roma teenage girls who come of age in a German provincial town. Confronting hidden discrimination and family expectations, they express their struggles and boldest dreams on camera. The director followed the girls for four years, filming them as their relationships and friendships grew. Beiruty also traces their linguistic and cognitive growth as each girl strives to find purpose and belonging in her new community. Showing: May 4 at 4.30pm, May 6 at 7pm, May 9 at 10.15pm Shajane, Maha, Muzamil and Khattab are Sudanese young people who engage with politics and express themselves creatively. Filmmaker Hind Meddeb follows them in this documentary as they exemplify their generation's fight for freedom using their art. Facing a corrupt army responsible for war crimes in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile, they are sustained by a dream – fuelled by imagination and the power of poetic expression – that enabled them to topple the former regime. Showing: May 2 at 9.15pm, May 8 at 7pm Anas Zawahri's film is a moving look at life in Homs, Syria, caught between the past, present and future. It shows a city and its people trying to return to normal after deep loss and destruction. The film is a powerful reminder of the pain of war and the strength people find to keep going. Showing: May 4 at 9.30pm, May 5 at 9.30pm, May 10 at 4.30pm Bassam Mortada was just five when he first visited his father, Mahmoud, in the infamous Abo Zaabal prison in Egypt. Shaken by the police raid in which his father was captured, he became filled with resentment towards the authorities. In this documentary, Mortada captures his journey to reconnect with his parents and uncover a path towards historical truth, emotional understanding and healing, as he pieces together how their political activism impacted their family. Showing: May 3 at 4.30pm, May 6 at 8.45pm, May 11 at 7pm In Mehdi Barsaoui's Aicha, Aya, a woman in her late twenties living with her parents in southern Tunisia, feels stuck in a life with no future. After surviving a car accident that kills everyone else on board, she sees an opportunity to start over. Escaping to the capital city under a new identity, her fresh start is quickly threatened when she becomes the key witness to a police mistake. Showing: May 5 at 7pm, May 10 at 7pm At 40, Saify Muhammed is a failed scammer who owes money to a lot of people, even to his ex-wife. It's the year 2000, and he owns a rundown music shop that sells cassette tapes, including banned Islamic sermons he wrongly believes will make him rich. Wael Abu Mansour directs this Saudi comedy about blackmail and the business of religion. Showing: May 3 at 9.30pm, May 11 at 4.30pm Kurdwin Ayub directs Mond, a film about a former martial artist who accepts what seems like a dream job – training three wealthy sisters in Jordan – but things quickly turn sour because the young women are constantly watched and have no real interest in learning the sport. Showing: May 3 at 7pm, May 8 at 9.15pm, May 11 at 10pm Lebanese comedy-drama Arze, directed by Mira Shaib, is about a single mother who is determined to buy her son a scooter so he can help her deliver the pies she bakes. To make it happen, she steals and pawns her sister's bracelet for a down payment. But when the scooter gets stolen, the mother takes charge, pulling her unwilling son across Beirut to track it down. Showing: May 4 at 6.45pm, May 9 at 7pm Mo Harawe's The Village Next to Paradise follows a newly blended family as they navigate the ups and downs of modern life, balancing personal dreams with everyday struggles. US drones constantly fly above them in their rural Somali village as they struggle to survive amid poverty. Shot entirely in Somalia, the film boasts a cast of first-time actors.
What's On
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
Arab Cinema Week at Cinema Akil kicks off today
Discover the best of regional cinema at Cinema Akil… Calling all cinephiles – the fourth edition of Arab Cinema Week is back at Cinema Akil, everyone's favourite independent arthouse cinema and the go-to spot for alternative watching. This iconic celebration of the very best of regional cinema started off as a small spark and has now become an annual staple on the city's cultural calendar. The festival kicks off from today, May 2 to 11 and will take you through an incredible journey through the cinematic landscape of the Arab world. The line-up for this season, as is every year, is a mix of bold, creative, and versatile stories from around the region. 10 days of the event will feature 10 feature films, 6 Gulf Premieres, 3 UAE Premieres, and stories from 10 Arab countries including Lebanon, Sudan, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and Syria. As always, there is a huge focus on highlighting strong female talent, with almost half of the films on the line-up being directed by women, preserving the efforts of Cinema Akil in spotlighting Arab women behind and in front of the camera. The festival will kick off with Three by Emirati director Nayla Al Khaja; this tale of possession, exorcism, skepticism and belief pulls from many local narratives of forces beyond the boundary of our understanding and not all of them good. There will also be a mix of 5 in-person and virtual Q&As, giving us, the viewers, a chance to connect with the brains behind the stunning visual spectacles. Tickets and things… Tickets to the festival are available to purchase online, on the Cinema Akil website and are priced at Dhs56.70. Schedules are subject to change so make sure you can keep an eye out on the website for the most updated version. See you at the movies. Find the full schedule here. Images: Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
What's On
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
Arab Cinema Week is back at Cinema Akil this May
Discover the best of regional cinema at Cinema Akil… Calling all cinephiles – the fourth edition of Arab Cinema Week is back at Cinema Akil, everyone's favourite independent arthouse cinema and the go-to spot for alternative watching. This iconic celebration of the very best of regional cinema started off as a small spark and has now become an annual staple on the city's cultural calendar. The festival kicks off from May 2 to 11 and will take you through an incredible journey through the cinematic landscape of the Arab world. The line-up for this season, as is every year, is a mix of bold, creative, and versatile stories from around the region. 10 days of the event will feature 10 feature films, 6 Gulf Premieres, 3 UAE Premieres, and stories from 10 Arab countries including Lebanon, Sudan, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and Syria. As always, there is a huge focus on highlighting strong female talent, with almost half of the films on the line-up being directed by women, preserving the efforts of Cinema Akil in spotlighting Arab women behind and in front of the camera. The festival will kick off with Three by Emirati director Nayla Al Khaja; this tale of possession, exorcism, skepticism and belief pulls from many local narratives of forces beyond the boundary of our understanding and not all of them good. There will also be a mix of 5 in-person and virtual Q&As, giving us, the viewers, a chance to connect with the brains behind the stunning visual spectacles. Tickets and things… Tickets to the festival are available to purchase online, on the Cinema Akil website and are priced at Dhs56.70. Schedules are subject to change so make sure you can keep an eye out on the website for the most updated version. See you at the movies. Find the full schedule here. Images: Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
