Best of British Films and Emirati Shorts
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 5:00AM 
I found out two days ago that the British Council has launched a UK Film Season that will showcase the best of British films and Emirati Shorts over the next eight weeks at The Picturehouse in Dubai Mall.
This has to be one of the most poorly promoted events as it already started on 20th January and not many people know about it. The British Council sent out an email on 20th January, which my friend received and that's how I found out about it. Although the British Council website lists this event, it doesn't include the timings and The Picturehouse website isn't any better, it just has an image of the poster of the first movie they are showing and the trailer. No timings listed and you can't even buy the tickets online.
It's so disappointing when organisations that put together events like this promote it so poorly.
Anyway, below is a the complete line up (film description taken from the British Council website) and I found out the timings for the first week, but do come back for more details like timings and trailers for the rest of the films over the next few weeks.
Please spread the word about this event, we need more of this in our cinemas and the more people attend, I hope it will show our local cinemas that there is an audience for something besides mind numbing Hollywood blockbusters.
20th - 25th January (Timings: 2:15pm, 4.45pm, 7:15pm, 9:45pm, 00:15am)
Nowhere Boy: Chronicle of John Lennon’s childhood starring Kristen Scott Thomas.
Solo: A musician was unable to achieve his pursuit of music and people now hear the censored music of his instrument.
27th January - 1st February
Never Let Me Go: As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow up, they find that they have to come to terms with the haunting reality that awaits them.
Amal's Cloud: Amal waits in the middle of the yard shifting between patience and hope; waiting for the jinx to melt and disappear.
03rd-08th February
Brassed Off: In existence for a hundred years, Grimley Colliery Brass band is as old as the mine. But the miners are now deciding whether to fight to keep the pit open, and the future for town and band looks bleak. Although the arrival of flugelhorn player Gloria injects some life into the players, and bandleader Danny continues to exhort them to continue in the national competition, frictions and pressures are all too evident. And who's side is Gloria actually on?
Sheikh Al Jabal (Mountain Sheikh): The film depicts the life of an old Emirati man and his indominitable spirit of determination.
10th-15th February
Streetdance: In order to win the Street Dance Championships, a dance crew is forced to work with ballet dancers from the Royal Dance School in exchange for rehearsal space.
HEAT THE BEAT 2: Two brothers founded the first hip hop crew in the UAE. The film charts their journey towards becoming rappers and examines their motivations.
17th-22nd February
Made in Dagenham: A dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant where female workers walked out in protest against discrimination.
Once: This film takes place on the day when Hamda is to meet her beau, Saeed, for the first time. Scared of getting caught and full of excitement at seeing him, we watch Hamda's transformation from girl to beautiful young woman.
24th February -1st March
White Lightnin': Deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, abides living legend Jesco White, the dancing outlaw. To keep him out of trouble, his father teaches him the art of mountain dancing – tap dancing to wild country banjo music.
Night: This short narrates the story of a man married to a difficult wife and living through hard circumstances. One night, an opportunity enlightens his future.
3rd-8th March
West is West: Manchester, North of England, 1975. The now much diminished, but still claustrophobic and dysfunctional, Khan family continues to struggle for survival.
The Half Heart: This is the story of a young girl in a strict society who becomes pregnant. Reaction from her community is pretty severe.
10th-15th March
Topsy Turvy: After their production "Princess Ida" meets with less-than-stunning reviews, the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan is strained to breaking. Their friends and associates attempt to get the two to work together again, which opens the way to one of their greatest successes.
Noura's Apple: Childhood friends Noura and Hamdan have grown up. As time passed, their paths too diverged from what was once a period defined by innocence.
www.britishcouncil.org/me-uae-uk-film-season
www.reelcinemas.ae/cineplexes/picturehouse
(Thanks Simone.)