Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and MAD Solutions Hold a Charity Screening of Palestinian Hani Abu Assad's Omar

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A Charity Initiative to Raise Funds for Gaza in Collaboration with the Red Crescent

Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and MAD Solutions Hold a Charity Screening of Palestinian Hani Abu Assad's Omar


Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, in association with MAD Solutions and the Red Crescent, helms in the UAE two charity screenings of Hany Abu-Assad's Omar, the Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film in 2013.

The first screening will take place at VOX Mirdif City Centre on Monday, September 29th, at 09:00 pm, whereas VOX Cinema in Mall of the Emirates will host the film's second screening on Wednesday,
October 1st, 2014, at 09:00 pm.

Abdallah Al Shami, MAD Solutions' Partner and GCC Representative, stressed on the cultural significance of this step, "we do what we do at MAD for the love of cinema. We believe that the global language of film can transform the lives of thousands, and this film in particular is a fitting example. We're fortunate to have partners that share our ideals and who are working relentlessly to establish a strong foundation for cultural philanthropy through the media of film."

Written and directed by Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, Omar revolves around a trio of young Palestinians who kill an Israeli soldier, resulting in the arrest of one of them, a young baker named Omar, who was brutally beaten by the Israeli intelligence. Promised that he will be given his freedom if he assists in capturing the shooter, Omar rejoins his friends and begins to suspect that there is an informant among them.

The Palestinian feature stars Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Iyad Hoorani, Samer Bisharat, and American-Palestinian actor Waleed Zuaiter, who also produces the film through his ZBROS production house.

Omar competed at various international film festivals and events worldwide, garnering not only an Oscar nomination at the Best Foreign Language category, but also received a Jury Prize within the
Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Film Festival. The film is also a recipient of the Best Film Award at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards where it won a Best Cinematography award and the film's leading actor, Adam Bakri, was nominated for the Best Performance.

At Dubai International Film Festival, Omar won Muhr Arab Award for Best Feature Film, whereas director Abu-Assad walked away with a Best Director award and earned the same prize within the
Asian Film Critics Association Awards.

Omar also received HRNs People Award for Best Movie at Human Rights Nights FilmFestival in Italy, while the film's Palestinian director, Hany Abu-Assad, won the Youth Jury Award at Ghent International Film Festival, Belgium.

The film was screened as part of New York Film Festival where it was nominated for Grand Marnier Fellowship Award, competed at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, was nominated for
Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest.

Omar marks Hany Abu-Asaad's second Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film after Paradise Now (2006). The eminently prominent director Hany Abu-Asaad has an extensive repertoire that includes several remarkable works such as Rana's Wedding, the English -speaking feature The Courier and the documentary Ford Transit.