Widow of Silence, Review: Half-lives, half-wives Since it is based on many true stories, it is easy to consider Widow of Silence as an amalgamated biopic. Though the central character and her plight may be an amalgam of several of her sisters living in the god-forsaken heaven on earth, rural Kashmir, it works as a personal story too, using the larger picture as a backdrop. Unfortunately, though, besides highlighting the suffering of women whose husbands have been picked-up and taken away, nev...

Yomeddine, Review: Disability or this ability? Unlikely companions embark on an impossible journey, to trace their roots, hundreds of miles away, on a donkey cart, with little money and barest of supplies. Both, the journey and the destination, hold many surprises for the two, some pleasant, some very unpleasant. On the way, they offer you a tribute to the indomitable human spirit, but also make you realise that in a society of regulars and normals, the irregular and abnormal cannot find thei...

MIFF 2018, XVIII: Open Forum No. 4 ...

A record 27 features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 89th Academy Awards®. The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are: “The Angry Birds Movie” “April and the Extraordinary World” “Bilal” “Finding Dory” “Ice Age: Collision Course” “Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV” “Kubo and the Two Strings” “Kung Fu Panda 3” &ldquo...

  The second Animation Day in Cannes took place on May 18th at the Salon La Renaissance, the Palais des Festivals and the UAE pavilion at the Marche du film, putting for a second year animation on the map of Cannes screenings and events and generating audiences from the animation industry and beyond, along with animation cinephiles and festival professionals.    The two panel discussions, one on Virtual Reality and the impact that it has in the animation world of filmmaking a...

Bilal learns that bravery is in the mind not the weapon. Courtesy of Barajoun Entertainment, used with permission   Bilal - A New Breed of Hero By Moira Sullivan San Francisco Examiner.com May 16, 2016 The world premiere of “Bilal”, an animated historical epic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Market May 14, the first of its kind made with computer generated anim...

Directors: Khurram H Alavi, Ayman Jamal Writer: Ayman Jamal Production company: Barajoun Entertainment United Arab Emirates, 109 mins Bilal is the debut of Dubai-based Barajoun Entertainment, and the first animated feature film to come out of the United Arab Emirates. In a mythical desert kingdom rendered in careful detail, a young slave strives for freedom. With spectacular set pieces and a sweeping scope, Bilal starts off on the right foot for a debut effort. In a mythical des...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent One of the most interesting aspects of movie reviewing is looking behind the screen at the provenance of a project, and with Dubai’s first ever CGI animation, BILAL, the story behind this 1400-year-old animation saga is truly gripping. Cannes 69th Film Festival is the perfect venue for this, where it will screen shortly. The cast includes excellent actors Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (who played the yacht assassination target for Matt Damon in...

  A seemingly conventional story for the eternal battle between good and bad transforms an ancient myth into an epic animation that can move both younger and older audiences.    Bilal is the story of a young slave who becomes the symbol of equality and freedom for his people, by turning against the tyrannic ruling of the wealthy and powerful and adopting a new faith. Originally inspired by one of the most widely known myths in Islam culture, this animation feature makes an at...

Bilal comes to Cannes in a grand way, hard to miss the cover of the (essentiel) Cannes Market Pocket Guide, back cover of Ecran Total... Michel Abouchahla, publisher of Ecran Total, Ayman Jamal, producer of Bilal with filmfestivals.com Bruno Chatelin The Gala screening has already trigerred a very strong buzz. Barajoun Entertainment was very happy to add a second house at the Olympia venue May 14th at 8.15 to due to massive demand. The team is ready and thrilled to work on this event. ...

BILAL is an extraordinary full length animation feature produced in Dubai and excels in first rate animation conveying a universal message.  Set in the 6th century landscape of the Arabian desert the feature depicts  Bilal and his sister Ghufaira  who were abducted  from their African home as children by slave traders who slayed their mother. As slaves they are growing up in a forlorn village dominated by merchants adhering to a belief in idols and terrorizin...

International Film Finance Forum | May 13, 2016 • Cannes, France |    State of the Industry:  View from the Director’s Chair Featured Director: Asif Kapadia Academy Award Winning Director Moderated by: ...

A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who earned his remembrance in time and history. Director Biography Ayman Jamal is the founder and Producer of Barajoun Entertainment. He has extensive expert...