The eighth edition of Dubai International Film Festival, which will be held from December 7 to 14, 2011, is presently inviting entries for the festivals 2011 official screening selection, including the Muhr Arab, Muhr Asia Africa and Muhr Emirati competitions, as well as its out-of-competition section. The Muhr Awards, presented for shorts, documentaries and feature […]
The eighth edition of Dubai International Film Festival, which will be held from December 7 to 14, 2011, is presently inviting entries for the festivals 2011 official screening selection, including the Muhr Arab, Muhr Asia Africa and Muhr Emirati competitions, as well as its out-of-competition section.
The Muhr Awards, presented for shorts, documentaries and feature films, offer a US $600,000 purse, and are open to directors of Arab origin from around the world, their counterparts from Asia and Africa and UAE nationals respectively.
The Festivals out-of-competition section includes the popular Arabian Nights, Cinema for Children, Cinema of AsiaAfrica, Cinema of the World and In Focus segments. Entry for both sections, expected to number in the thousands, is free and will be accepted until August 31, 2011. The final shortlist will be announced in November 2011.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, artistic director, Dubai International Film Festival, said the Festival is a proven springboard for films and filmmakers into the global and regional limelight.
DIFF is an established destination for the discovery of Arab, Asian and African cinema; our track record in catapulting films to the international domain is unmatched in the region, Al Ali said.
Major international festivals, studios, film business leaders, media and audiences take a keen interest in our selection because of the strength of our team and the quality of our offering. We are thrilled to once more bring deserving films to the worlds attention, and look forward to some challenging months of whittling down our final selection.
Reflecting its work in both showcasing and developing talent, the Dubai International Film Festival is also inviting filmmakers to participate in its initiatives spanning the filmmaking cycle.
Filmmakers of Arab origin, for example, are welcome to apply for the Festivals successful co-production and post-production initiatives, as well as its myriad international collaborations.
The Dubai Film Connection, DIFFs co-production market, will shortlist 15 director-producer teams to receive more than US$100,000 in funding. Submissions for the fifth Dubai Film Connection, scheduled for December 8 to 11, will close August 1, 2011.
The Festivals post-production support programme, Enjaaz, is also accepting applications until August 1. Enjaaz offers 15 filmmakers up to US $100,000 each to help their projects move through the final stage of filmmaking.
