Fourth edition of Gulf Film Festival from April 14 to 20 adds competition for international short films

Fourth edition of Gulf Film Festival from April 14 to 20 adds competition for international short films

GFF 2011 expands to include competition for international filmmaking talent.

February 18, 2011 11:22 by Rasha Reslan

The fourth edition of the Gulf Film Festival (GFF), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), from April 14 to 20, 2011, this year, will feature an in-competition section for short films from around the world.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director, said: “The Gulf Film Festival celebrates cinematic excellence in the Gulf, offering a solid platform for regional talent to highlight their competencies. This year, complementing our credo of promoting regional filmmaking, we are also opening doors to showcase international shorts for the first time in the region, which will serve as an interactive experience for participants.”

He added: “Short films are a compelling artform that capture the dynamism of cinema within a short span of time. By inviting international talent to the Gulf Film Festival, we want to highlight the diverse approaches in short filmmaking across the world.”

The 2011 Festival features two key competitions: The Gulf Competition, for films by Gulf filmmakers and students, or filmmakers of other nationalities with films that showcase the region; and the inaugural International Competition for Short Films open to films and filmmakers from around the world. A specialised committee will evaluate the submissions and award nearly half a million dirhams in prize money to emerging and professional filmmakers.

The Gulf Competition is for films from the Gulf region – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar – as well as Yemen and Iraq. The Student Competition is open to works made or produced by students during their academic study, or as part of a college project.

Entries in the Gulf Competition are invited in three categories: Feature Films, Short Films, and Documentaries. Students compete in short films and documentaries only, while international films compete in short films only.

In the Feature Films category of the Gulf Competition, first prize is AED50,000 and second receives AED35,000. In the documentary category, first prize is AED25,000, second earns AED20,000, and third place is awarded AED15,000. A Special Jury Prize of AED20,000 goes to either the winning feature film or documentary.

A Special Jury Prize of AED20,000 is also awarded to the winning short film in the Gulf Competition. In addition, the best short film receives AED25,000, the runner up gets AED20,000, third wins AED15,000, and the best script also receives AED15,000. In the Documentary Films category of the Student Competition, first, second and third place are awarded AED20,000, AED15,000, and AED10,000 respectively.

There are also three prize categories in the Short Films section for students, with the same allocation of prize money. A Special Jury Prize of AED15,000 goes to the best documentary or short.

In the inaugural International Competition for Short Films, first, second, and third place are awarded AED25,000, AED20,000, and AED15,000 respectively.

All films submitted must be produced after January 1, 2010. Feature films must be a work of fiction that equals or exceeds 60 minutes in length. Documentary films must be a work of non-fiction, regardless of the duration. Short films must be a work of fiction that does not exceed 59 minutes in length.

Entries into all the GFF competitions this year must be done by completing the application online at www.gulffilmfest.com, by March 10, 2011.