DIFF Renews Support For Film Festival

Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has extended its support for the MINI Film Festival for the second year in a row.

The inaugural MINI Film Festival, a short film festival and an initiative of BMW Group Middle East, was launched in 2006 and received over 55 entries from Middle Eastern filmmakers.

“Our aim with the MINI Film Festival was to create a platform to encourage and develop the blossoming regional film community to have their vision and unique points of view heard,'' said Raymond Gedeon, MINI Brand Manager, BMW Group Middle East in a statement.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF's Artistic Director and Coordinator General of the Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab Cinema, said: “The MINI Film Festival is an opportunity to see the small gems that catch the light, the short works by budding film storytellers that possess a talent that we at DIFF aim to develop across this region...''

The MINI Film Festival 2007 is currently open for submissions, and amateur filmmakers from the region have until 1st November 2007 to submit short films of up to 15 minutes in length.

More information on entry requirements is available through the MINI website. Entries can be delivered to a number of partner locations across the region detailed on the website.

A senior representative from DIFF will be a member of the professional jury for the festival, who will choose the top 10 films for the MINI Film Festival 2007. Judges will be announced in the coming months and the top ten finalists will be announced on the 17th of November.

An exclusive invitation-only Gala Screening will be held on 29th November 2007 to screen the ten finalist films and announce the winners to a top-level industry audience.

Prizes for the competition have been selected with partners in the film industry to help developing talent make their film careers a reality. First prize is an Apple Mac Pro with 30" Cinema Display screen and Final Cut Studio software. The second place winner will receive a professional video camera.

A film course at a leading regional film institute is on offer for third place winner. The People's Choice Award winner, which is voted by attendees at the gala screening event via SMS voting, will receive € 1000.00.