DUBAI, 8 August 2006 — As the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which is scheduled to be held from Dec. 10-17 2006, gathers momentum for its third edition, it is inviting submissions in the categories of features, shorts and documentaries to its new Arab Film Competition.
“DIFF has launched an Arab Film Competition in order to fulfill one of its core objectives — showcasing and promoting excellence in Arab cinema,” commented Festival CEO, Neil Stephenson.
The Competition satisfies this objective through carefully composed criteria — films must be made by a director of Arab nationality or origin, and the subject and storyline of the film must be centered on the Arab world and/or Arab history or culture.
“The Competition serves to provide Arab filmmakers an opportunity to receive recognition for outstanding work, and encourage production of films that spread knowledge and understanding of the Arab world and its rich culture,” added Stephenson.
Other competition criteria include: The films must have been produced between Jan. 1, 2005 and Sept. 21, 2006. The film should not have been released commercially in the UAE before Dec. 17, 2006, and should not previously have been shown on any television channel or streamed via the internet to a public audience. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 21, 2006.
A top-judging panel from the international and Arab film community will review submissions, and shortlist ten films in each of the three categories.
Competition criteria details and entry forms for DIFF 2006 are available on www.dubaifilmfest.com, the official website of the Dubai International Film Festival.
Films that do not meet with the competition criteria and have not been commercially screened in the UAE can be submitted for consideration in DIFF’s “Out of Competition,” “Arabian Nights” or “Emerging Emirati’s” sections.