Five animated films created by UAE schoolchildren selected for Australia's Auburn International Film Festival

The annual Sydney festival, which will run from September 21 to 25, 2009, announced the selection this week.

The short animation films, developed by students from the Al Ittihad Private School, Rashid School for Boys, Westminster School, International School of Arts and Sciences, Emirates International School and Dubai College, were created as part of the DIFF Animation Workshop held in December 2008.

The films include: A Monkey's Revenge, The Monkey and the Bell, The Loyal Mongoose, The Fish and the Frog and The Three Scholars Who Made a Lion.

The three-day workshop, run by DIFF and The Animation House from Denmark, drew more than 30 students between the ages of 8 and 18. Participants learned from a fantastic line-up of international talent, including BAFTA Awards nominee Jacques-Rémy Girard, founder of one of France's most important animation studios; Bill Plympton, the Academy Award-nominated American animator best known for his short 'Your Face' and the UAE's Mohammed Saeed Hareb, creator of the immensely popular 'Freej' animation series.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF Artistic Director said, the Festival created the animation workshop to inspire children and teenagers and provide a constructive outlet for their imagination and creativity.

'We are very proud to know that DIFF has helped children as young as eight years old to discover their talent. For a festival like Auburn to select these films proves that there are no barriers to creativity, and we hope this will inspire children across the UAE to follow their dreams. We are grateful to the Auburn festival for this opportunity, and to all those who contributed to the success of the animation workshop,'

Al Ali said.

The festival selection committee of the 12th Auburn International Film Festival previewed over 350 films from 40 countries and selected 87 titles in six competitive categories and 31 titles out of competition. The five UAE films are included in the out of competition segment.

The sixth Dubai International Film Festival, which will be held from December 9 to 16, 2009, will include a Cinema for Children section that will bring together the best entertainment from around the world for young audiences.