Middle East Film Festival to highlight environmental issues

The Festival aims to utilize the role of cinema to help protect the environment and the biodiversity of the planet, by attracting the participation of film-makers and environmentalist from around the world, said Mohammed Khalaf said Al Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and President of the Festival.

Al Mazrouei stressed that Abu Dhabi is keen to raise environmental awareness and spread the values of nature preservation.

The world is facing a difficult task in its quest to protect the environment and biological diversity from climate change and increased pollution.

Al Mazrouei warned that UN reports confirm that our planet is currently facing its most serious wave of plant and animal life extinction, and that there is one kind of species being totally extinct approximately every 20 minutes, which means that current extinction rates are highest 100-1000 times the normal rate.

The Festival is the only of its kind that gives awards for all types of films - feature, documentary and animation - and for long, short and student films.

The monetary values of the 'Black Pearl' prizes are equally shared between the producer and director. There are also awards for best actor and best actress, as well as awards for best artistic contribution, that exclude directing and acting.

The festival consists of ten parts: three competitions of the long, short and student films; a special show programme; films from the Gulf Cooperation Council; Arab World programmes; and a programme that honours two figures, one of whom is an Arab, and the participation in all parts of the competition will remain open tell 10th augest.2008.

With the aim of encouraging international film financers and executive producers to come and network with filmmakers from all over the world, Abu Dhabi is working towards creating a world class film industry in the heart of one of the most economically diverse cities in the world.

Last year's Festival hosted an array of filmmakers from all over the world showcasing some of 2007's most acclaimed films and introducing new ones to the world.