Five animated films created by UAE students during the Dubai International Film Festival 2008 will screen at the 12th Auburn International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults next month in Australia.

The annual Sydney festival, which will run from September 21 to 25, 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.

“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,” said Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Diff artistic director.

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