The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced that Viraj Asher of Manipal University in India has received the prestigious DIFF Young Journalist Award 2016.

Asher excelled in a demanding weeklong training programme reporting from the 13th edition of the Festival, a statement said.

With the guidance of Gulf news tabloid!, a popular entertainment publisher in the UAE, Asher proved his journalistic talent and potential for a career in the industry, excelling in the fast paced environment of the Festival to produce daily news reports for Gulf News tabloid!. As a result, Asher will undertake a further internship with the publication in 2017.

Asher and seven other gifted students participated in one of the most challenging hands-on training programmes in the region to help budding reporters kick-start their careers. The ambitious group were given unmatched insights into the competitive and exciting world of journalism, covering press conferences, Red Carpet Galas, panel sessions and more throughout the 13th Dubai International Film Festival.

Abdulhamid Juma, chairman, DIFF, said: “Every year, the Festival aims to fulfil its commitment to support the evolution of the regional film industry and all the disciplines that contribute to it, whether acting, animation or journalism. Our partnership with Gulf News tabloid! provides exceptional support to young writers with an interest in entertainment, and they are given an invaluable opportunity to gain first-hand industry experience. I would like to congratulate the winner, Viraj Asher, and thank all of the shortlisted young journalists for their full efforts as part of the Festival this year.”

"I am very proud to see our continuing relationship with the Dubai International Film Festival produce young talents with great potential," said Mohammed Almezel, managing editor, Gulf News. "We are looking forward to help them polish their skills in the newsroom and give them the platform to flourish in the media."

David Tusing, editor, Gulf News tabloid! said: "I loved how driven our participants were this year, especially in the way they covered so many different aspects of the festival, from talking to those behind the scenes to stars on the red carpet. We can't wait to have Asher in our team and help him make a grand start to his media career." – TradeArabia News Service