Gulf Film Festival (GFF) extends deadline for submission of entries

Organized by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (TECOM Investments), the film festival will be held from 12-17 April, featuring film and script competitions.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Director of GFF, said: "In terms of scope, the Gulf Film Festival is the first of its kind initiative in the GCC, providing a platform to promote regional film making while positioning Dubai as the epicentre for fostering cinematic talent. Given the right ambience and support, the region's rich resource pool of indigenous talent will eventually grow to achieve global standards on par with the rest of film community worldwide. The festival believes in encouraging the creative spirit of individuals who will one day serve as the region's cultural and art ambassadors."

The Gulf Film Festival aims to develop the local and regional film culture by creating new avenues for filmmakers to screen their films and develop innovative projects. GFF also aims to celebrate excellence in Gulf cinema and be a foremost festival to which the international film community can travel in order to discover and experience the nuances of state-of-the-art cinema.

Al Ali added: "Movies reflect individuality and culture. Through the Gulf Film Festival, we will promote our culture and the individuality of our people, while celebrating films not just as an art form, but as a vital communications tool. The objective is to spotlight our rich heritage, as well as our traditional values and way of life to the rest of the world."

The Gulf Film Festival is divided into two segments - a competition specifically for films from the Gulf region, and a script competition for short UAE films. GFF will also feature international cinema from all over the world.

Entries to the Gulf Film Festival must meet one of the following conditions: films must be directed by a Gulf national/passport-holder; reflect a subject and storyline that is centred around the Gulf region and/or Gulf history or culture; should not have been screened in the UAE earlier, except at the Dubai International Film Festival and Ibda'a Media Student Awards; must have been produced after 1 January, 2006 and should not have been shown previously on any TV channel or streamed via the Internet to public audience.

All non-English language films must have English subtitles, and the work must not be a TV programme or a single episode that is part of a television series.

For the UAE script competition, the script must be written by a UAE national scriptwriter or a filmmaker; entry scripts must be submitted in Arabic as the original work of a sole author or as a collaboration between two writers.

The Gulf Film Festival also welcomes contributions, offering donors throughout the region an opportunity to contribute to nurturing film making talent.