13 must-see films to watch at Dubai International Film Festival

The line-up for the 12th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival has been announced and it looks awesome.

The festival will take place at multiple locations throughout Dubai between Dec. 9 and 16. Apart from a stellar selection of international films, the festival will screen a number of Middle Eastern and North African features and shorts. Here are 13 regional films on the schedule that are a must-see

Directed by Salem Brahimi

"This is the story of Yasmina and Noureddine, who have to contend with the pressures of a domineering mother, a country that is adrift and the ruthless barbarity of extremism," according to the DIFF website.

Directed by Sameer Arif

"A group of young Saudi men and women are on their way to celebrate New Year's Eve in Bahrain. An incident changes some of their attitudes, which makes them reconsider their relationships."

Directed by Menna Ekram

"An Egyptian couple employed by a circus is bored. When the couple is introduced to a new show: 'The Wheel', hope and excitement for a reignited passion in their lives returns."

Directed by Amir-Hossein Saghafi

"It follows an elderly man (Mahmoud Nazar-Alian) who is desperate to keep his adult married daughter (Levon Haftvan) close to him. She is attached to a horse, the one thing that she has left of her deceased mother, but as the old man grows increasingly disturbed; he plans to set the horse free in a desperate bid to keep her to stay with him."

 Directed by Halkawt Mustafa

"A unique cinematic love story of young Alan and his girlfriend Gona. A captivating adventure, EL CLÁSICO sees Alan and his brother undertake a risky trip all the way from Iraqi Kurdistan to Spain, to meet Cristiano Ronaldo and win over Gona's father, who is a true Real Madrid fan."

Directed by Rifqi Assaf

"Laila is on a date with a construction worker in in room 52, on the fifth floor. A silent film, and yet, a surprise that goes beyond this mysterious rendezvous."

Directed by Assad Fouladkar

"Four tragi-comic interconnected stories that follow devout Muslim men and women as they try to manage their love life and desires, without breaking any of their religion's rules."

Directed by Hicham Lasri

"A painful chapter in Morocco’s history is revealed through an interview with a notorious political strongman, about his role in the brutal former regime."

Directed by Tarzan and Arab Nasser

"Inspired by real events from Gaza in 2007, the film depicts Christine’s Salon, as a kind of haven and a refuge from the outside world; it’s a place where the women talk about hairstyles and husbands, while always in the background is the tense reality of living in Gaza. When gunfire and explosions erupt outside the salon the tone switches and politics and violence finally finds their way into the salon."

Directed by Rana Jarbou

"The film explores Riyadh through Rakan and his passion for "motorsport." Hajwalah claims its sense of place in the desert metropolis through the filmmaker’s lens."

Directed by Fares Naanaa

"Sami and Sara, a Tunisian couple in their thirties, lead a peaceful life and seem happy, until a tragedy befalls."

Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven

"It may seem like a simple and familiar story – five sisters rebel against their oppressive uncle, who is their overly protective guardian after the death of their parents – but Ergüven and her co-scriptwriter Alice Winocour have also crafted a film that is blessed with strikingly well rounded characters and resonates with a sense of anger about how these young women are treated."

Directed by Humaid Al Suwaidi

"Growing up in a very conservative family where many things are ‘haram’ (forbidden in Islam), Abdullah struggles over the years to hide his love for music."