Dubai International Film Festival boosts Arab filmmakers with new prize from L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie

The Dubai International Film Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has collaborated with L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) to assist emerging and established filmmakers in the Arab world.

Under the new partnership, OIF will provide a €5,000 prize to a Dubai Film Connection film project from one of the Arab world’s Francophone countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. The first OIF award will be presented during the fifth edition of the Festival’s co-production market, which runs concurrently with the Festival from December 7 to 14, 2011.

Shivani Pandya, Managing Director, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “The funding by OIF for a Dubai Film Connection project is another validation of our success in establishing a conduit between global film and cultural organisations and local and regional talent. The partnership to promote filmmaking in the Francophone countries of the Arab world is part of our efforts to cultivate as many resources and growth opportunities for filmmakers as possible.”

Mr Frederic Bouilleux, Director, L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, said: “The Dubai Film Connection embodies a label of quality and the OIF has decided to finance an award through it in order to contribute to the emergence of a creative, meaningful and globally accessible Arab cinema.”

Established in 1970, the L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie is committed to encouraging solidarity between its 75 members and observer states and more than 890 million people worldwide, including 220 million French speakers. The promotion of cultural diversity is one of the cornerstones of its work, and includes support for creative professionals with the writing, production and broadcasting of their work and its promotion during festivals and film markets.

“Our commitment to encouraging cultural diversity is illustrated by our support of film and broadcast media, which are driving forces for cultural expressions and economically beneficial areas of activity,” he said.

Every year the Dubai Film Connection selects 15 new regional film projects for potential production support annually, from a field of hundreds across the Levant, Maghreb, Gulf, North Africa and other markets that are home to filmmakers of Arab nationality and origin.

Launched in 2007, the Dubai Film Connection selects 15 regional documentary and feature film projects in development annually, offering more than US$100,000 in funding. In addition, the co-production market also provides emerging filmmakers with invaluable industry connections, including matchmaking with specialists in sales, distribution, and funding. Since its inception, it has showcased 64 projects from the Middle East, of which 18 films have been completed and debuted to international acclaim and an additional 10 are in production.

The Dubai Film Connection awards include a €6,000 prize from ARTE France; US$10,000 Film Clinic award for a debut feature film; three DIFF awards of US$25,000; US$15,000 Screen Institute Beirut DIFF Documentary Award; and five registrations for producers from the Arab world to the prestigious Producers Network at Cannes 2012.

DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.