Luxury Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen marked another successful presence at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2015, which opened on 9 December and runs until 16 December. As ‘Supported by’ sponsor and Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner, IWC Schaffhausen hosted the fourth IWC Filmmaker Award, where Layla Kaylif won the esteemed award for her film “The Letter Writer”. The award was presented by IWC brand ambassador Dev Patel at the One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 10: IWC Brand Ambassador Dev Patel (R) and IWC CEO Georges Kern pose with Emirati filmmaker and award winner Layla Kaylif during the IWC Filmmaker Award Night 2015 at The One & Only Royal Mirage on December 10, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images for IWC) *** Local Caption *** Dev Patel;Georges Kern;Layla Kaylif
“This year, yet again, we have received numerous applications for great films that have immensely impressed us. We are proud to see the talents of the region take such great steps forward, and we look forward to further supporting and contributing to the art of filmmaking in the region as a whole,” commented Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.
For the fourth consecutive year, IWC Schaffhausen collaborated with the DIFF to grant one talented filmmaker from the region the esteemed award. This year’s winning project was selected from three shortlisted scripts which were evaluated by a jury comprising film industry experts from the region along with IWC CEO Georges Kern and DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma. Accompanying them on the jury was the leading expert on Arab cinema, DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali. The jury was headed by Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad and Tunisian actress Hend Sabry.
This year, three filmmakers were shortlisted for the award: Qatari director Khalifa Al Muraikhi for his project “Sahaab”, Saudi director Shahad Ameen for her feature “Scales” and Emirati director Layla Kaylif for “The Letter Writer”.
Layla Kaylif was selected as the winner by the revered jury and was presented with the prize of US $100,000. Layla Kaylif also received an IWC timepiece. She is the founder of the Dubai-based film production company Canopus Films. The winning film, “The Letter Writer,” is a romantic drama which tells a story of deception and lies as a young boy, Khalifa. He uses his skills as a professional letter writer for personal gain at the expense of his trusting customers. One such customer is Mr Mohamed, the owner of a drapery shop, whom Khalifa befriends and assists in corresponding with his secret love Elli. However, when Khalifa catches a glimpse of Elli for the first time, he is instantly smitten and begins a secret and forbidden pursuit of Elli’s affections behind Mr Mohamed’s back.
