Gulf Film Fest: Calling all director hopefuls

The fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival, to be held in Dubai from April 10 to 16, has thrown open its competition to hunt down talented filmmakers from this region and beyond. The winners stand to win prize money worth half a million dirhams. “The fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival will once again highlight the emerging film talent in the Arabian peninsula, offering filmmakers a strong platform to showcase their works,” said Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director in a statement. The week-long festival, which attracts some of the biggest names from Arabic cinema, will accept submissions until February 29. Entries in the Gulf Competition are invited in feature films (fiction and non-fiction) and shorts. Students are allowed to compete in short films only and the international competition is open only to shorts (fiction and non-fiction), said organisers in a statement. The Gulf Competition is open to filmmakers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and Iraq. The entries from filmmakers of other nationalities with films showcasing the region will also be considered. The festival is not limited to competitions alone. Master classes from legendary filmmakers, industry discussion led by experts and other events that celebrate filmmaking will be held during this week. In the past, experimental filmmakers such as France’s Courant and world-renowned director Kiarostami has participated in the festival. For details on the festival, that will be held at InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Grand Festival Cinemas, and to download applications for the competitions log on www.gulffilmfest.com .