Desert Door Productions partners with DIFF to sponsor the 'Desert Door DIFF Film Works in Progress Award'

The "Desert Door DIFF Work in Progress Award" will support Arab cinema and filmmakers in the region by providing much needed funding.

The "Desert Door DIFF work in progress award" is a partnership between Dubai International Film Festival and Desert Door Productions aimed at encouraging Arab filmmaking.

Every year the award will give the winner $25,000 to complete their film, up to a total of $125,000 over five years.

This year three candidates were shortlisted from the Dubai Film Connection, an invitation-only co-production market for Arab film professionals and their international counterparts.

Of the 108 projects that were submitted for consideration, three were selected for the Desert Door DIFF work in progress award.

The announcement of the recipient of this year's award will be made on the 16th December 2008.

"Our mission at Desert Door Productions is to support the film industry in the Arab world and help young Arab movie makers achieve their full potential. We have committed to driving this award for the next five years in the hopes of encouraging the region's burgeoning film industry."

says Mohammed Al-Kateeb, Board Director and General Manager, Desert Door Productions.

Shivani Pandya, DIFF's Managing Director, said: "We welcome forward-thinking partners like Desert Door Productions, who are interested in working toward the goal of stimulating filmmaking in the Middle East. It is our most important mandate, and recognizing that the production process needs injections of funds toward the crucial, postproduction stage is the kind of clear, practical thinking that the Middle East needs to truly become a filmmaking centre."

Desert Door Productions (DDP) is an affiliate of Kuwait Cable Vision (KCV), a Kuwaiti shareholding company based in Kuwait.

Some of DDP's international projects include the IMAX film entitled Journey to Mecca in the footsteps of Ibn batutta to be released January 2009 co-produced with cosmic pictures and SK films.

DDP is a major equity owner and a Partner of Sherezade Films, producers of films such as 'The Lucky Ones', 'Smart People', and 'New York I love you'.

DDP enjoys a branch in media city and develops, produces and invests in quality, socially relevant film, television and commercial projects throughout the Middle East, US and Europe.